UNDER HIS AUTHORITY

CHAPTER FOUR

Amelia POV

The voice was loud. Female. Confident. Used to winning.

A woman walked in like the building belonged to her. Red dress. Sharp heels. Hair perfect. Confidence dripping like perfume. Two men followed her, smug and bored.

She stopped when she saw me. Her eyes scanned me slowly. Flats. Simple blouse. Hair tied back. Nothing screamed money.

“Oh,” she said with a thin smile. “You have staff now.”

Staff. I straightened.

Alexander did not look at her. Not even a glance.

“Who let you in?” he asked.

She laughed. “Still rude. Some things never change.”

One of the men leaned against the wall. “So this is the assistant who messed up the Zurich deal.”

“I didn’t mess up anything,” I said before fear could catch me.

The woman turned fully to me, eyebrow lifted.

“Oh,” she said. “She talks.”

The other man laughed. “Careful. She might cry.”

Heat rushed to my neck. My hands curled.

Alexander moved. One step. Then another. Slow. Calm. Like a storm choosing where to strike.

“Watch your mouth,” he said.

The man scoffed. “Why? She’s just an employee.”

Then he smiled. Ugly. Knowing.

“Or are you sleeping with her?”

The room froze. My breath caught halfway in my chest. I stared at the floor because looking up might make me melt.

Alexander didn’t raise his voice. He punched him.

The sound was sickening. A dull crack. The man flew back, hit the glass wall, slid down with a groan.

The woman screamed.

The second man stepped forward. Stopped. Because Alexander was smiling. Not warm. Not friendly. The kind of smile that ended careers.

“No one,” he said calmly, “disrespects my staff. Not in my office. Not in my company. Not anywhere.”

Blood streaked down his knuckles.

The woman stared at him like she was meeting a stranger. “You’re insane.”

Alexander turned to me. His eyes softened. Just a little.

“Amelia. Step outside.”

I didn’t argue. Legs like jelly, heart hammering. I leaned against the wall and breathed like I’d survived a crash.

Inside, voices exploded. Shouting. Threats. Someone swore. Security rushed in.

Hard.

Fast.

My boss had punched a man….. for me.

The door opened minutes later.

Alexander stepped out. His hand wrapped. His face unreadable.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded. Shook my head.

Short. Broken. Real.

“That was very illegal,” I said.

His mouth twitched. “He deserved it.”

I looked up at him. Really looked.

Power clung to him like shadow. Dangerous. Controlled. Protective in a way that scared me.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

He studied my face like he was committing it to memory.The elevator dinged.

“Back to work,” he added, already turning away.

I watched him walk back into his office like nothing had happened.

It was now late.I handed him the last folder.“Stay,” he said. Just that.My voice had left me. “Yes, sir,” I whispered, because that word had become automatic around him.

He didn’t speak again. He moved to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a bottle of scotch. Two glasses followed. He poured slowly, like time had slowed just for him.

“Do you drink?” he asked.

“Sometimes,” I said, barely hiding the tremble in my voice.

He held out a glass toward me. I blinked, then froze. My hand hovered over it. Scotch. Strong, sharp, rich.

And then reality hit me like a brick. I’m pregnant.

I pulled back. “I… can’t,” I said softly, a little embarrassed but firm. “Can’t drink.”

He raised an eyebrow, unreadable, then smirked just slightly. “Noted.”

The glass sat there. I took a sip of water instead.

He watched me the entire time, unblinking.

“You’ve been tense lately,” he said, calm, almost teasing.

“That’s one way to describe my life.” I replied.

He looked at me, and for a second I felt like he was staring straight through me. Like he knew everything. Like he knew my husband had dumped me two months ago and I was still pretending I was fine.

“Are you… okay?” I asked, my voice shaky.

His eyes were darker than usual, the blue almost swallowed up. Something felt strange.

Did he drink too much? Or is this just his villain era?

“I’m more than okay,” he said softly, stepping closer.

Too close.

Before I could react, his face dipped to my neck. His lips brushed my skin, slow and warm.

“You’re perfect.”

“Sir—”

He didn’t let me finish. His mouth crashed into mine, hard and hungry, and suddenly my brain stopped working. Completely. Gone. On vacation.

His hand grabbed my waist and pulled me against him like he’d been waiting forever. I should’ve pushed him away. He was my boss. My very powerful, very rich boss.

But then his tongue slipped into my mouth and—wow.

Okay. So much for morals.

My knees went weak. I grabbed his shoulders just to stay standing, my fingers sinking into his suit like it was the only thing keeping me alive.

The kiss deepened, messy and intense, and before I could stop myself, I let out a soft moan.

Great. So this is how I die. Fired and sinful.

My hands moved on their own, sliding over his back. He was solid. Very solid. He lifted me like I weighed nothing, and somehow we ended up at his desk.

On his desk.

This desk probably costs more than my life.

He laid me down gently, spreading my legs as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His eyes were wild, like he was barely holding back.

Then he bent down and buried his face into my chest—through my top.

“Oh—”

His hands fumbled with my buttons, clearly losing patience. When my top finally came loose, my breasts spilled free, my bra barely doing its job.

He stared like he’d just found treasure.

I’d always been insecure about my chest. Too big, too noticeable. But the way he looked at me?

Yeah. Suddenly I wanted to show off.

He pulled my bra down and took one n****e into his mouth. I gasped, arching up as his teeth grazed my skin.

Amelia…you're pregnant this is so wrong….