Chapter 4: Walking the Edge
1447 Words
The air in the boardroom turned thick and heavy. Zara could feel Adrian's suit brushing against her arm, his fingers tightening around her wrist like a vice. The only thing keeping her on the ground was the warmth of his hand as the room spun around her.
"I asked you a question, Vivien, " Adrian said quietly, his voice low and menacing. He didn't look at Marcus, his eyes were fixed on Zara's face watching her pupils move. "Why are you shaking?"
Zara felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck. She could hear Marcus breathing softly a few feet away. If she cracked, if she let a fall, Adrian would tear her apart.
She had to move. She had to shift her weight before she fell.
Forcing a smile, Zara pulled her wrist from Adrian's grip. She took a step toward Marcus, her heels clicking with a confidence she didn't feel.
"He's just being his weak self, Adrian " Zara said, her voice sharp and dismissive. She looked Marcus in the eye, hiding her fear behind a mask of arrogance. "Marcus thinks that buying a shares gives him the right to be here. He's just annoying."
Marcus's grin didn't change. His eyes narrowed at her tone. "Be careful Vivien, " he said smoothly. "A sharp tongue can cut the hands that are trying to help you."
"That's enough Sterling " Adrian interrupted, his voice cutting through the air. He stepped between them, blocking Marcus from Zara's view. The gesture was cold, born out of a desire to guard his property rather than save a woman. Zara felt a brief sense of relief behind him.
"Get out of my office, " Adrian said. "Before I have security throw you out in front of the reporters you love so much."
Marcus raised his hands in a mocking gesture. "I'm leaving, Adrian. I just came to congratulate you. Enjoy it while it lasts. A foundation built on secrets will crumble at the touch."
With one glance that promised trouble, Marcus turned and walked out of the boardroom, the glass doors closing behind him.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Zara didn't dare move. She kept her back to Adrian, her hands clutched in front of her dress waiting for the storm to break. She could hear his footsteps, slow and deliberate until he was standing behind her.
"Turn around " he commanded.
Zara turned to face him.
Adrian was studying her with an intensity. His anger had been replaced by a deep calculating curiosity. He reached out his fingers wrapping under her chin forcing her face upward so she had no choice but to meet his gaze.
"You're a liar, Vivien, " Adrian whispered. "You're usually better than this. What did he mean by secrets? What does Marcus have on you that makes you look like you're about to faint?"
"Nothing " Zara lied, her voice shaking. "He's trying to get under your skin. He wants you distracted."
"Don't try to deceive me " Adrian growled. "The Vivien Croft I know would have insulted him and had him thrown out. You stood there like an animal. If you're playing a game, if you're still working with him…"
"I am not working with him!" Zara shouted, her emotion breaking through her facade. Her eyes filled with tears, which she blinked back. "I'm in this room with you. I signed your contract. I'm living in your apartment. If I were on his side would I have let you parade me in front of the world?"
Adrian's thumb brushed against her lip, a small movement that felt subconscious. His gaze lingered on her face, his brow furrowed as if trying to solve a puzzle.
"If I find out you're lying to me " Adrian murmured "the contract will be the least of your worries."
He released her chin and walked over to his desk picking up a sleek black smartphone and sliding it toward her.
"Your new device " he said, his tone professional. "It has been encrypted. Your old line has been disconnected. Every contact, email and message on this device goes through our server. You will use it to coordinate with my scheduler. You will keep it to yourself at all times."
Zara walked over and picked up the phone. Her heart was racing. Her old line had been disconnected which meant her burner phone, the one Marcus had called at night, was still in her purse.
"Your first task as my personal assistant starts now " Adrian continued, unbuttoning his vest and sitting down behind his desk. "The legal team has drafted the press release regarding the asset forfeiture. I need you to review the terms and ensure the Croft family holdings are prepared for transition into our holding accounts by Monday."
"Monday?" Zara checked her breath. "That's less than four days Adrian. My parents, the estate, they need time to adjust their accounts."
"The contract said compliance, Vivien " Adrian said without looking up. "If your family needs time they should have thought about that before their daughter handed my life's work to a sociopath. You have three hours to finish the review. Use the desk in the office."
Zara didn't argue. She knew that any further pushback would only fuel his suspicion. She took the document and the new phone, turning and walking into the office. She shut the door behind her, finally allowing her shoulders to drop as a long shaky breath escaped her lips.
She sank into the leather chair behind the desk, her heart still racing. She pulled her clutch onto her lap, her fingers diving into the compartment to feel the edge of the burner phone. It was silent. It felt like a live grenade in her hand.
Marcus Sterling wasn't a corporate rival; he was a predator who had her sister captive and he was using Zara to keep Adrian's eyes fixed on a fake engagement.
She spent the two hours staring at the legal documents, her eyes blurring over the complex financial terminology. Every minute, she would look through the glass partition separating her office from Adrian's. He was working with a cold, tireless efficiency, his sharp features illuminated by the glow of monitors.
By 4:00 PM the shadows across Wall Street began to lengthen. Zara stood up stacking the reviewed papers into a folder. She smoothed down her dress and walked back into Adrian's main office.
"I've finished the review, " she said, placing the folder on his desk. "Everything is in order for the Monday transition."
Adrian stopped typing. He looked up at her with his eyes. He seemed tired. There were lines around his eyes, but he still looked sharp. "Good. Pack your things. We have dinner at eight with two of my investors. They need to see us like a couple, not in a press conference."
"Another show?" Zara sighed. She was very tired. Her voice sounded tired too.
"Your life is a show now Vivien," Adrian said, standing up and reaching for his charcoal jacket "Get used to it."
The drive back to the penthouse was quiet like the morning run, but the air felt different, charged with an unspoken , heavy tension that seemed to vibrate between them everytime the car hit a bump in the Manhattan pavement.
When they got back to the tower Adrian left her at the elevator. "I have a call with the tech team in Europe. Be ready by 7:30. Silas will be waiting."
Zara went to her bedroom. She shut the door and locked it. She took off her dress. She was glad to be out of her heels, her feet aching from hours of standing. Then she walked over to the bathroom to wash off her makeup.
When she looked in the mirror, she looked smaller without her persona, but there was a quiet, stubborn resilience in her jaw that refused to break.
She looked for a dress for dinner. When she saw her bag, her breath caught in her throat.
Her bag was open. Someone had cut the part with a sharp blade.
And sitting on the center of the bed, completely exposed, was the cheap, black burner phone.
Beside it lay a small, handwritten note on heavy, expensive cream stationery, the exact paper Adrian Vance used for his personal correspondence.
Zara's hands shook so violently that she could barely pick up the paper. She looked down at the note, her heart stopped completely as she read the single line written in dark ink:
Who the hell is Zara?
- Writer
