Chapter 6

The camera flashes strobed like lightning in the narrow entryway.

Aria turned her body, preparing to sprint toward the bedroom to escape the lenses.

Suddenly, a massive hand clamped down on her upper arm. The grip was iron-tight.

Bowen yanked her backward with terrifying force. Aria lost her balance, her feet slipping on the hardwood.

She crashed hard into a solid wall of muscle. The sharp scent of cedarwood and expensive cologne filled her lungs.

Bowen threw his right arm around her waist, pinning her tightly against his chest. He turned his broad back toward the open doorway, acting as a human shield.

He grabbed the edge of his tailored suit jacket and pulled it wide, wrapping the dark fabric around Aria's head and shoulders, completely burying her in the dark.

Aria's cheek was pressed flat against his chest. Beneath the crisp cotton of his shirt, she could hear his heart. It was hammering against his ribs like a panicked animal, fast and erratic.

She blinked into the darkness of his jacket, utterly confused. Why was the man who just accused her of blackmail risking his own reputation to hide her face?

Above her, Bowen was having the exact same thought. His brain was screaming at him to push this manipulative woman into the hallway and let the wolves eat her. But his arms refused to let go.

Lines of green text scrolled rapidly across Aria's retinas.

Handler 377 chimed in. [System Error. Core character code conflict. The male lead's subconscious protective instinct has temporarily overridden his surface-level 'ruthless capitalist' persona.]

Aria read the text and almost choked on a laugh. The big, terrifying billionaire was literally fighting a glitch in his own brain because he was too pure-hearted to let a woman get mobbed by reporters. His body was betraying his script.

Behind Bowen, Helen Mercer shrieked in frustration. She shoved her digital recorder so close it almost hit the back of Bowen's neck.

Bowen turned his head slightly. The air in the room dropped ten degrees.

"If you publish a single pixel of what you just took," Bowen's voice was a low, lethal rumble that vibrated through Aria's cheek, "I will liquidate your publisher by tomorrow morning."

The sheer, terrifying weight of his threat made Helen freeze. The clicking of the cameras stopped dead.

Heavy boots pounded down the hall. Arthur and four massive security guards in black suits swarmed the doorway.

The guards didn't speak. They didn't touch the cameras. Instead, they immediately formed a solid, impenetrable human wall, physically forcing the photographers back into the hallway.

Helen screamed about freedom of the press, but Arthur stepped forward, adjusting his glasses with absolute calm.

"Ms. Mercer," Arthur said, his voice cutting through the noise, "our legal department will be contacting you and your publisher within the hour to discuss the devastating financial penalties for this illegal breach of privacy."

The threat of complete bankruptcy made Helen freeze as two guards grabbed her by the elbows and physically dragged her out of the suite.

The noise faded down the corridor. Arthur pulled the heavy double doors shut and engaged the deadbolt.

The penthouse fell into a suffocating silence. The only sound was Bowen's heavy, ragged breathing.

Aria pushed herself back, stepping out from under his jacket. She looked up at him and batted her eyelashes in a dramatic, exaggerated display of awe.

"My hero," she cooed, her voice dripping with thick sarcasm.

Bowen flinched as if she had slapped him. He practically jumped backward, putting three feet of space between them.

He grabbed his tie and yanked it straight. His hands were shaking slightly. A violent, dark red flush crept up his neck and settled firmly on the tips of his ears.

"Don't flatter yourself," he snarled, grinding his teeth. "A scandal right now would tank my quarterly earnings report. This was purely a business decision."

Aria stared at his bright red ears. She nodded slowly, keeping her face completely straight. "Of course. Purely business."

Bowen felt like his skin was crawling. Her calm, knowing eyes made him feel like a naked clown.

He pointed a stiff finger at the front door. "Get out of my sight."

Aria shrugged. She picked up her Chanel handbag from the console table. She was more than ready to leave this circus.

Her fingers wrapped around the cold brass of the door handle.

Suddenly, Handler 377 locked her vision with a flashing red prompt. A mandatory task had just dropped.