Chapter 3 - The Gold and the Shadow
The Aurora Gala was the event of the season,
a sea of silk,
diamonds,
and hidden agendas.
I arrived in a floor-length emerald silk dress that cost more than my first car,
a gift that had appeared on my desk that morning with a simple note:
‘Wear this. - E’
The fabric clung to every curve,
making me feel vulnerable and powerful all at once.
When Elliot saw me at the entrance,
he actually stopped talking to a group of investors.
He looked lethal in a custom black tuxedo,
his presence commanding the entire room without him saying a single word.
He walked toward me,
the crowd parting like the Red Sea,
and offered his arm.
“You look,”
he started,
his voice catching for a split second,
“absolutely breathtaking,
Alexia.”
“Thank you,
Elliot,”
I replied,
tucking my hand into the crook of his arm.
The evening was a whirlwind of introductions and polite smiles,
but I felt like I was in a bubble with him.
He stayed by my side the entire night,
his hand resting firmly on the small of my back.
It was a claim,
a silent declaration to the room that I wasn't just his employee.
However,
the peace didn't last long.
Sienna,
the woman I had mentioned to the poster,
appeared like a shadow in a designer gown.
She was beautiful,
blonde,
and held the kind of confidence that only comes with old money.
“Elliot,
darling,”
she purred,
ignoring me entirely as she draped a hand over his shoulder.
“I thought we were going to share a dance tonight.”
I felt a pang of jealousy so sharp it made my stomach turn.
I tried to step away,
to give them space,
but Elliot’s grip on my waist tightened.
“Sienna,
you remember my associate,
Alexia Summers,”
he said,
his voice cold and professional.
Sienna flicked a glance at me,
her eyes filled with disdain.
“The help?”
she laughed,
a high,
brittle sound.
“How charming of you to bring her out for some fresh air.”
I felt my face heat up,
the old insecurities rushing back,
but before I could say a word,
Elliot spoke.
“Alexia is the most brilliant woman I know,”
he said,
his voice echoing in the quiet circle that had formed around us.
“And if you ever insult her again,
Sienna,
you will find your father’s accounts at my bank closed by morning.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Sienna turned pale and scurried away,
leaving us alone in the middle of the crowded ballroom.
I looked up at him,
stunned by the ferocity of his protection.
“You didn't have to do that,”
I whispered,
my heart swelling.
“Yes,
I did,”
he replied,
pulling me closer until our chests touched.
“I don’t let anyone talk to what belongs to me like that.”
Before I could process the word ‘belongs’,
he led me to the dance floor.
As the music swelled,
he pulled me into his arms,
and for the first time,
the world outside disappeared.
There were no posters,
no reports,
May you like
no boards of directors.
There was only the heat of his body and the way he looked at me as if I were the only light in a dark room.
