Chapter 105

No.1

The corridor leading to the gallery's private restrooms was a stark contrast to the brightly lit exhibition hall. The walls were painted a matte charcoal, and the floor was made of highly polished, black marble. The lighting was intentionally dim and moody.

Elisa walked quickly down the hall. Her high heels clicked sharply against the stone. Her chest heaved with rapid, shallow breaths. Her hands were curled into fists so tight her fingernails were cutting half-moons into her palms. She was fighting a violent,physical urge to turn around and smash a bottle of wine across August's face.

She pulled her phone from her pocket. She needed to text Alastair. The Preston Vance funding route was dead. August had successfully poisoned the wel. They needed a backup plan immediately.②

She kept her eyes on the glowing screen, her thumbs flying across the keyboard.

She did not see the small puddle of spilled champagne slicking the black marble floor near the corner.

Her right heel struck the liquid.

The polished stone instantly lost all friction.Elisa's foot shot forward. Her center of gravity violently collapsed. She let out a sharp gasp as her body tipped backward into empty space.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her muscles bracing for the bone-crushing impact against the solid marble.

No.2

The impact never came.

A massive, incredibly strong arm wrapped violently around her waist.

August had been walking fast behind her. When he saw her slip, his reflexes took over. He lunged forward, his arm catching her just inches before she hit the ground.

The sheer momentum of her fall slammed her backward. Her spine crashed heavily against his broad,solid chest.

The physical shock of the contact paralyzed Elisa for a microsecond. The scent of cedarwood and expensive scotch instantly flooded her senses. The heat radiating from his body burned through the thin fabric of her navy suit. It was the exact physical sensation she had known for seven years, now

twisted into something terrifying.

August looked down. He held her suspended in his arms. Her soft body was pressed flush against him.

A few strands of her dark hair had fallen loose,resting against the pale skin of her neck.

No.3

In that split second, the blinding rage that had consumed him in the main hall mutated. The physical contact triggered a dark, twisted,possessive hunger in his gut. His heart skipped a heavy beat.

Elisa's eyes snapped open. The realization of who was holding her sent a violent jolt of revulsion through her nervous system.

She thrashed wildly in his grip.

"Let me go!" Elisa hissed, keeping her voice to a furious whisper. She planted her hands against his hard forearms, trying to pry his grip off her waist.

August did not let go. Instead, his arm flexed. He yanked her tighter against his chest, completely lifting her feet off the ground for a second, trapping her in a highly intimate, suffocating hold.

He lowered his head. His lips brushed against the shell of her ear.

"You were dancing around that hedge fund brat

just fine a minute ago," August mocked, his voice a dark, gravelly whisper that sent a shiver of disgust down her spine. "Why can't you even walk straight now?"

No.4

Elisa stopped struggling. She went completely rigid. She tilted her head back just enough to glare into his eyes.

"As long as I don't step in the filth you leave behind,I walk perfectly fine," Elisa shot back,her voice dripping with venom.

August's eyes darkened to pitch black. He reached up with his free hand and gripped her chin, his fingers pressing hard into her jawbone, forcing her to look up at him.

"Do not forget who you are, Elisa," August warned,the cruelty returning to his tone.

"Until a judge signs that final decree, you are still Mrs. Chambers. And next week is the family's annual New Year ski trip to Aspen."

August stared down at her lips, then back up to her eyes. He issued a command that left no room for negotiation.

"According to clause seven of our prenuptial agreement, you are legally required to attend family

milestone events. You will be on that plane, and you will play your part."③

No.5

Elisa's pupils contracted. The memory of the stolen, altered contract flashed in her mind.Because of Germaine's trap and the asset freeze,she was technically still bound by the legal nightmare of their marriage.

But she refused to bow.

"Your mistress is already wearing the diamonds and playing the lady of the house," Elisa sneered, her voice ice-cold. "Take her. Don't come near me."

August let out a low, dark chuckle. The sound vibrated against her back.

"If you do not show up in Aspen," August threatened, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper,"I will do more than just poison the well with investors. I will instruct Chambers Legal to file a formal lawsuit against Aethel Intelligence for corporate espionage, claiming Project Chiron was developed using stolen Chambers Group intellectual property. I will bury your precious project and your tech-god protector in a legal swamp they will never crawl out of."①

Elisa's breath hitched. A cold spike of shock hit her chest. He wasn't just blocking her; he was

threatening to burn Alastair's entire empire to the ground.

She stared at the man holding her. The hatred in her eyes was so absolute it could have frozen boiling water.

No.6

Before she could formulate a response, the distinct sound of footsteps echoed from the corner of the corridor. Someone was coming.

Elisa seized the distraction.

Her free hand, which had been pushing against his forearm, suddenly shifted. Her fingers, seemingly moving at random, pressed into a specific point just below his wrist. It was a precise, targeted strike on the radial nerve. A jolt of sharp, electric pain shot up August's arm, making his fingers go numb and involuntarily spasm open.

August let out a sharp, muffled grunt of pain.The muscles in his arm involuntarily relaxed for a fraction of a second.

Elisa violently twisted her body and ripped herself out of his embrace.

She stumbled forward, quickly regaining her balance. She aggressively smoothed down the front of her wrinkled suit jacket, putting three feet

of physical distance between them.

She glared at him, her chest heaving.

No.7

"You will regret this, August," Elisa promised, her voice a terrifying, hollow whisper.②

She turned on her heel and marched toward the restroom doors, disappearing into the women's lounge just as the footsteps rounded the corner.