Claimed By The CEOs

Chapter 2: The 8:00 AM Boardroom

The glass-and-steel boardroom on the fifty-fourth floor of Mercer Tower usually smelled of polished mahogany and expensive leather. Today, it smelled like an arena.

Elena adjusted the cuff of her cream blazer, taking her seat at the foot of the long marble conference table. Beside her, Julian sat like a king on his throne, pristine in a charcoal navy suit, effortlessly exuding total corporate authority.

"You look tense, Elena," Julian murmured under his breath, not bothering to turn his head as he shuffled a neat stack of acquisition contracts. "Relax. The board is taking a formality vote on Vance Logistics' merger. By noon, your father's debts are history."

Elena forced a calm expression, but under the heavy marble table, her thumb pressed against the screen of her phone in her lap.

The anonymous message from last night burned in her mind: Let's see how long you wear it once you find out what your fiancé did to your father.

She glanced at Julian’s cold profile. Could he really have had something to do with her father’s ruin? Before she could process the thought, the grand double doors at the end of the boardroom burst open.

Every head at the table turned.

Dominic Mercer walked in.

He had traded his leather jacket from the night before for an Italian tailored suit, but he wore it like armor rather than a uniform. No tie. Top two buttons undone. The faint scar through his left eyebrow added a rugged, dangerous edge among the sea of graying, timid board members.

Behind him walked two corporate attorneys carrying thick black leather binders.

"You're late, Dominic," Julian said, his voice dropping into a deadly, quiet register. "And this is an executive board meeting. Guests aren't permitted."

"I'm not a guest, brother," Dominic said smoothly, taking the empty leather armchair directly across the table from Elena. He leaned back, resting his hands behind his head with infuriating confidence. "I'm your new majority shareholder."

A collective gasp rippled through the older board members.

"Nonsense," Julian sneered, slapping his palm flat against the marble. "You were stripped of your shares five years ago."

"I was," Dominic agreed, a sharp, white smile flashing across his face. "So I spent five years building liquidity in London, waited until Apex Global bought out twenty-five percent of Mercer Enterprises on the open market yesterday, and then purchased another fifteen percent from Senior Director Vance's former estate this morning."

Julian’s posture went rigid. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "You bought my late father-in-law's shares?"

"I bought shares from an estate that was desperate for liquid cash because someone squeezed their supply lines," Dominic corrected, his dark eyes snapping directly to Elena. The intensity in his gaze made her breath catch. "Which brings us to Agenda Item Number One: the acquisition of Vance Logistics."

"The vote is already scheduled," Julian barked. "We have a quorum. The merger moves forward."

"Not anymore," Dominic countered smoothly. He gestured to his lead attorney, who slapped a thick stack of legal documents onto the center of the table. "Under Article 4 of the Mercer charter, any acquisition involving an entity with outstanding debt liabilities exceeding thirty million dollars requires a unanimous vote if a shareholder holding over thirty percent objects."

Dominic leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, locking eyes with Julian. "And I object."

The room descended into immediate chaos. Board members began whispering frantically, turning pages, and pulling out tablets.

"You're sabotaging this company out of spite!" Julian slammed his hand on the table, half-rising from his chair.

"I'm protecting my investment," Dominic replied, not flinching an inch. He slowly turned his gaze toward Elena, his dark eyes tracing the gold engagement ring glittering on her left hand. "Unless, of course, Mercer Enterprises wants to submit Vance Logistics to a mandatory, independent forensic audit first?"

Elena felt the air leave her lungs. Forensic audit. If Dominic audited her father's books, he would see every ledger—and every transfer Julian had made to 'rescue' them.

Julian caught the look between them and stood up fully, towering over the table. "Fine. An audit. But Apex won't conduct it alone. Elena will serve as my chief representative on the audit task force. She knows Vance Logistics better than anyone."

Dominic's eyes flashed with a sudden, dangerous heat. A slow, provocative smile spread across his face. "Done. She works out of Apex Headquarters with me starting tomorrow morning. Eight o'clock sharp."

"She works from Mercer Tower," Julian snapped.

"Apex owns forty percent of the voting stock, Julian," Dominic said, standing up and buttoning his jacket. "If your fiancé wants her family's firm saved, she works under my roof where I can keep an eye on the numbers... and on her."

Dominic didn't wait for a response. He turned on his heel and strode out of the boardroom, his attorneys trailing right behind him.

Julian’s hand gripped Elena’s shoulder with white-knuckled force. "You won't let him intimidate you, Elena. You report every single word he says directly to me."

Elena nodded mechanically, but her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird.

Fifteen minutes later, as the meeting adjourned in disarray, Elena hurried toward the private executive elevators, needing air. The brass doors opened, and she stepped inside, pressing the button for the lobby.

Before the doors could slide shut, a hand reached through, blocking the sensors.

Dominic stepped inside.

The doors sealed behind them, trapping them in the quiet, mirrored space as the elevator plummeted downward.

"Are you following me, Dominic?" Elena asked, backing up until her heels touched the mirrored back wall.

Dominic took two long, deliberate steps toward her, closing the distance until he blocked out the lights of the elevator. The scent of cedarwood, rain, and sheer masculine heat filled her senses.

"I don't need to follow you, Elena," Dominic murmured, his voice a low, rough vibration in the small space. He reached out, his long fingers hovering just an inch above the diamond ring on her hand. "You're already walking right into my trap."

"I am faithful to Julian," she whispered, her pulse racing in her throat as she met his piercing gaze. "And Vance Logistics belongs with Mercer."

"Julian is lying to you," Dominic said, stepping closer until his chest almost brushed hers. He reached past her ear, pressing his hand against the glass wall behind her, pinning her in place. "He didn't save your father's company, Elena. He suffocated it until your father had no choice but to beg for his help."

Elena’s heart slammed against her ribs. "You're just trying to tear us apart."

"I'm trying to wake you up," Dominic whispered, leaning down until his lips were inches from her ear. His warm breath sent a shiver straight down her spine. "Check the text I sent you last night. Then ask yourself why your fiancé won't let you see your father's 2024 tax ledgers."

Ding.

The elevator hit the ground floor, the doors sliding open to the busy glass lobby.

Dominic backed away smoothly, sliding his hands into his pockets with a dark, satisfied smirk. "See you tomorrow at eight, partner. Don't be late."

He walked out into the lobby, leaving Elena standing alone in the elevator, her fingers trembling as she pressed her phone against her chest.