Chapter 4 BOUND BY A VOW

The knock on the door was soft__almody hesitant__ and for a fleeting moment, panick surged through me, half expecting it to be another of Ethan Caldwell's numerous lovers.

After what I walked into earlier__ catching him mid-act entangled with a woman on his office desk__ nothing could shock me anymore.

But it wasn't another of his play things.

It was the receptionist from downstairs, standing in the doorway, with an air of irritation, her arms folded and arms narrowed as she stared at me, trying to place where she'd seen me before.

Then recognition dawned.

"Didn't I clearly say he doesn't talk walk-ins?" She sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. "Or were you just desperate to get his attention?"

Her name tag read "Aria"

I clutched the stripes of my bag tighter, forcing calm into my voice, "I didn't have a choice. It's important."

Aria let out a loud laugh, but before she could hurl more insults, a commanding voice sliced into the air.

"Aria!"

We both sapped our heads together to Ethan standing tall, with a look that could freeze fire, his gaze fixed squarely on his employee.

"Leave her alone," he ordered, voice brooking no argument .

"But sir... !"

"I said let her be," Ethan repeated, his tone cutting.

Aria bit her lips, threw me a venomous glance, and stomped off without another word.

Ethan didn't even spare her a second glance as he barked, "What now?"

"The family's lawyer called__ again," Aria muttered. "Third time today. He said it's urgent."

Ethan sighed heavily. "Bring the phone. Then get out."

She passed him the cordless phone, lingering longer than necessary until Ethan shot her a fridig look, sending her scurrying away.

He pressed the receiver to his ear and paced the room, his tone sharp.

"Yeah"

"Ethan," came Barrister William"s calm but firm voice. "We need to finalize discussions regarding your father's will."

Ethan rolled his eyes. "You're always talking about the damned will. Get to the point."

"You have five months," William stated, his voice clipped. "If you are not married by then, the company, the assets__ everything __ goes to charity or the government."

Ethan cursed under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Barrister William, I don't need hourly reminders about my father's insane terms."

"Insane or not, they are legally binding," William countered. "Your father entrusted me with ensuring his wishes were fulfilled. And unless you're ready to forfeit everything, I suggest you start taking this seriously."

Ethan's jaw tightened. " So you expect me to throw on a tuxedo, marry the first woman who smiles at me, and pretend to play happy families just to keep my empire?"

"I expect you to act like a responsible adult," William retorted. "You're not a teenager Ethan. This empire is hanging by a thread and the board is restless, your mother is losing patience. If you don't bring them stability soon, you'll lose more than your inheritance."

Ethan gritted his teeth, fury simmering beneath his calm facade.

"I'll figure it out. Five months is more than enough."

"No it's not," William snapped. "Not if you continue living like nothing's at stake. Your father didn't just want you to marry __ He wanted you to build something real. A Legacy."

Ethan's hands clenched into fists. " My father's only goal was control. Even from the grave."

"You've always been cynical, Ethan. But this isn't just about you anymore," William said firmly. "One wrong move, and the board will shove you out. "You need more than just a wife __ you need stability."

The line went dead before Ethan could respond.

He tossed the phone onto the desk with a scowl, then turned towards the glass wall.

His reflection stared back at him__ powerful, cold, untouchable. But beneath the surface, something stirred.

All his life, women had only seen the surface___ the wealth, the status, the power. None had cared for the man beneath.

They wanted what he could offer:

Pleasure, money, access __ and he let them, in exchange for nights of rough, Unfiltered passion. None ever truly knew him

BDSM was his escape. Commitment was not.

But then, there was Elena Harper.

He thought of her barging into his office earlier, trembling but determined, desperation written all over her face. No agenda. No facade.

She was different __ raw, honest, untamed.

She wasn't dressed to impress. She wasn't there to take. She came to pay.

She had offered to do anything.

And Ethan needed something too.

His eyes darkened at the thought. "Anything..."

A slow smirk curled on his lips.

He leaned back against his chair, excitement flickering in his veins.

Her name whispered from his lips. "Elena Harper."

He pictured her__ lips trembling but voice steady, shoulders squared despite fear. There was fire beneath her nerves. Grit behind those eyes. She wasn't polished or primped like others__ but that only made her more tempting. Her body, her spirit, her fire... it all screamed untouched potential.

And he liked that.

Very much.

A sly smile crept across his face.

Tomorrow when she returned to his office, he would make her a proposition. One that would change her life. One she wouldn't be able to refuse.

Because she wasn't just convenient__ she was perfect.

And he would thoroughly enjoy watching her wrestling with her pride.

________

Meanwhile, I stepped out of the building unaware of the plan already forming behind those glass walls.

The evening air was cool, but the weight on my chest made it feel suffocating. My father's debt hovered over me like a ghost I couldn't I couldn't shake.

Each step felt heavier than the last. The burden of my father's debt loomed over me like a dark cloud.

Everything I'd seen in Ethan's office replayed in my mind. The way he touched that woman. The indifference in his eyes. The raw, unfiltered power in his presence.

Could I really trust a man like that?

I didn't think so.

But I didn't have the luxury of walking away. Not anymore.

As I flagged down a taxi, the city lights blurred around me. Tomorrow I'd return to that office. I didn't know what he'd say. Or what he'd want.

But I knew one thing:

Once I stepped back into Ethan Caldwell's office...

There would be no turning back.

______