The lockdown had ended, but the memory of Valen's proximity lingered on Livia's skin like fire. Every word he had whispered, every smirk, every measured step had left her rattled—but oddly exhilarated. She told herself it was fear. It had to be fear.
Yet the next morning, he appeared in her office without warning, leaning against her doorway like he belonged there. His gaze pinned her to her chair. "We need to talk," he said, voice low, magnetic.
Livia straightened immediately. "About what?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral.
"You saw something," he said bluntly. "Something that could ruin me if spoken. I could end this… permanently. But I won't." His eyes darkened. "Not yet."
Her heart thumped violently. "And why not?"
He smirked, stepping inside, closing the distance. "Because you intrigue me. You're the only one who's dared to stand against me… and I don't like losing. Especially not to someone like you."
Livia swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I'm not intimidated by you."
"Good," he said, tilting his head. "Because I don't just want compliance. I want challenge. I want fire. I want… you."
The words sent a jolt through her. She hated that they did.
He stepped even closer, just far enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him. "Be careful, Livia," he murmured. "Because every time you cross me, I notice. And I never forget."
Livia clenched her fists. "I've never been afraid of you, Valen."
He smiled—slow, dangerous, and entirely too knowing. "No. You haven't. Yet. But you should know… the game isn't just business anymore. It's personal."
And with that, he turned, leaving her standing in the office, pulse racing, mind spinning, and something darker—something she didn't want to name—pulling her toward him like a magnet.
The enemy line had been drawn. But for the first time, Livia realized the war between them was far more complicated than she had ever imagined.