Chapter 2 2

The heavy oak doors of Elias Vance Sr.'s study clicked shut behind Evelyn.

The air inside was thick and heavy.

It smelled of aged cedar wood, old paper, and the sharp, bitter tang of expensive Cuban cigars.

Elias Sr. sat in a massive leather armchair behind a mahogany desk.

His face was lined with decades of ruthless business, his eyes sharp and calculating.

He stared at Evelyn as she walked across the Persian rug.

Evelyn moved with a calm, measured grace. She took the seat opposite him without waiting for an invitation.

"Arthur made a fool of himself this morning," Elias Sr. said bluntly. His voice was a low rumble in his chest.

Evelyn crossed her legs. She smoothed the fabric of her silk trousers.

"I don't pay attention to the barking of stray dogs," Evelyn replied.

A faint, grim smile touched the corners of Elias Sr.'s mouth.

He appreciated her lack of sentimentality.

"Good," the old man said. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Because the Vance family is entering a turbulent period. Arthur is too stupid to see the wolves circling our assets."

Evelyn remained silent, her index finger lightly tapping the armrest of her chair.

"I need to secure your position," Elias Sr. continued. "I have arranged a marriage for you with the Thorne family."

Evelyn's tapping finger stopped.

Her brain processed the information with the speed of a supercomputer.

Silas Thorne.

The apex predator of Wall Street. A financial oligarch who controlled billions in assets.

Evelyn needed a shield.

Her biological technology company, SZ Pharmaceuticals, was expanding rapidly in the shadows.

She needed a massive, untouchable cover to keep her enemies-and her own family-from looking too closely at her.

Silas Thorne was the ultimate titanium shield.

"I accept," Evelyn said.

There was no hesitation. No fake modesty.

Elias Sr. exhaled a long breath, the tension leaving his shoulders.

He opened a drawer and pulled out a thick stack of legal documents.

He slid them across the polished mahogany desk.

"This is the prenuptial agreement," Elias Sr. said.

Evelyn picked up the heavy stack of papers.

She flipped through the pages, her eyes scanning the dense legal jargon.

The terms were brutal.

It was an ironclad fortress designed to protect the Thorne family's core assets.

If they divorced, Evelyn would walk away with nothing but a modest monthly allowance.

She felt absolutely nothing looking at those numbers.

She didn't want Silas Thorne's money. She had her own empire.

"You will meet Silas at his lawyer's office at two o'clock to sign this," Elias Sr. told her.

Evelyn stood up. She picked up her Birkin bag.

"I'll be there."

At exactly two o'clock, Evelyn sat at the end of a long, cold glass table in a midtown Manhattan law firm.

The room was sterile, smelling of ozone and floor wax.

Evelyn sat completely alone, her posture impeccable. She didn't need a handler, nor did she want anyone from the Vance estate witnessing this transaction.

The double doors of the conference room swung open.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees instantly.

Silas Thorne walked in.

He wore a bespoke charcoal suit that molded perfectly to his broad shoulders.

His presence sucked the oxygen out of the room.

He looked at Evelyn. His eyes were the color of a frozen winter lake.

There was no warmth in them. Only a cold, calculating emptiness.

Their eyes locked across the length of the room.

Evelyn felt a strange, tight pull in the center of her chest, but she kept her face completely blank.

Silas's assistant, a man named Hayes, stepped forward and placed the final copy of the prenup in front of Evelyn.

"If you have any issues with the clauses, my lawyers can discuss amendments," Silas said.

His voice was deep, smooth, and entirely devoid of emotion.

Evelyn didn't even look at the document.

She reached out and picked up the heavy Montblanc fountain pen lying on the table.

She pulled the cap off and signed her name with elegant, sweeping strokes on the final page.

She pushed the document back toward Hayes.

Silas stared at her.

For a fraction of a second, a muscle feathered in his jaw.

His fingers twitched, reaching to adjust his left cufflink-a subtle tell of his surprise.

He had expected a greedy socialite trying to negotiate for millions.

He quickly masked his reaction.

Silas picked up his own pen and signed the papers with aggressive, sharp strokes.

The lead lawyer cleared his throat. "The documents are executed. You are legally husband and wife."

Silas stood up immediately. He buttoned his suit jacket.

"I have a merger acquisition meeting," Silas said, looking down at Evelyn.

He didn't offer his hand. He didn't offer a smile.

"My driver will take you back to my apartment," he commanded.

He turned and walked out of the room, leaving the scent of cold cedar and expensive ink in his wake.