Chapter 12 - Midnight Confessions
The wind whipped around the helipad of the Sterling Enterprise building as Clara stepped out into the midnight air. Elias was standing by the edge, looking out over the city lights. He looked dangerous, untamed, and entirely out of place in the corporate world she now ruled.
"You called," Elias said without turning around.
"You left," Clara countered, stepping closer. "Without a word. After everything we did, you just walked away."
Elias finally turned, his jaw tight. "I am a criminal, Clara. I operate in the dark. You are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, standing in the light. Our worlds intersected because of a debt. The debt is settled. I was protecting you."
"Protecting me?" Clara scoffed, closing the distance between them. "I took down a dynasty in a week. Do I look like a woman who needs protecting?"
Elias’s eyes darkened, the familiar predatory glint returning. He stepped into her space, his towering frame forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his gaze.
May you like
"You don't know what you're asking for," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "If I stay, I pull you into my world. The danger doesn't stop with the Sterlings."
Clara reached out, grabbing the lapels of his leather jacket, and pulled him down slightly. "I spent five years playing the good, quiet wife. It got me thrown into the gutter in the rain. I'm done playing it safe, Elias."
