RUTHLESS DEVOTION: THE EMPIRE BETWEEN US

IMPEDING STORM

Two months ago, Debrin Salvatore had walked into a high-end downtown club and found Lyla Daniels working as a waitress. She was kind, heartbreakingly innocent, and completely out of place in a den of wolves. The moment Debrin saw the hungry, drunk eyes of the club's patrons tracking her every move, something primitive snapped inside him. He couldn't bear the thought of another man laying a hand on her.

Using his immense power, he forcefully got her fired that very night and took her with him. Despite Lyla's frantic efforts to protest, a Salvatore had already made the decision for her. He confined her to his private penthouse under the strict, watchful eye of his most trusted right-hand man, Julian. Over time, Lyla slowly adapted to his dark dominance, eventually falling completely in love with the possessive billionaire who had caged her.

When Lowin had asked Debrin to find a fresh, captivating face to represent Vance Fashion, Debrin immediately thought of Lyla. Her lifelong dream had been to model, but as an orphan with zero financial support, she had never stood a chance until their paths crossed. Now, her dream was finally coming true, all because of the terrifying man holding her against the door.

Lyla leaned back against the opaque glass door her breath rattling. "What if someone walks in and sees us like this, Debrin?"

"Don't be afraid, darling," Debrin murmured, his thumb brushing over her swollen lower lip. "No one in this empire would dare walk through that door without knocking first."

Lyla let out a soft sigh, her body relaxing as he finally released her. She walked over and sank into the plush leather sofa. "You promised I'd meet Amilah today. I really want to see her."

"She'll be here tomorrow, don't worry," Debrin replied, adjusting his cuffs as he watched her. "The two of you will get along perfectly, I promise."

Lyla looked up at him, a trace of anxiety crossing her beautiful features. "What about your friend, Lowin? He isn't as terrifying as the media rumors say, right?"

Debrin's lips twitched into a smirk. "Is my baby worried?"

"Of course I am. You won't be stationed here forever. You'll have to return to Salvatore Holdings the second he officially takes the wheel back."

"Don't worry, you two will barely see each other anyway," Debrin reassured her, walking over to sit beside her. "The only person you'll truly be interacting with on a daily basis is Amilah. She is going to be your direct boss."

Lyla's eyes brightened. "She is his girlfriend, right?"

"Yeah. So don't stress too much. I'm certain you're going to love her."

"Okay," Lyla murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Debrin wrapped an arm around her, his expression turning serious. "I'm going to tell Lowin about us today. I want his official clearance to let Julian act as your permanent, personal driver while you're working here."

Lyla instantly shook her head. "You don't have to do that, Debrin. I can easily just take a cab home after work."

"There is absolutely no way in hell my baby is stepping foot inside a public cab," Debrin growled softly, his possessive streak flaring. "Julian will be picking you up from the lobby and bringing you directly home every single day. If I'm free, I'll handle the evening pickup myself. And, of course, I will be the one dropping you off every morning."

A brilliant, radiant smile broke across Lyla's face, and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Debrin hugged her back, burying his face in her hair.

"I want you to be happy, Lyla. I want you to have everything you've ever wanted," he whispered, his tone dropping into a warning register. "But remember... you stay completely away from-"

"Victoria. Of course I remember, hubby," she cut him off teasingly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Is she that utterly miserable woman walking around with heavy bandages on her palms?"

Debrin let out a sharp, dark laugh. The profound hatred he harbored toward that toxic heiress was unimaginable. "Of course. That's the exact witch."

Lyla laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the massive executive room. "Okay, Boss. I have to go down and meet with Susan now."

"Stay a little longer," Debrin murmured, his grip tightening on her waist as he pulled her back down, his lips crashing onto hers once more.

Click.

The heavy double doors suddenly swung wide open. Lowin Vance strode into the room, his massive frame instantly dominating the space. Following closely behind him, looking entirely radiant, was Amilah.

Lowin stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene on the sofa. "You've turned my executive office into a goddamn romance playground, Salvatore. I distinctly recall leaving you here to work."

Debrin let out a violent curse under his breath, abruptly pulling back. Lyla instantly lowered her head, her cheeks burning a deep, embarrassing crimson as she tried to hide behind Debrin's broad shoulders.

Debrin glared at his best friend. "Why the hell are you even here? Aren't you two supposed to be resting at home?"

Lowin ran a hand through his hair, shooting a thoroughly exasperated look toward Amilah. "She insisted on coming to accompany me today. What the hell was I supposed to do? She doesn't listen to a single word I say."

Amilah stepped forward, tossing her hair over her shoulder with an air of complete defiance. "I feel perfectly fine, Lowin. I refuse to be locked in a bedroom all day. Besides, you have mountains of work to catch up on, and I wanted to keep you company while you handle it."

Lowin's dark brows snapped up as his gaze finally settled on the trembling girl hiding behind Debrin. "Hold on. Isn't she the brand-new model you just recruited for the fashion division, Debrin? Tell me you aren't actively bullying my new employee."

Lyla frantically shook her head, her voice small. "No! No, sir, that's not it at all. He wasn't bullying me."

Debrin shifted, deliberately shielding her from Lowin's predatory gaze. "She is my girlfriend, Vance."

Lowin raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise. This motherfucker really knew how to keep a secret completely airtight. "Your girlfriend? Well, I'll be damned."

"Yes, my girlfriend," Debrin stated firmly. "Which means she is now your personal responsibility whenever I am away from this building. There's no need to assign her a corporate driver; Julian will be handling her transit."

Lowin let out a rough chuckle. "Well, Debrin, my hands are currently completely full, but I promise you she will be entirely safe under my roof."

Lyla slowly peeked out from behind Debrin's tailored jacket, her eyes wide as she looked at the beautiful woman standing beside the intimidating CEO. "Um... hey, Amilah?"

Amilah blinked, thoroughly stunned. "Oh... hi. How do you know my name?"

Lyla's nervous expression instantly melted into pure, girlish excitement. "I've heard so many wonderful things about you! I literally couldn't wait to finally meet you. I am Lyla Daniels."

Amilah's eyes softened, a warm smile spreading across her lips. "It's so wonderful to meet you too, Lyla. I'm Amilah Miles."

Lyla urgently tugged on the fabric of Debrin's shirt, prompting the massive Salvatore to lean down so she could whisper fiercely into his ear. "Is she the new lead designer? Oh my gosh, Debrin, she is so incredibly pretty!"

Debrin smiled tenderly, his voice a low murmur. "Yes, she's the designer. But you're still a thousand times prettier, darling."

Lyla rolled her eyes at his smooth flattery, but the moment her eyes darted back to Lowin's towering, brooding figure, a flash of physical terror crossed her face. She scrambled away from Debrin and rushed straight to Amilah's side, using the designer as a human shield.

"Um... why is your boyfriend so terrifyingly scary?" Lyla whispered frantically, clutching Amilah's arm.

Amilah let out a delighted giggle, instantly falling in love with the girl's pure, unfiltered cuteness. "Don't worry about him, Lyla. He's actually incredibly nice."

Lyla shot a doubtful look toward the stone-faced CEO. "To you, I guess."

Amilah laughed loudly, the sound echoing beautifully. "Well... maybe only to me."

Lowin crossed his arms, his dark eyes tracking his woman. "What exactly are you two gossiping about over there?"

Amilah turned a dazzling, mischievous smile toward him. "We were just talking about how incredibly handsome you are, of course."

Debrin choked on his own breath. "You-"

Lyla quickly chimed in, looking up at Debrin with an adorable pout. "Don't worry, Debrin. You're handsome too."

Amilah didn't give the men a chance to recover. She stepped forward, her fingers wrapping around Lowin's muscular arm as she tugged on his sleeve, using the ultimate weapon to get exactly what she wanted. "Lyla and I are going to head down to the cafeteria to grab some coffee... or can I see my private office first, hubby?"

The word hit the room like a lightning bolt. Lowin froze, his dark eyes instantly burning with an intense, possessive flame as he stared down at her. This woman was completely shameless; she knew exactly which psychological buttons to press to make him completely compliant.

"Hubby?" Lowin repeated, his voice dropping into a deep, gravelly pitch.

Amilah offered him a sweet, utterly innocent blink. "Of course. You told me that I should call you that from now on. So... can I please see my office?"

Wasting no time, Lowin reached out and slammed his finger against the executive intercom desk unit. "Tom. Get into my office. Right now."

Within three seconds, the door burst open, and Tom hurried inside, bowing his head slightly as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Yes, sir. You called?"

Lowin didn't look away from Amilah. "Tom, let me officially introduce you to Mrs. Vance."

Tom's eyes practically flew out of his head. His jaw dropped open as he stared at Amilah in shock. Mrs. Vance?! When the hell did this homicidal lunatic secretly get married?

Amilah rolled her eyes dramatically at the sheer audacity of Lowin's declaration, but she didn't correct him. Protesting now would only make Lowin go into full dominant overdrive.

"Whenever I am not physically present in this building, she is the boss," Lowin commanded Tom, his voice ringing with a chilling authority. "Whatever she says becomes law. No exceptions. Now, take her down the hall and show her to her private design office."

"Yes, sir! Of course." Tom squeaked, quickly gesturing toward the door.

Amilah gave Lowin's arm one last, comforting squeeze. "See you two boys later."

Lyla turned and blew a playful flying kiss directly to Debrin, then happily skipped out of the suite, following Amilah down the pristine executive corridor.

The moment the door slammed shut behind the women, Lowin turned a blank, deadpan stare toward his best friend.

Debrin leaned back against the edge of the mahogany desk, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Two months now, Vance. Stop staring at me like that."

"You are completely unbelievable," Lowin muttered, shaking his head as he walked over to his executive chair. "Where the hell were you hiding an angel like that? Do Damien and Dane know about her?"

"If those two idiots knew, they would have already leaked it to you weeks ago," Debrin scoffed. "The only person who knows is my father. He decided to show up at my penthouse unannounced and found her there, so I had no choice but to break the news."

Lowin sat down, a genuine look of respect settling into his features. "Well, congratulations, brother. She looks incredibly comfortable around you."

Debrin's smile faded slightly, replaced by a grave seriousness. "She wasn't at first. I practically forced her to pack her bags and move into my place, which is exactly why I don't understand why you're being so soft. Why haven't you done the same with Amilah?"

"Amilah is fiercely stubborn, Debrin," Lowin admitted, his jaw clenching as he thought about the baby growing inside her. "And right now... I don't want to do a single thing that might stress her out."

Debrin's expression turned razor-sharp, his corporate predator persona returning in full force. "You've been completely distracted ever since the day you met her, Lowin. And you need to snap out of it fast. The board of directors just called an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning. They want immediate, detailed answers regarding your recent arrest, and you know exactly how those old bastards operate. That meeting is going to last for hours."

Lowin's eyes turned ice-cold. "I've already handled the board. I'll shut them down before Justin can even think about getting his slimy hands on them."

"They trust your leadership, so don't sweat it too much," Debrin noted, walking toward the door. "Besides, Salvatore Holdings and Sinclair Medical are completely backing your play. None of those board members would dare do anything reckless enough to cross us." Debrin paused, his hand on the brass handle. "and Victoria is currently on the floor."

"She'll behave. I have her by the throat."

"Good. I'll be leaving now, I have a massive merger meeting this evening," Debrin said, opening the door. He shot Lowin one last, lethal look over his shoulder. "Take exceptional care of my baby while she's on your clock, Vance. If she gets bullied by anyone in this tower... I will personally come back and bully yours."

Lowin let out a rough chuckle. "She's perfectly safe, Debrin. Don't worry."

Far across the city, inside the heavily shaded, luxury study of Justin Vance's private penthouse, the atmosphere was thick with malice.

The double doors clicked open, and Jacob walked into the room, a thick, manila surveillance folder gripped tightly in his hand. He stepped up to the mahogany desk where Justin sat swirling a glass of dark liquor.

"Boss," Jacob announced, his voice tight. "I have the complete, detailed routine on Beryl."

Justin didn't look up, a slow, twisted smile creeping onto his face. "Go on. Tell me everything."

"Also... our scouts confirmed that Amilah Miles was officially discharged from Sinclair Medical early this morning," Jacob reported, shifting his feet. "But she didn't return to her apartment, and she hasn't shown her face at her boutique either. Lowin has her completely locked down."

Justin's hand paused, his fingers tightening around the crystal glass. "her apartment is empty?"

"A complete fortress, sir. There is a massive shadow security detail stationed outside the entire perimeter of her building. Our men could barely recognize them, but the local street gang we paid managed to identify the operatives. They are Sinclair's elite medical security force, backed by a handful of heavy Salvatore enforcers."

Justin let out a loud, mocking chuckle, leaning back in his leather chair as he took a slow sip of his drink. "As expected. They are the best of friends, so of course those sly bastards are going to pool their resources to back him up. But let them build their walls. It doesn't matter. They will all come crawling straight to my feet in the end."

Jacob opened the folder, pointing to a series of hidden surveillance photos. "Well, as for the employee... Beryl leaves her apartment at the exact same time every single morning. She takes the transit bus directly to the fashion boutique. It's the exact same, predictable routine every single day."

Justin's eyes lit up with a terrifying, unhinged fire. He slammed his glass down onto the desk. "Excellent. We grab her tomorrow morning. Where the hell is Logan?"

"I haven't seen or heard from him all day, sir," Jacob replied nervously.

Justin's expression darkened into a mask of pure psychotic fury. "Use the local street gang to execute the abduction. Leave Logan completely out of this phase. The i***t has been acting strange lately, and I can't risk him blowing his cover before the trap springs."

Jacob bowed his head instantly. "I will get it done personally, sir."

Justin leaned back against the leather cushions, his eyes locking onto the dark city skyline outside his massive floor-to-ceiling windows. A wicked, terrifying smile spread across his lips, his chest vibrating with dark laughter.

Poor, pathetic Lowin Vance... Justin thought, his fingers curling into a fist. You actually think a few shadow guards and a Salvatore alliance will keep your little bird safe from me? Not a chance in hell.