Chapter 8: The Recorded Truth
The New Challenge
Elias's eyes, intense with renewed lust and triumphant control, devoured Aria. The suspicion about his watch was gone, replaced entirely by his driving need to assert his dominance and stay ahead of the 180-day timeline.
His hands were rougher this time, fueled by the near-miss earlier. He pulled her flush against his demanding body, his muscular thigh parting her legs as he pressed her back against the headboard.
Aria's mind was a frantic calculator. She was internally protected, but she needed to get the confession now.
Evelyn had stressed that the audio proof of his paranoia was the only thing that could make the trust deem him 'unstable.'
"I need a moment, Elias," she whispered, pretending to struggle against his possessive hold. "It's too fast... you're too dominant."
He paused, the slightest frown crossing his face. He hated any impedance to his will. "You signed the contract, Aria.
There is no 'too dominant.' You belong to me."
"I know," she conceded, trailing her fingers along his jawline. "But I want to remember this. Every terrifying second of your control. Prove to me how much you own me, Elias. Tell me exactly why this little silver necklace is the ultimate proof of your power."
Aria was gambling everything. She needed to frame the question as praise for his genius, appealing directly to his monumental ego and his obsession with control.
Elias's frown smoothed into a predatory smirk. She had played right into his hands.
"You're learning, wife," he murmured, pushing a strand of hair back from her face. He lowered his head, his lips brushing the delicate skin right above the tracker.
"This is not just jewelry, Aria," he began, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous confessional.
"This little device records every spike in your heart rate, every tremor of fear, every wave of pleasure. It tells me when you're lying, when you're aroused, and crucially..."
He lifted his head, his eyes burning with triumphant paranoia.
"It tells me exactly when I've succeeded in putting the Thorne heir inside you. It's a fail-safe, darling. If you try to run, I know where you are.
If you try to deny me, the numbers will prove your arousal. If you try to destroy the Will by denying me the heir, this little monitor proves my diligence, and your performance."
Success. Aria memorized every word, every nuance. The moment he finished speaking, she knew she had to secure the recording.
Aria had prepared for this earlier. Before they got in bed, she had taken a spare diamond stud earring (provided by the stylist) and inserted it into a tiny, almost invisible speaker grille of the new company phone Elias had forced her to use.
The diamond acted as a perfect, high-quality microphone focusing on directional sound. The phone was charging silently on the nightstand, recording the entire exchange.
Now, she had to distract him immediately so he wouldn't notice the active device.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a scorching, desperate kiss—a kiss of genuine fear mixed with calculated passion.
"You are a genius, Elias," she breathed, pulling back just enough for him to hear her. "No wonder you're a billionaire. Your control is... absolute."
She inverted the power dynamic for a brief second, giving him the one thing he craved more than anything: Admiration for his ruthlessness.
She immediately initiated the physical intimacy, driving the moment with a manufactured, frantic need that ensured the tracker was screaming off the charts.
Elias roared with surprised pleasure at her sudden, aggressive demand.
The ensuing minutes were a whirlwind of punishing, exhilarating control.
Aria forced herself to focus only on the required performance, allowing her body to respond naturally to his expert touch, while her mind remained cold and focused on the recording.
She screamed Elias's name, begged him for control—every sound a perfect spike on the tracker, every sound secured by the hidden microphone.
When the moment ended, he was deeply satisfied, completely unaware of the digital spy he had willingly confessed to.
Elias rolled off her, slightly disoriented by her unexpected aggression. He reached for the silver pendant, tracing it gently.
"You proved the tracker's worth, wife. Excellent performance." He grabbed the new company phone off the charger, his thumb hovering over the screen.
"Now, about the board meeting today. I need you to be even more aggressively affectionate. Victor is challenging my position again. He needs to see you are carrying the weight of the Thorne name with pride."
Aria's heart stopped. If he opened the phone, the recording app was minimized but active.
"Elias, wait!" she gasped, sitting up quickly. She grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with manufactured panic. "My diamond ring! I think I left it in the shower!"
A diamond wedding ring—the public symbol of their union—was far more important to Elias's façade than a phone log.
Elias scowled, irritated by the interruption but recognizing the importance of the symbol. "Find it now. I want no rumors of discord or carelessness."
Aria scrambled off the bed, grabbing the phone from his loose grip on the pretense of fetching her robe.
She slipped into the bathroom and, with lightning speed, stopped the recording, renamed the file ("Elias - Personal Vows"), and saved it to the encrypted folder. She found the ring (she had slipped it off earlier) and hurried back out.
Aria returned to the bed, sliding the diamond ring back on her finger. She met Elias's gaze with renewed confidence. She had the confession. She had the evidence to prove him 'unstable.'
Elias pulled her close, kissing her deeply, possessively.
"Good. Now, you need to understand the schedule," he said, consulting his tablet. "Today we visit the trust attorneys. You need to look devoted, but slightly... distracted. Like a woman deeply in love, but perhaps a little overwhelmed by the prospect of motherhood."
Aria managed a nervous smile. "Of course. Overwhelmed by our beautiful timeline."
Elias paused, his eyes narrowing slightly, as if searching for a hidden meaning in her compliance.
His hand swept up her body, his fingers moving to the tracking pendant, then tracing the curve of her stomach.
"I'm increasing our schedule, Aria. Twice a day. No exceptions," he commanded, his voice dark with determination. "And I'm having a prescription delivered later today. Specialized fertility supplements. We are going to ensure this timeline is met, one way or another."
Elias got out of bed, grabbing his towel. He looked back at Aria, a chilling, triumphant smirk on his face.
"Oh, and one more thing, my wife. I know you've been working hard. But effective immediately, you are only to consume food and drink prepared by my personal chef, under my direct supervision.
It's vital for a mother-to-be that her diet is perfect."
Aria's blood ran cold. Elias wasn't just increasing their intimacy; he was locking down her environment.
He was eliminating any chance for her to use external sabotage—like birth control or a morning-after pill—by controlling everything she ingested.
She had the confession, but now the window for her internal sabotage was rapidly closing. She was now a prisoner on a forced conception diet.
Elias is tightening the golden cage! How will Aria smuggle out the recording and find a new way to sabotage the conception timeline while under constant surveillance and a controlled diet?