The billionaire’s twins shared obsession

Episode4

The Hunt

Dmitri POV

The view from the top floor of Throne Tower usually calmed me down. Today, it just felt small. Everything felt small compared to the memory of Amelia’s skin under my hands and the way she looked at me with that perfect mix of fear and hunger.

I sat at my desk, leaning back in the leather chair, watching my assistant, Sarah, flip through a tablet. She was wearing a skirt that was too short and a blouse that was unbuttoned one notch too much. She had been my assistant for six months, and she still hadn't realized that I didn't care about her legs.

"Mr. Thorne, you have the board meeting at ten," Sarah said, stepping closer to my desk. She leaned over, intentionally letting her hairbrush against my arm. "Then a lunch with the investors from Tokyo. I’ve cleared your afternoon so we can... go over the private files in your lounge."

“I can help out with a lot of things too lately you look stressed out, maybe like to blow off some steam.”

She ran a long, manicured nail along the edge of my mahogany desk—no, the dark wood of my desk. I didn't even blink. I just watched her as she fooled herself in my presence. It's always this way with my female assistants. Men choose to avoid me, because they feel intimidated every time.

"Is that all?" I asked, my voice flat.

"I could stay late tonight," she whispered, her voice dropping to a forced, sultry pitch. "If you need help with... anything else, I can do a lot for you than just help out with your work, I can be your good girl."

Before I could tell her to get out, a shadow moved from the corner of the room. Ivan had been sitting on the couch, quiet as a ghost, but now he was standing right behind her.

In one blurred motion, Ivan reached out and grabbed a fistful of her blonde hair. He didn't yank it, but he pulled her head back until she was forced to look up at the ceiling, her mouth dropping open in a silent gasp.

"You know, Sarah," Ivan said, his voice terrifyingly sweet. "You’re awfully ugly for someone who wants to crawl into her boss’s pants instead of doing her work. I can just throw you out of the streets easily, and let you sell your body for the rest of your life. Does that sound nice?” Ivan asked, smirking at her with his eyes glowing that usual way, when he is savoring someone's fear.

Sarah’s eyes went wide. She started trembling, her tablet slipping from her fingers and hitting the carpet with a soft thud.

"I—I'm sorry, Mr. Thorne," she stammered, her voice shaking.

Ivan leaned down, his lips inches from her ear. "Boo," he whispered.

He let go of her hair. Sarah didn't wait a second. She scrambled to pick up her tablet and bolted out of the office, nearly tripping over her own feet as the heavy glass doors swung shut behind her.

I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "That’s the third one this month, Ivan."

"She was annoying," Ivan said, shrugging as he walked over to the mini-bar to pour himself a drink. "And she smelled like cheap perfume. We need someone who actually knows how to file a paper without trying to rub their chest on the furniture."

This is Ivan for you. He does what he wants with a charming smile on his face, he is the twin that loves playing mind games with his victims.

He took a sip of his drink and looked at me. The playfulness in his eyes died down, replaced by that cold, shared focus we always had.

"Have you heard from her?" Ivan asked.

I didn't need to ask who 'her' was. "No. She’s been hiding in that tiny apartment of hers for three days. My security team says she hasn't even opened the curtains. Apparently, she lost her job at that little gallery too. Some budget cuts."

Ivan leaned against the edge of my desk, a dark light in his eyes. "What do you think of her, brother? Now that we’ve actually tasted her."

I looked down at my hands. I could still feel the pulse in her neck under my thumb. "She’s stubborn. She thinks she can run. She thinks our father marrying her mother gives her a shield. She even called me her sibling, the f**k does that mean?"

"She’s a scared one," Ivan mused, a smirk pulling at his lips. "I love them that way. Like frightened little kittens. They scratch and hiss, just waiting to be polished into wild cats. I want to see how long it takes to break that artistic spirit of hers, but I want to watch her fight this, my little fighter."

I stood up, walking to the window. "I want every inch of her, Ivan. I want the fear, the art, the secrets. I want her to realize that there is no world where we don't own her."

Ivan nodded, his expression turning serious. "We will have her. Our father can have his little wedding with Eleanor. We'll handle them later. If they get in the way, we’ll move them. But Amelia is the priority. She’s the only thing that’s felt real in a long time."

He set his glass down and checked his watch. "You know we have that meeting with the logistics team in five minutes."

I looked up, a meet, with fools, people who clearly want me for their benefit. It will only last in probably some of them crying with their heads down, so what's the need for it?

I didn't move. I was thinking about Amelia sitting in the dark, probably crying or painting some masterpiece she thinks will save her.

"Do you think she’d like to work as our assistant?" I asked.

Ivan paused, then let out a short, dry laugh. "She’ll hate it. She’ll definitely reject the offer. She’ll probably throw something at us."

I turned away from the window, grabbing my suit jacket. "Does that matter in our books?" I asked Ivan, looking at him to say something. We all know what we are thinking.

"Not at all," Ivan said, his eyes flashing. "We get whatever we want. We always have. I don't care how long she fights or screams. Well, those are just some traits I love, so I don't mind."

"Cancel the meeting," I said, adjusting my cuffs. "I’m tired of waiting. Let’s go see the kitten hiding under her bed. I want to rip the roof off that shitty apartment and make her realize where she belongs. She thinks she can just run away and hide from us, we rule this city, she will be our Queen."

Ivan straightened his tie, his face mirroring my own dark intent. "I'll get the car. Let’s go take our girl home."

We walked out of the office together, two bodies moving with one mind. People in the hallway scrambled to get out of our way, sensing the aura we carried. We weren't going to a meeting. We were going on a hunt.

“She will be so surprised to see us, I can't wait for her reaction,” Ivan said, chuckling.