RUTHLESS DEVOTION: THE EMPIRE BETWEEN US

HIDDEN FLAMES

Victoria Jackson had just reported to the towering glass skyscraper of the Vance Empire. But today, she wasn't the untouchable, dazzling face of the fashion division. Today, she was a ghost in her own kingdom, reduced to a desperate nobody.

Her palms throbbed with a sickening, liquid heat. Her fingers were so swollen and bandaged she couldn't even form a fist, let alone hold a designer handbag. She had been forcefully dragged here by her father, a man who loved his corporate empire more than his own flesh and blood. Jackson couldn't bear the thought of Lowin Vance executing a hostile takeover of Java Holdings his life's work. To save his company, he had willingly thrown his daughter to the wolves.

"Dad, look at me!" Victoria hissed, her voice shaking as she stared out the tinted car window at the bustling entry floor. "How am I supposed to work alongside these pathetic losers? I am a supermodel! What will the press say when they see me like this?"

Jackson didn't even look at her. His grip on the steering wheel was white-knuckled. "I don't give a damn, Victoria. You should have thought about your precious reputation before you decided to piss off a pack of homicidal lunatics." He threw a cold glare her way. "And for your information, Debrin Salvatore is the acting CEO today. So get out of my car before you get us both killed."

Victoria's heart skipped a violent beat.

"What? Debrin?!" Her voice cracked. "Where the hell is Lowin?"

"Who knows. He was released from the precinct last night."

A venomous realization twisted Victoria's beautiful features. "I'm sure he's with that pathetic boutique slut. I should have finished the job. I should have killed her when I had the chance."

Jackson's chest boiled with sudden, explosive rage. He slammed his hand against the dashboard. "Are you completely stupid, or just utterly blind?! Look at what messing with that woman has already cost you! Before you even recover from those injuries, you will be in that building, scrubbing floors and serving coffee, all because of that ironclad contract you signed. Do you have any idea how humiliating this is for me if my board partners find out? Get out. I've had enough of your psychotic nonsense."

Victoria scrambled out of the passenger seat, using her high-heeled boot to violently slam the car door behind her.

Waiting near the heavy glass revolving entrance was her manager, Susan, looking pale and restless. "Vicky, you're late!"

"If you had actually shown up to my penthouse to help me dress my hands, I wouldn't be late," Victoria snapped, brushing past her.

Susan kept pace, her heels clicking rapidly against the marble. "Mr. Salvatore just arrived on the executive floor. And he's asking for you."

Victoria halted, her chest heaving. "Me? Why?"

"Because you're an employee now, remember?" Susan whispered frantically. "You're supposed to be clocking in."

"I can't even hold a f*****g pen, Suzy! Look at my hands!" Victoria hissed, lifting her heavily bandaged palms. "These wraps are driving me insane."

"I know, I know," Susan muttered, pushing the button for the private executive elevator. "But we have to face Debrin first. Before he comes looking for us.

The elevator glided silently up to the executive office suite.

Inside the vast, minimalist CEO office, Tom was busy setting down a hot cup of espresso. His hands were trembling so badly the porcelain rattled against the saucer. Across the desk sat Debrin Salvatore. The man didn't move, he just watched Tom with the calm, terrifying stillness of an apex predator scanning its next meal.

Debrin leaned back, his tailored suit shifting flawlessly. "Lowin told me you can handle yourself when things get bloody, Tom."

Tom swallowed hard, nervously adjusting his glasses. "Yes, sir. Of course I can."

Debrin tilted his head, a cold, dangerous curiosity bleeding into his sharp eyes. "Then why do you always look like you're about to faint in my presence? I don't bite, Tom."

"I-I..." Tom stammered, entirely trapped under the weight of the man's aura. He didn't even know why these brothers terrified him so deeply, but the sheer gravity in the room was suffocating.

Debrin let out a low chuckle, releasing him from the visual lock. "Fine. Leave the coffee. Go get Ms. Amilah's private office fully prepared. She reports for duty tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

A soft, hesitant knock came from the heavy glass door. Debrin didn't look up from the financial ledger in his hands. "Come in."

The door pushed open, and Susan stepped through, keeping her head low. "Good morning, sir. Victoria is here."

Debrin slowly raised his eyes. The moment his gaze landed on Victoria's tense figure, a dark, wicked smirk formed on his lips. This pathetic, arrogant woman hadn't just tried to assassinate Amilah; she had unknowingly tried to murder the unborn Vance heir. Looking at her pretty, hollow face now, a volatile, murderous rage simmered just beneath his calm exterior.

Victoria stepped forward, her voice trembling despite her best efforts to sound defiant. "Sir... can I... can I please just take a few weeks of medical leave? I physically cannot work. My hands are-"

"Victoria, I don't care," Debrin cut her off, his voice a smooth, lethal blade. He didn't even glance at her bandaged palms. "You have a manager, don't you? What your broken hands can't do, Susan will do for you. She should have kept you on a shorter leash, but now you've brought this ruin upon yourselves."

He leaned across the desk, his eyes drilling into hers.

"This is business, Ms. Jackson. There is an active, legally binding contract that you signed with your own hand. For the next five months, you will work for this empire for free. Not as a supermodel, not as a celebrity but our new errand girl."

Victoria flinched as if struck.

"So get to work," Debrin hissed, his tone dropping an octave. "And if you drop so much as a single pencil, Mr. Vance and I will gladly ride down to Java Holdings for an emergency board meeting. We will strip you of every single penny of your inheritance before lunch. The choice is yours. Now get out of my office."

Rage blinded Victoria. She took a step closer, her voice rising in a shrill screech. "Are you guys doing all of this because of that low-class boutique slut?! She has brainwashed every single one of you!"

Debrin rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a dark, mocking laugh that echoed off the glass walls.

"Victoria, you talk too much. And you are profoundly annoying," Debrin murmured, his eyes turning ice-cold. "You might have the face for billboards, but you don't possess a single ounce of the character required to stand beside a man like Lowin Vance. You never did. He is not interested in you, Victoria. He never was. Right now, he has his perfect little piece wrapped tightly in his arms. Get out of my sight. You disgust me."

Victoria's chest heaved with an unhinged fury. She spun on her heel to storm out, but Debrin's voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"And before you leave," he added smoothly, "be on your best behavior. Tomorrow, you get a brand-new boss. If you cause even a single problem for her... I promise you, the next bullet won't miss. It will be planted directly between your eyes."

Susan's entire body shivered with terror. Victoria stood frozen, her feet feeling glued to the polished floor. A new boss? How? Why?

Blinded by humiliation, Victoria completely forgot the agony in her hands. She furiously reached out and grabbed the heavy glass door handle. The sudden friction tore at her swollen palms, and a sharp pain radiated all the way up her arm.

She let out a piercing, agonizing scream.

"Vicky! What's wrong?!" Susan cried, rushing forward to catch her as Victoria slumped against the wall, tears of sheer rage and physical agony spilling down her face.

"All of this..." Victoria gasped, clutching her arm to her chest as they stumbled into the corridor. "All of this is happening because of that f*****g bitch."

"I think it's best if you just forget about her," Susan whimpered, her hands shaking as she supported her. "Look at what this has done to us! You've dragged me straight into the mud with you. Who knows if we'll wake up tomorrow and find out we've been reassigned to clean the executive washrooms?"

Victoria's eyes flew wide with horror. "There is no way in hell I will ever do that."

Tom caught up with them at the elevator bays, his face completely void of emotion as he escorted them down to the bustling Fashion Department.

The moment the double doors slid open, the entire floor fell into a hushed silence. Dozens of designers, stylists, and assistants turned to stare.

"Good morning, everyone," Tom announced, his voice echoing across the creative floor. "As you can see, Victoria here has suffered a recent... injury. She will not be representing the Vance Fashion line for the foreseeable future. Until she fully recovers, she has been reassigned. She will be running your daily errands."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. The murmurs erupted instantly like a wave.

The face of the Vance Empire? With millions of followers? A multi-millionaire heiress turned into a common servant? Victoria felt the burning sting of utter humiliation. Tears prickled the corners of her eyes as she cursed Amilah's name over and over in her head.

"Wait, if she's hurt, why is she running errands?" one stylist whispered. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I heard the Big Boss was released from jail last night... why isn't he here?" another murmured.

Tom clapped his hands, cutting through the gossip like a knife. "Also, effective tomorrow morning, a brand-new lead designer will be joining the corporate team."

"What?!" The room exploded into chaos.

"What happened to Emma?" a senior designer demanded.

"Emma's contract expired, and the Boss chose not to renew it," Tom explained with a cold, professional smile. "He is making room for a far more potential talent. Now, get back to work. And remember, Victoria is responsible for all printing tasks, coffee runs, shelf organization, and any other task that requires you to leave your desks. Let her do it all."

A few female employees let out cruel, sarcastic laughs.

"Well, looks like the future Mrs. Vance is fetching our lattes now. What a shame."

"I know, right? Yesterday we couldn't even breathe the same air as her. Now I can order her around. What a beautiful day."

Victoria clenched her teeth so hard she thought they would shatter. Just you wait, she thought, a toxic venom flooding her mind. The moment Lowin comes back to his senses and crawls back to me, I will personally fire every single one of you miserable worms.

She furiously curled her hands into fists, instantly wincing as a fresh wave of agony shot through her bandaged palms.

Tom rolled his eyes, a deep sense of satisfaction warming his chest. Seeing this arrogant, toxic woman finally brought down to earth was pure poetic justice. She had spent years acting untouchable and treating the staff like dirt. Now, she was reduced to nothing. All thanks to Lowin Vance.

One of the designers, Diana, didn't waste a single second. She slammed a heavy stack of papers onto the nearest desk, looking directly at Victoria with a smug grin. "Okay, errand girl. Go print two hundred copies of this file, and then arrange them in perfect alphabetical order. When you're done, go down to the café and get us a round of iced Americanos."

Victoria's eyes flared with pure malice. "You b***h. Do it yourself."

Tom cleared his throat loudly, stepping into her space. "Ms. Jackson... remember the Boss's strict orders. One phone call, and your father loses everything."

The threat hung in the air like a noose. Victoria remembered her father's desperate face in the car. If she failed, she would be completely cut off from the family fortune. Trembling with rage, she reached out to grab the heavy documents, whimpering as the paper tore at her raw skin.

Susan quickly stepped in, snatching the files away. "I'll take it, Vicky. Let's go to the printer before-"

"Let her do it."

A sharp, ice-cold voice sliced through the entire department from the main entrance.

Everyone froze. Debrin Salvatore stood framed in the doorway, his terrifying, powerful presence instantly commanding the room. He looked past Victoria, his eyes landing on her manager.

"Susan," Debrin announced smoothly. "Your duties with Victoria are officially over. As of this exact second, you are the new personal manager for Lyla Daniels.

A beautiful, breathtakingly elegant young woman slowly stepped out from behind Debrin's large frame. Her soft, perfect curves were highlighted by a sophisticated silk dress; her skin was flawlessly clear, and she possessed a radiant, angelic smile that instantly lit up the dim corporate floor. She bowed sweetly to the stunned staff.

"Good morning, everyone," Lyla murmured, her voice like liquid honey.

The entire department was completely mesmerized.

"She will be the exclusive face representing Vance Fashion from this moment forward," Debrin declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Susan, you are entirely responsible for her schedule, her wardrobe, and anything else she requires."

Victoria stared in utter disbelief. She had been replaced by another stunning woman. Who on earth is this slut? Victoria thought, her mind spiraling into a dark abyss of jealousy. What did she have to do behind closed doors to steal my life?

The employees began whispering frantically.

"Oh my god, she is absolutely stunning."

"She's a thousand times more gorgeous than Victoria ever was."

"For once, the corporate office made the perfect choice. She looks like an angel."

Susan was completely captivated. Unlike the toxic, arrogant Victoria, this new girl looked genuinely innocent and friendly. "Right away, Mr. Salvatore. I'll get her schedule drafted immediately."

"Good," Debrin nodded curtly. He turned to the stunning girl beside him. "Lyla, follow me. There are a few private contractual matters we need to discuss in the executive suite."

Debrin ushered Lyla out of the whispering department, leading her back up to the privacy of Lowin's executive floor.

The moment they stepped inside the massive, soundproof office, the heavy door clicked shut behind them. The cold, calculating corporate predator instantly vanished.

Debrin grabbed Lyla by her waist, his large hands sinking into her soft curves as he pinned her flush against the solid glass door. He leaned down and captured her lips in a wild, fiercely possessive kiss that stole the very breath from her lungs.

Lyla gasped into the kiss, her small hands frantically clenching the fabric of his crisp, tailored shirt as she pulled him closer, her body melting into his intense heat.

When Debrin finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers, his breathing heavy, his dark eyes ablaze with an overwhelming hunger. Lyla clung to him, panting for air, a radiant, breathless smile breaking across her lips.

For two months, Debrin Salvatore and Lyla Daniels had been secretly, deeply entangled. It was a volatile, passionate romance kept completely in the dark, a secret so airtight that not even his own blood brothers had a single clue.