Jax Ryland left Vance Global Headquarters feeling the sting of failure. The meeting with Lena Rourke, the Head of Security for the Eclipse Tour, had been a humiliating failure. She had given him no weaknesses, no access, and no reason to believe Aria Vance was anything but an untouchable corporate myth.
He drove straight to Kellan Frost's house. Kellan, the most mature and measured member of the group after Jax, always offered a calm presence, a necessary counterbalance to Jax's explosive ambition.
When Jax arrived, the house was already vibrating with energy. Nick Aliyev and Rhys Vance were in the living room, completely absorbed in a high-speed racing game, shouting critiques at the massive screen. Empty takeout containers and discarded water bottles littered the coffee table, a testament to their relaxed, real-life downtime.
Jax walked in, ripping off his tie and tossing his bespoke suit jacket onto Kellan's sofa. The contrast between his polished executive fury and their chaotic ease was jarring.
What is going on here? The noise level is insane, Jax snapped, rubbing his temples.
Nick paused the game, grinned, and immediately recognized Jax's tension. Hey, Jax! Congrats on surviving the corporate battlefield. Rhys and I are trying to settle a debt. Want a controller?"
Rhys nodded. You look like you just lost $300 million. Did the security person tell you the tour was canceled?
Jax ignored their easy banter. No, the tour is not canceled. But I need to talk to all of you, now. About the security. And about Aria Vance.
The mention of the name brought an immediate shift in atmosphere. Rhys and Nick powered down the game, exchanging serious looks. They knew that name meant business, control, and secrecy. They knew she was Elias Vance's sister, not blood-related and a major shareholder in his company. They also knew her as the fiercely beautiful woman they had all seen at the club that night. Kellan, sensing the seriousness in Jax's tone, immediately ushered them into the quieter kitchen.
"This isn't about the contract itself," Jax began, pacing the marble floor. It's about control. Elias Vance's company, Vance Global, runs our security. The woman in charge of the company's operations, the one who initiates all the high level planning, is Aria Vance. She is the one who was at the club that night, and now she's hiding.
He paused, looking at his bandmates. I've met her four times now. And since then, she has been a ghost. She sent a decoy to meet me today, a woman named Lena Rourke, the Head of Security for the tour, who refused to tell me anything about Aria's whereabouts or even acknowledge the contract's personal nature. She's treating us like a distraction.
Rhys, ever the pragmatist, frowned. So? It's a huge contract. They're protecting their executive structure. She's a shareholder, and Elias is the CEO. It's annoying, but standard high-level security.
Jax shook his head vehemently. No. This is personal. I need to know her weakness. I need to know why she's hiding. And Nick, you need to tell me everything you know about her.
Nick stiffened. "Me? Why me?"
"Because you're the one closest to the security team, always talking about tech and gear," Jax asserted, trying to force a connection.
Kellan saw the intensity in Jax's eyes. Jax wasn't just pursuing a business concern; he was hunting an obsession. He felt the protective instinct rise, especially for Nick, who was usually the emotional center of the group.
Nick, you and Rhys go back to the game. I need to talk to Jax alone, Kellan stated quietly, his tone firm.
Rhys and Nick immediately picked up their controllers, sensing the boundary. As the door swung shut, Kellan turned to Jax.
"You're out of line, Jax," Kellan said simply. You're treating her like a corporate conquest. What is this really about? You've never obsessed over a contractor this way. Your reaction to that decoy was intense.
Jax leaned against the counter, scrubbing a hand over his face. The weight of his own ambition was crushing him. She's the first person who hasn't bent to the Aether name, Kellan. She challenged me. She treats me like I'm a child demanding attention. I hate that. I need to solve her. I need to know why she's so intent on staying hidden.
Kellan sighed, seeing Jax's eyes, seeing not the familiar heat of lust, but the cold calculation of a man facing a professional challenge. This wasn't about sex, Kellan knew; it was about conquering control and validation. You need a break, Jax. You're human. We're human. We need food, sleep, exercise. We need real life. You're running on pure corporate ego right now. Look at Nick and Rhys—they play games, they sleep, they actually relax. You don't. You need to pull back before you do something stupid.
"I can't pull back," Jax whispered. "Not until I know why she looked at me like I was a problem to be solved."
If you go after her personally, you risk everything. You risk the entire structure we've built. And you risk hurting Nick, who sees her as a friend in that virtual world.
Jax considered this. I won't hurt Nick. I just need information. I need to know her schedule, her habits. If she doesn't come to the boardroom, I'll find her outside of it.
Meanwhile, across town, Aria Vance was fighting her own internal war. Jax needed to solve her. Little did he know, Aria was wrestling with a far more ancient problem.
The intensity of her work often led to a breakdown of her defenses. In the depths of her sleep, she was sixteen again. The air was cold, the sound of rough boots crunching leaves was deafening. She was alone. She would wake up gasping, her heart hammering against her ribs, the residual fear of that helpless girl overwhelming the competence of the soldier. The kidnapping at age sixteen remained her deepest, most crippling trauma.
She woke up gasping, the residual fear clinging to her skin like ice. She was trained to be fearless, yet the simple memory of helplessness could still shatter her composure.
She reached for the one distraction that offered total, controlled focus. She logged into the game. She needed the structured reality of the digital fight to drown out the uncontrolled, terrifying memory of the forest.
She was instantly greeted by a message.
Gamer Tag: MoodMaker Nick's character
MoodMaker: Valkyrie, I'm back in New York! I'm exhausted, but I need to clear my head. Ready for our final boss run?
Aria, using her character name Valkyrie, smiled faintly. The familiarity was a powerful balm. Neither she nor Nick had any idea of the other's real life identity.
Valkyrie: Welcome back. Clear your head on the field. Less talking, more aiming. I'll take the high ground.
For the next few hours, Aria Vance was simply Valkyrie, executing complex maneuvers alongside Nick Aliyev. She was in control, she was strong, and she was safe.
While Aria found refuge in the digital world, Elias Vance, CEO of Vance Global, was engaged in a very different kind of escape.
Elias was a striking man. He had a strong, handsome face defined by a sharp jawline and high cheekbones. His eyes were a piercing, serious grey that rarely softened. He kept his dark hair closely cropped and meticulously styled, emphasizing his disciplined nature. He looked less like a corporate executive and more like a high-level military strategist—which, given his history, was accurate.
Tonight, Elias was at an exclusive business party hosted by a major film studio. He was a man who felt a natural, human desire for intimacy, but who refused to engage in serious relationships. He did not fall in love; instead, he maintained a strict, professional distance from anyone he cared about.
He was approached by Serena Voss, a beautiful, rising actress.
Serena moved through the crowd with easy confidence and stopped directly in front of Elias. Mr. Vance. You look entirely too serious for a party celebrating art and money. Are you here to audit the appetizers?
Elias, rarely flirted with directly, allowed a ghost of a smile. I'm here for observation. The party is a logistical marvel.
"I hear your logistics are the best in the world," Serena purred, stepping closer. I'm Serena Voss. And I'm here to offer you a distraction.
They spent the next hour talking, a sharp, intellectual game of cat and mouse. She was drawn to his unshakable seriousness and the hint of something dangerous beneath his veneer. Elias, for his part, was drawn to her beauty, her intelligence, and her clear, immediate intentions. She was bold, and she was honest.
They left the party together, their exit discreet, heading to Elias's secure, minimalist home.
Back at Elias's house, the initial tension broke into fire. Serena's boldness matched Elias's controlled urgency. The attraction was immediate and physical, a mutual agreement to shed their professional layers for a few hours. The moment the door closed, their clothes were discarded quickly, almost violently, leaving trails of expensive fabric on the floor.
Elias's intense focus, usually reserved for strategy, was centered entirely on her. He captured her mouth with fierce, possessive hunger, tasting the immediate urgency of her desire, demanding the release he rarely allowed himself. Serena responded with an equal, uninhibited desire.
He lifted her easily, his hands strong and sure on her waist, carrying her to his stark bedroom.
The passion was consuming. Elias drove the intimacy with a focused intensity, exploring every curve of her body. He ran his hands through her hair and down the smooth length of her back, the contrast between the cold precision of his life and the burning warmth of her skin a needed shock to his system.
Serena gasped as he trailed kisses down her neck to her collarbone, a thrilling mix of professional control and raw, male need. She pulled him closer, her hands mapping the hard muscles of his back and shoulders, urging him on. She reached up, gently touching his handsome face, her fingers exploring the sharp planes of his cheekbones and jawline.
He buried his face in her neck, then descended lower. He found the soft mounds of her breasts, kissing and sucking the sensitive skin, drawing small, pleasurable sounds from her. Her hands tangled in his hair, guiding his mouth, urging him to take more. Every touch was an unspoken agreement: this was purely physical, purely temporary, purely necessary.
The sex was a powerful, intense release, the focus total. For Elias, it was a needed void a space where he didn't have to plan, protect, or command. It was raw, honest, and fleeting.
The next morning, Serena was awake first. She found Elias in his kitchen, making coffee, already dressed in his immaculate corporate attire. The only hint of the night before was the slight, tired set of his shoulders.
Elias was immediately back to the strict, straightforward man he was professionally. He poured her a cup of coffee and placed it on the counter.
"Serena," he said, his voice measured and firm. I need to be clear. That was incredible. But I do not do relationships. I will not."
Serena Voss, a woman of depth and experience, simply smiled. She was not hurt; she understood the nature of powerful, private men.
"I know, Elias," she replied, her voice soft but sure. You are too guarded for that, and I am too busy for heartbreak. But the relief was necessary for both of us. We can continue to be like this. No commitments, just necessary distraction.
Elias looked at her, respect replacing the expected guilt. She accepted his code instantly. "Understood," he said, his gaze softening slightly, a rare moment where his private world broke through the facade. He had found a partner for his necessary escape.
He left for his office, the fleeting, intense connection already compartmentalized, allowing him to return to his primary focus: protecting Aria and managing the corporate assault.
As Jax Ryland began his personal hunt for information on Aria, and Elias settled into his new, casual arrangement, a significant disruption was preparing to enter their world.
In her luxurious Milan penthouse, Soverkis Volkov was finalizing her plans. The intelligence reports on Jax Ryland were extensive, and she now understood his failure at Vance Global. He was vulnerable, frustrated, and ripe for a new challenge.
"He tried the corporate door, and it was locked by a ghost," Soverkis commented to her Chief Strategist. He will now look for an emotional key. That is his weakness. I will give him a professional challenge that has the power of a personal threat.
She picked up the phone. Book the private flight to New York. Schedule a meeting with the CEO of Zenith Publishing immediately. The angle is a strategic partnership that will force Rynd into an undeniable, high-stakes negotiation. Tell them the Volkov Global Group is interested in a major media infrastructure acquisition.l Her challenge was set. The game had just escalated.