CLAIMED BY THE BILLIONAIRE CEO MAN

Chapter 6

The heavy wooden doors of the St. Regis ballroom slammed shut behind Julian, sealing off his desperate screams as security dragged him out to the curb like garbage. The remaining high-society guests quickly turned back to their champagne, whispering endlessly about the drama they had just witnessed.

Alec didn't let go of Elena’s hand. He led her toward the center of the room, his long fingers interwoven with hers, making sure every high-profile investor saw them together.

"You handled that like a queen," Alec murmured into her ear, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. "Did it feel good?"

"It felt like taking my first real breath in three years," Elena admitted, looking up into his piercing blue eyes.

Before Alec could answer, a group of high-level board members from the Sterling Group approached them, eager to shake Elena’s hand and discuss her vision for Mercer Enterprises. For the next two hours, Elena owned the room. She spoke with brilliant authority, pitching design strategies and market architectures that left seasoned executives nodding in total awe.

Every time she spoke, Alec stood beside her, his expression filled with possessive pride. He didn't interrupt her or talk over her; he let her shine, his arm firmly around her waist, pulling her flush against his side whenever someone stepped a little too close.

By midnight, the gala was winding down.

Inside the private, darkened backseat of the Maybach, the air was heavy with heat and unspoken tension. The city lights flickered past the tinted windows, casting glowing streaks of gold across Elena’s emerald dress.

Elena leaned her head back against the leather seat, letting out a soft sigh. "Julian was right about one thing tonight."

Alec turned his head slowly, his icy eyes darkening in the dim light. "Oh?"

"I look completely different," Elena whispered, turning to face him. "A week ago, I would have hid in the corner of that room. I would have covered my body."

Alec reached across the seat, his large, warm hand cupping the side of her face. His thumb stroked her cheekbone before sliding down her neck, brushing over her collarbone to rest firmly against the bare skin above her corset.

"You didn't need to change a single thing about your body, Elena," Alec purred, his voice dropping into a dangerous, velvet register that made her breath hitch. "You just needed to drop the blind boy who was making you feel small. Your curves, your mind, your fire... you are perfection. And I have zero intention of letting you hide ever again."

Before she could speak, Alec leaned in and captured her lips in a deep, fierce kiss.

Elena gasped into his mouth, her hands sliding up his chest, tangling into his thick hair. Alec let out a low growl, shifting his weight until he was towering over her on the wide leather seat. His hands slid down her body, gripping her full, lush hips tightly, pulling her directly into his lap.

The contrast between them was dizzying—his broad, muscular frame holding her tightly, his hands worshiping every inch of her voluptuous body with a raw, demanding hunger that made her core melt.

"Alec..." she breathed against his lips.

"You're mine, Elena," Alec whispered against her skin, his lips moving down her jaw, tracing a trail of fire down to her throat. "In the boardroom, in the news, and in my bed. Tell me you want this."

"I want you," Elena confessed, her fingers gripping his shoulders as a wave of intense heat washed through her.

The Maybach pulled into the private subterranean garage of his penthouse building, smooth and silent.

Alec broke the kiss, his breathing heavy, his eyes burning with absolute possessiveness. He didn't wait for the driver to open the door. He stepped out, reached back into the car, and lifted Elena cleanly into his arms, carrying her toward the private elevator.

The penthouse was dark, lit only by the glowing city skyline outside the floor-to-ceiling glass.

Alec carried her straight into the master suite, setting her down gently beside the massive king-sized bed. His hands made quick work of his own suit jacket and tie, tossing them onto the floor before he stepped toward her.

He stood behind her, his chest warm against her bare back, as his long fingers found the zipper of her emerald dress. Slowly, deliberately, he pulled the zipper down, his lips pressing warm, lingering kisses along her spine as the silk fell away.

When Elena turned around to face him, wearing only her delicate lace lingerie, there was no hesitation, no shame, and no desire to cover herself.

Alec stopped, his eyes sweeping over her full breasts, her soft waist, and the gorgeous curve of her hips. His chest heaved, his gaze filled with a dark, intoxicating reverence.

"Breathtaking," Alec whispered, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her waist, lifting her up onto the soft mattress.

That night, Alec worshiped every inch of her. There was no rush, no cruelty, only a fierce, high-heat passion that proved to Elena just how intensely she was desired. He touched her like she was the most precious, captivating woman in existence, making her scream his name into the quiet dark of the penthouse until the early hours of the morning.

At 7:00 AM, the morning sun broke over the horizon.

Elena woke up wrapped in Egyptian cotton sheets, resting her head against Alec’s bare, solid chest. His arm was wrapped securely around her waist, keeping her pinned close to his side even in his sleep.

Her phone on the nightstand vibrated softly with a news alert.

Elena reached out quietly, picking up the device. The front page of the city’s largest entertainment and business outlet featured a massive, high-res photo from the gala last night.

It showed Julian on his knees being restrained by security, while Alec held Elena close, kissing her hand like a queen.

The headline read:

VANCE MEDIA OFFICIALLY FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY: JULIAN VANCE RUINED AFTER PUBLICLY LOSING CCO ELENA VANCE TO ALEXANDER MERCER.

Below the article was a leaked text message thread from Chloe, publicly announcing that she was breaking up with Julian because he was broke and facing multiple fraud lawsuits from former investors.

A soft, satisfied smile spread across Elena’s lips. Julian was broke, publicly disgraced, and abandoned by the girl he threw her away for. Her revenge was complete, cold, and absolute.

Beside her, Alec shifted, his arm tightening around her waist as he pulled her closer into his warm chest. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice rough with sleep.

"Reading the morning news, my love?" he murmured, pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"Just seeing the trash get taken out," Elena smiled, turning in his arms to face him.

Alec opened his icy blue eyes, a dark, handsome smirk curving his lips as he looked down at her. "Good. Because now that he's out of the way... we have an empire to run."

He pulled the sheets over their heads, blocking out the morning sun as he pulled her into another deep, possessive kiss.