The CEO's Forbidden Desire

Chapter 2

|Gryphon's POV|

Power is earned, not inherited. That is the first lesson my father ever taught me.

Not in words, of course. Eduardo Vance isn't the kind of man who sits his son down and imparts wisdom like a loving father. No, he prefers lessons forged in steel and consequence. In losses that taste like blood and victories that feel like war.

I learned early that nothing is given freely in the Vance family—not love, not respect, and sure as hell not power.

Which is why I don't trust this marriage.

Last week when Beatrice Van der Bilt and my father announced their union at the so called engagement party at her debt ridden penthouse, I knew that Beatrice is not good for my father or our business.

Business which I am going to be inheriting in two months.

Not to mention the bad news that Beatrice's daughter Serena is. As fake as humanly possible, Serena Van der Bilt is the textbook definition of a diva. All blonde and legs for miles, the woman is a walking bombshell ready to destroy anyone who even breathes wrong in her direction.

I sip my whiskey, standing at the edge of the ballroom as Manhattan's elite swirl around me, draped in their jewels and hypocrisy. Even in this charity ball that has absolutely nothing to do with her, Beatrice Van der Bilt glows in the spotlight, her surgically enhanced face frozen in a perpetual mask of elegance. My father stands beside her, ever the businessman, more interested in the political advantages of this merger than the woman herself. Both of them gaining the expected attention at their first social appearance as an engaged couple since the announcement.

And then, there's her.

Serena moves through the crowd like a queen without a crown, ice-cold in her champagne-colored gown, her head held high despite the murmurs that follow her. She's untouchable, unreachable.

And yet, I can't seem to look away. The conversation I had with her yesterday resurfacing every time my eyes catch her sight. I knew who she was when I approached her at the bar, I knew what was going to happen at the party, and yet, the moment I saw her I knew I had to see for myself who the Ice Queen of Manhattan Upper East Side really was.

The Ice Queen who is supposed to be my step sister now.

She's been in my periphery all night, every movement calculated, every glance laced with defiance. She's playing the part of the dutiful daughter, but I see it—the barely concealed fury beneath her perfect exterior.

She doesn't want this any more than I do.

I drain my glass and move toward the bar, intent on getting another drink before this circus tests the last of my patience.

"You're staring."

Draven Russo's voice cuts through my thoughts as he appears beside me, his own glass in hand. Unlike me, Draven enjoys these events, thriving in the social intricacies of New York's elite— what with being the heir to the giant Russo Energy Corp and all.

I don't bother denying it. "She's a problem."

Draven smirks, following my gaze to Serena. "She's beautiful, I'll give her that."

I scoff. "She's a liability."

"Or an opportunity," he counters. "Depends on how you play it."

I don't respond because the thought lingers longer than it should.

"Is that what you're doing playing Casmira Young's assistant these days?" I ask coyly, liking the way Draven's eyes widen slightly, "what? You didn't think I would find out?"

He stares at me for a moment before rolling his eyes and then transferring his gaze to his new boss across the room where Casmira stands in close proximity with her best friend, Cassian Hart.

"It's nothing." Draven mutters and I basically witness his eyes turning green with envy as Casmira leans into Cassian for something that he whispers in her ear and then laughs.

I smirk watching the effect this has on Draven. Interesting.

Before I can analyze it further, a voice I despise slithers into the conversation.

"Vance. Russo."

I turn, already bracing myself for irritation. Donovan Young stands before us, his smirk as infuriating as ever. He's everything I hate about this world—privileged, reckless, and utterly useless. His presence alone is an insult to the concept of power.

"Donovan," Draven greets, his tone unreadable.

I say nothing. I don't have the patience for his games tonight.

Donovan glances toward Serena, his smirk widening. "I suppose congratulations are in order. You and Serena are about to be one big happy family. And me your future brother-in-law, of course."

His words are laced with amusement, but I catch the undercurrent of something darker. Possessiveness.

"I'm out of here," Draven mutters, his eyes focused in the direction Casmira was, as he slips away leaving me alone with Donovan.

The mere idea of Donovan's words has me mentally gagging.

I have no interest in making Serena OR Donovan my anything.

I clench my jaw. "Stay in your lane, Young."

He chuckles, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Relax, Vance. I'm just making conversation." He leans in slightly, lowering his voice. "But if you're thinking about making a move on your new stepsister, by all means, go right ahead before it becomes legally controversial. She will accept anything you throw at her, that one." He grins in that lecherous manner of his.

My grip tightens around my glass.

I shouldn't care. I don't care.

But something in me stirs at his words, a flicker of something possessive and sharp.

"Listen here, dipshit." I hiss at him, "you might be Serena's f**k-toy or whatever but don't think for a second that it gives you any claim on my empire or the right to speak to me in any capacity. I will make your life a living hell if you ever try to cross me and all your plans of becoming the CEO of the Young Conglomerate will be washed away. Understood?" I snap and Donovan glares at me for a moment before another maniacal grin breaks onto his face.

"Lighten up, Vance!" He claps a hand on my shoulder and I glare at it disdainfully, considering breaking it right off. Possibly seeing that, he removes his hand as he gulps his drink in one go, "just a little fun between future relatives." He shrugs before slipping away leaving a trail of irritation slithering up my spine.

I need a cigarette.

Shaking my head, I step out onto the balcony, looking around to find it empty as I walk over to one of the marble pillars large enough that I can step away from the eyes of the attendees before I bring out the metal case of my cigarettes and a lighter from my tux pocket.

The first rush of smoke down my throat brings me the calm that I was looking for as I exhale into the night air darkened in sync with the gloom of my life as I lean my head back against the pillar.

Life has been calm lately, but somehow, I have a feeling that everything is about to go to hell for me.

Not to mention the fact that I cannot keep my head free of thoughts about a certain blonde who is about to become my stepsister nonetheless.

I don't know if I—

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" My thoughts are interrupted when the hissed whisper reaches my ears in Donovan's nauseating voice and I am just about to turn around and punch him in the face for interrupting me when another voice follows unexpectedly—

"You asked me to rile Casmira up! That is exactly what I did!"

Serena.

I look in the direction of their interaction and realise that because of the pillar, I am not visible to them but I can see Serena's champagne gown still glimmering under the light of the moon while Donovan looms over her like an omen.

"I asked you to distract her!" Donovan hisses, reaching out to grab her hand as he twists her arm behind her back and flips her so her back is to his chest and he has his mouth near her ear, "you never really understand what you are supposed to be doing, do you?"

Serena hisses but otherwise does not struggle in Donovan's grip as her body stands taut like steel, her jaw clenched and her eyes staring at nothing in particular as she takes in shallow breaths.

She's not resisting.

It's like this is nothing new for her.

"I swear to everything I hold dear if this plan fails then I will make things hell for you, dear Serena." He whispers in a voice that has my eyes darkening as something unbridled and possessive rises in my chest and I throw my half smoked cigarette to the ground just as Donovan's free hand comes around to Serena's face and he squeezes her jaw. "You know what happens when I get angry."

A shiver rakes through Serena's body at that.

That's it.

"And what might that be, Donovan?" I question in a stoic voice, stepping into their view as Donovan's eyes widen and Serena's gaze shines with alarm— other than that, she makes no attempt at resisting Donovan's touch even now.

That only irks me further. "You should know better than to eavesdrop, Vance." Donovan snaps, still not releasing Serena.

My fists itch to meet his jaw but I need him away from Serena first. "And you should know better than to put your filthy hands on women in general. I don't believe any woman likes having you touch her, least of all her." I snap nodding in Serena's direction and I swear I see a flicker of mirth on her face. It is gone and replaced by indifference before I can fully catch it.

Donovan's jaw clenches, "don't poke your nose in things that are not your business, Gryphon. Walk away."

I quirk my brow. The audacity of this asshole!

"Is that what I should do?" I ask calmly but the sliver of warning is not missed by Donovan as I take a step in their direction, "if you don't let her go right now then believe me, Casmira Young would be the least of your problems. I will personally make sure that you don't inherit even a dime of the Young Empire."

Donovan knows better than to question me as he glares at me heatedly for a brief moment and slowly releases Serena who continues watching me with that guarded expression on her face.

"Get your s**t together!" Donovan spits in Serena's direction and she flinches when he roughly pushes her aside and walks back inside leaving the two of us surrounded by a quiet night resounding with the sounds of crickets and the rippling waters from the fountains in the distance.

"You did not need to step in like that," Serena snaps in my direction, leaving to stand against the banister of the marble balcony as her eyes take in the plush back gardens of the property.

I stop beside her, staring down at her, so short yet so full of temper as indicated by the strong set of her jaw and the clenching of her fists, "yeah? So, you're saying you had that under control?" I question taking out another cigarette from my pocket and find her looking at me sideways with a scowl fixed on her lips, "what? Not a fan of these little things?"

She stares at the cigarette which I am already lighting for a moment before shaking her head, "they're not a bother." She forces the words out, "and yes, I did have everything under control!" She adds fixing me with a look of defiance that almost knocks the breath out of my lungs as I stare at her hooded blue eyes, fierce with a raging storm behind the masks of indifference.

"Sure, why not..." I mutter shaking my head as I take a puff of my cigarette again, my heart racing in my chest for some unknown reason.

From the corner of my eye I find Serena standing completely still, almost as if holding her breath and when I do release the smoke in the air in front of us, she mutters something under her breath and starts to walk back towards the gala inside.

I don't know why but the words flow out of my lips before I can stop them, "tell Donovan to not go about his prissy tactics anymore, you are to become a Vance now and I would rather not have his charades besmirching my name." I turn my head to watch her stopped just at the gate of the balcony and without turning to fully face me, she turns her head to the side and gives me a simple nod.

As she leaves, taking away the fragrance of patchouli and bergamot with her, I still cannot understand why my heart won't stop racing.