CHAPTER 24 –The Circle Around Him
Eva didn't expect to see Derek the next day.
After last night's charged, breath-stealing encounter—his hands on her waist, his breath on her lips, his voice trembling with restraint—she assumed he would put distance between them. Hide behind control.
But Derek Hale apparently had other plans.
At exactly 4 p.m., her phone buzzed.
Derek:Be ready in 20 minutes.
No explanation. No question.
Just a command dressed as a text.
She stared at the message, pulse leaping, stomach twisting with equal parts excitement and dread.
What was she getting ready for?
Before she could type a response, another message appeared.
Derek:I'm sending a car. Wear something you feel powerful in.
Powerful.
The word shot straight through her.
Not sexy. Not elegant.
Powerful.
Whatever he was taking her to—it mattered.
The Arrival
The car Derek sent wasn't just a car.
It was a black, gleaming luxury sedan with tinted windows, and a driver who greeted her with:
"Good evening, Ms. Evans. Mr. Hale is waiting."
Waiting?
Her heart raced the entire ride, and when the car pulled into the underground level of an ultra-modern skyscraper, Eva's breath caught.
This wasn't Hale Enterprises' main office.
This was something else.
Private.
Hidden.
Exclusive.
And that made her even more nervous.
The elevator ride to the 42nd floor felt endless, the soft hum echoing her heartbeat. When the doors opened—
Derek was there.
Hands in his pockets.
Suit black.
Presence overwhelming.
But his eyes softened the second they landed on her.
"Good," he said quietly. "You came."
"As if I had a choice?" she shot back, trying not to melt under his stare.
"You always have a choice," he replied, stepping close enough that she felt his body heat, "even when I don't like the options."
Her knees nearly buckled.
But then he moved past her, brushing her hand lightly—a touch so subtle, yet so deliberate, it sent shivers racing along her skin.
"Come," he said. "They're waiting."
They?
Her stomach dropped. "Derek, who exactly am I meeting?"
"My inner circle," he said simply.
Her feet froze. "Your—what? Derek, I'm not—I don't belong in—"
He stopped, turning to face her fully.
"Eva," he said softly but with authority, "if you're going to be in my life, even a little… they need to know you."
If you're going to be in my life.
Her breath hitched.
What was she to him, exactly?
He didn't give her time to spiral. His hand brushed the middle of her back—possessive, steady, guiding.
"Trust me," Derek murmured.
Against her better judgment… she did.
Inside the Room
The conference space was nothing like an office.
It felt more like a private club—dim lights, whiskey shelves, leather chairs, modern décor, and a stunning skyline window.
Three people stood as she entered.
And they were all intimidating in their own ways.
1. Marcus Hale
Tall, broad-shouldered, mid-30s. Derek's cousin and CFO of Hale Enterprises.
Warm smile. Sharp eyes.
The kind of man who could charm an entire boardroom in five minutes.
He was the first to approach.
"So this is Eva." His smile widened. "We've heard a lot about you."
Eva glanced sharply at Derek. "You have?"
Derek gave Marcus a look that clearly said shut up.
Marcus only grinned wider.
2. Isabella Rivera
Derek's head of security.
All black clothing.
Dark, piercing stare.
She looked like she could disarm a man twice her size without smudging her lipstick.
"Good to meet you," Isabella said with a nod.
Her handshake was firm—too firm.
Intimidation level: dangerous.
3. Adrian Clarke
The strangest of the group.
A hacker, Derek's tech genius.
Lean, quiet, observant, glasses slipping down his nose.
He watched Eva the way someone watched a puzzle piece that didn't quite fit yet.
"Hi," he said simply.
Eva forced a smile. "Hi."
Pressure in the Air
Derek guided her to a seat beside him. He didn't touch her, but his hand rested on the back of her chair—suggestive, protective, unmistakably possessive.
Marcus leaned forward. "So, Eva… tell us. How did you meet our very complicated Derek?"
Eva opened her mouth—but Derek cut in first.
"That's not relevant."
Marcus's eyebrows rose. "It is if she's sitting here."
Eva's heart picked up. "Maybe I shouldn't have come—"
"No," Derek said instantly, eyes snapping to her. "You belong here tonight."
The word belong sent heat through her.
Isabella's gaze sharpened.
"Derek doesn't bring people here," she said. "Ever."
Marcus nodded. "Not even women he dates."
Eva blinked. "Dates?"
Derek shot Marcus a lethal warning look, but the damage was done.
Eva's chest tightened.
So Derek did date.
Of course he did.
She looked down at her hands. She had no claim on him. No right to feel jealousy. No right to feel anything—
Derek's fingers brushed her knee under the table.
A provocative, reassuring, intimate touch.
Her breath caught.
His voice dropped low, for her alone:
"Don't overthink."
But in the room, the energy shifted.
Isabella crossed her arms. "What exactly is she to you, Derek?"
Silence.
The question hung, heavy and explosive.
Eva's heart thundered.
She wasn't prepared.
She wasn't ready to hear him define her—or refuse to.
But Derek didn't flinch.
He stood, slow and controlled, and placed a hand on the back of Eva's chair.
Claiming.
Shielding.
Declaring.
"She's someone I trust," he said finally. "More than most."
Shock rippled across the room.
Eva stared at him, stunned.
Trust.
Derek Hale trusted almost no one.
Marcus let out a low whistle. "Well then."
Isabella's eyes narrowed, calculating.
Adrian scribbled something on a tablet, glancing between them like he was adding a new variable to an equation.
Eva, overwhelmed, whispered, "Derek… why me?"
He looked down at her—really looked—and something raw flickered in his expression.
"Because," he murmured, "you don't want anything from me."
Except him.
But she didn't say it.
The Warning
The meeting shifted to business talk—cryptic references to "the problem," "the leak," "the arrangement," and "the watcher."
Watcher.
The word chilled her.
Marcus slid Derek a file thick with papers.
"Whoever's behind this is getting bold," he said. "We need to tighten your circle."
Derek nodded.
Isabella leaned forward. "And that includes her."
Eva stiffened. "Me?"
Isabella's eyes locked onto hers, sharp as steel.
"If you're going to be around Derek," she said, "you need protection. Real protection."
Derek's jaw clenched. "She's not involved."
"Too late," Isabella countered. "She was with you at the gala. She was followed."
Eva's heart thudded painfully. "I—I was what?"
Derek froze.
Marcus cursed.
Adrian pushed his glasses up nervously.
Isabella didn't blink. "Someone tailed you both. Someone bold enough to get close."
Derek stood so fast his chair scraped the floor.
"Who?" His voice was lethal.
Isabella hesitated. "We're still working on it."
Derek turned toward Eva, eyes dark with something that wasn't just anger—
it was fear.
"Eva," he said quietly, urgently, "you need to listen to me. From now on—"
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then went completely dark.
Adrian shouted, "Someone's hacking the system—!"
Isabella reached for her holster.
Marcus swore. "This wasn't supposed to happen tonight."
Eva's breath stopped.
Derek grabbed her hand—
hard, warm, protective.
"Stay with me," he ordered.
The emergency lights flashed red.
A shadow moved in the glass reflection.
Someone was there.
Watching them.