DON'T FALL FOR THE ENEMY

CHAPTER 04

KILLIAN

I watched Elena’s face as I knelt before her, and I could see the panic starting to set in. Her eyes were wide, and her mouth was slightly open as she stared at the diamond ring. She was hesitating, and I could practically hear her brain screaming that this was too fast. I didn't want her to bolt before the hook was set deep enough, so I softened my expression just a little.

"You don't have to answer right now, Elena," I said, my voice low. "I know it’s a lot to take in, and I want you to be sure. Think about it, and let me know when you're ready."

She looked visibly relieved, and the tension in her shoulders dropped instantly. She gave me a small, grateful smile and reached out to touch my hand. I felt a surge of irritation at the contact, but I didn't pull away. I needed her to trust me, and I needed her to think I was her only ally in a world that was trying to tear her down.

"Thank you, Killian," she whispered. "I just... I need a little time."

I nodded and helped her up, walking her to the car that was waiting for her. As soon as the door closed and the taillights disappeared down the street, my face went back to being a mask of cold fury. All I felt was the ticking clock of my revenge.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

"Set up a meeting with Victor and Beatrice," I ordered when the person answered.

"Tonight. Tell them I have a proposal they can't afford to turn down. And make sure they know exactly who is coming."

Two hours later, I was sitting in the Vancourts' drawing room. The place was dripping with old money and stolen prestige, and it made my skin crawl. Victor and Beatrice were sitting opposite me, looking curious and slightly intimidated.

I was sure they'd be shocked about me revealing my identity to them, except mentioning my past and anything that could connect with it.

"I'll get straight to the point," I said, leaning back and crossing my legs. "I want to marry your daughter, Elena. I know I’ve already asked her, and I know she’s hesitant, but I think we can reach an agreement that benefits everyone."

Victor raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with greed. "And what kind of agreement would that be, Mr. Thorne?"

I slid a folder across the mahogany table. "A multi-billion dollar merger between Thorne Industries and Vancourt Tech. I’ll settle all your outstanding debts, and I’ll provide the capital you need to keep your lifestyle afloat for the next three decades. In exchange, you make sure Elena says yes. Immediately."

Beatrice gasped as she looked at the numbers in the folder and I watched how Victor’s hands were shaking. They didn't care about Elena's happiness, and they didn't care about her future. They saw a payday, and they were ready to sell her to the highest bidder without a second thought.

"This is... very generous," Victor said, his voice shaky. "We can certainly talk to her. We can make her see the benefits of such a union."

For a moment, it dawn in me Victor didn't even sense any familiarity between us. I was still the same Killian Throne from twenty years ago, I never changed my name. A little smirk formed across my face as I responded.

"Don't just talk to her," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Force her. I want this done by the end of the week."

Seeing Victor’s face, the man who had played a role in my father’s downfall made my blood boil. I wanted to reach across the table and wrap my hands around his throat, but I kept my cool. I wanted him to suffer slowly. I wanted him to watch as I took everything he loved, starting with the daughter he treated like was nothing.

I stood up and left and drove to a private bar I owned in Soho, a place where the lights were low and the staff knew to leave me alone. My right-hand man, Sherlock, was already there, waiting for me at a booth in the back.

"How did the meeting go?" Sherlock asked as I sat down.

"They're greedy, predictable, and disgusting," I replied, signaling the bartender for a scotch. "They agreed before I even finished the sentence. They’ll force her into it, and she’ll think she’s doing it to save her company, not realizing she’s just being traded."

Sherlock nodded. "And the next step?"

"I'm going to ruin their first daughter," I said, my teeth gritted. "I'm going to make Victor watch as I strip away every bit of dignity she has. I'm going to make him suffer the way he made my father suffer."

“Alright then,” Sherlock said.

“We haven't found anything about her yet, Killian,” Sherlock told me after a moment of silence.

I froze, my hand tightening around the glass of scotch. "Nothing at all?” I asked and he shook his head.

TWENTY YEARS AGO.

“Take him Marcus and run!” My father screamed and I knew at that moment something bad was going to happen. A few minutes ago, my dad had wrapped a cloth around my eyes so I wouldn't witness what was happening and hid me in my room.

But I could hear the arguments and I could recognize that voice. Mr. Vancourt.

In just a few seconds, gunshots rang out and the door had burst open. ‘Dad!’ I rushed out and screamed when I saw my dad drop to the floor, his clothes soaked in blood.

“Let's go Killian, let's go!” Mr. Marcus, one of my father's employee screamed as he took me in his arms and started to run. He tried saving father but he'd asked us to run and in the end, Mr Marcus also died for saving me, and his last request was that I find his daughter and keep her safe. He had given me a ring, a rare and unique piece of jewelry that he said his daughter had an exact match for. It was the only way I would know it was her.

*

"We’re still searching," Sherlock said, pulling a small object from his pocket. It was the ring the man had given me. It was a strange, intricate design, unlike anything I had seen in a jewelry store. "The trail is old, but we're narrowing it down. Whoever she is, she’s been hidden well."

I took the ring from him, squeezing it tight in my palm. The metal bit into my skin, but I welcomed the pain. It was a reminder of a debt I could never fully repay.

"Find her, Sherlock," I said, my voice cracking with emotions. "I need to find her and make sure she's safe. I promised her father, and I don't break my promises."

I looked out at the dark bar, the shadows reflecting the mess my life had become. I was planning to destroy one woman while trying to save another, and the irony wasn't lost on me.

"I'll find her," I repeated, more to myself than to him. "And then I'll ruin the people who killed my father and her father. I’ll burn the Vancourts to the ground, and I’ll make sure there’s nothing left but ash.”