Chapter 2 A Predatory Gaze

"Where are we going?" Freya asked, her voice deliberately light, trying to regain control.

The man-the target she believed was Theron Creed-didn't slow down, his grip on her wrist firm and possessive as he towed her through the back corridors of the high-rise. They had bypassed the main elevators, using a private service lift marked only for executive use.

"Away from the noise," Zayde finally replied, his voice a low vibration that held no room for argument. "The gilded cage is a lot quieter when you're above the birdbath."

Freya bit back a smile. A little poetic. He's already opening up. He really must be desperate to escape his wife and duties.

"And you're taking me to your sanctuary?" she teased, injecting a playful flirtation into her tone. "That sounds terribly reckless, especially tonight."

The lift doors slid open onto a penthouse floor decorated in stark minimalism-dark wood, pale stone, and glass. It was cold, clean, and commanded a breathtaking, almost aggressive view of Vera City.

He released her wrist only to close the door behind them, the click of the heavy lock echoing loudly in the silence. He turned, leaning against the door, finally giving her his full, undivided attention.

"Reckless is my preferred speed, Evelyn," he corrected, his piercing grey eyes moving over her with an intense, calculated scrutiny that made the air feel thin. "And reckless implies risk. You don't seem worried about risk."

Freya knew this was the test. She had to play the character of a sensitive soul looking for a dangerous thrill.

"Everyone takes risks," she said, walking further into the room until she reached the massive window, using the city lights as her backdrop. She turned back to face him. "I risked coming here tonight because I hoped to meet someone... honest. Someone who wasn't wearing a mask of polite indifference."

"Honest?" he scoffed, pushing off the door. He moved toward her slowly, like a large predator staking its territory. "You walked in here dressed like an innocent and speaking lines you polished in a mirror. You are a performance, Evelyn. You're the least honest person in that entire ballroom."

His frankness was startling. It cut through her armor, forcing a genuine frown onto her face. He wasn't playing the easy victim. He was dissecting her.

"That's cruel," Freya murmured, letting a genuine flicker of hurt show in her eyes.

"It's the truth," Zayde countered, stopping just a foot away. He reached out, not to touch her skin, but to gently lift the delicate chain of the diamond butterfly clipped to her hair. "This, this is expensive. It looks like a gift from a rich admirer. You said you've spent your life fulfilling expectations. Was this one of them?"

Freya felt the familiar knot of panic that always came when a target got too close to her truth. She needed to deflect, and she needed to do it using his own assumed weakness-his unhappiness.

"It was a gift from my late fiancé," she lied smoothly, letting her gaze drop just a little. "He was everything everyone wanted me to be with. Perfect, successful... boring." She looked up suddenly, her gaze bold and challenging. "I lost him, and when I did, I realized I had wasted my youth being a good girl. Now, I'm looking for something, something that makes me feel alive, even if it's wrong."

She was watching for the pity, the protective instinct that Lara's profile guaranteed her intended target, Theron, would have.

But Zayde's reaction was entirely different. His eyes didn't soften; they narrowed, burning with a fierce, possessive intensity. He didn't look pitiful; he looked hungry.

"Something wrong?" he echoed, his voice dropping another octave. He reached out and gently cupped her cheek, his thumb slowly stroking her soft skin. His touch wasn't tender; it was a silent claim. "You are a woman who understands cost, Evelyn. You know that everything beautiful, everything in this world, comes with a price."

His gaze dropped to her mouth, and the air crackled with a sudden, overwhelming tension. Freya realized the game had changed. This wasn't about testing loyalty; this was about domination and raw desire. This man-Theron Creed, she still believed-was far more volatile than his client had described.

"What is your price, then?" Zayde asked, his breath mixing with hers. "What do you expect from me for this 'real' feeling?"

Freya's heart was hammering against her ribs. She couldn't show fear. She couldn't back down. This was the moment she transitioned the encounter into a guaranteed conquest.

"I expect to be seen, not just as a pretty distraction," she challenged, trying to steady her voice. "I expect the truth. And I expect... to be taken."

He smiled then, a small, triumphant curve of his lips that was both chilling and captivating. It was the smile of a predator who had just secured his prize.

"You will be seen, Evelyn. And you will certainly be taken."

He didn't wait. He closed the last bit of distance, his mouth crashing down onto hers in a kiss that was sudden, fierce, and demanding.

It wasn't the slow, tender exploration she usually used to establish intimacy. It was a complete, overwhelming takeover. His hand left her cheek and tangled roughly in her soft, auburn hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss. The flavor of whiskey and power was intoxicating. Freya found herself gasping, clinging to the lapels of his suit jacket just to stay upright.

This was too much. And too fast.

She finally broke the kiss, pushing slightly against his chest, her lungs burning.

"Wait," she whispered, struggling to regain her breath and her composure. "I... I need to know your name. I can't do this with a stranger, no matter how honest he is."

Zayde just stared down at her, his grey eyes clouded with passion and something intensely possessive. He let out a low, rough sound-a chuckle that didn't hold humor, only impatience.

"You're still playing games, Evelyn," he murmured, his voice heavy. He gently wiped the excess gloss from her mouth with his thumb. "You know exactly who I am. You came here for me."

Freya blinked. "I know of you, Mr. Creed. But I need to hear it from you. Your full name."

He moved swiftly, stepping back and turning away.

"Stop," Freya called out, irritated by the sudden shift in focus. "I'm serious. If we're going to be honest, I need names."

Zayde stopped near the bar, pouring himself another drink. He didn't look at her, but the rigid set of his broad shoulders told her he was listening.

"The honesty you crave isn't in a name, Evelyn," he finally said, taking a slow, steadying sip of the amber liquid. "It's in what we do when the lights are low, and the masks come off. Your game is over. My game has just begun."

He finished the glass in one go, placing it down with a sharp clink.

"Come here," he ordered, his voice brooking no refusal.

Freya, against every alarm bell ringing in her head, walked toward him. She had never been commanded like this. Every other man she had 'tested' had begged, pleaded, or negotiated. But this one...this one simply demanded.

She reached the bar. Zayde turned instantly, caging her between his body and the cold marble counter. He leaned in close, his gaze locked entirely on her.

"Your name is a disguise," he stated, his breath warm on her ear. "Your stories are fabrications. But the heat you give off when I touch you-that is real. That is what I want."

He moved his hands to her hips, pulling her flush against his hard, solid body, eliminating any remaining space between them. The intensity was overwhelming. Freya was breathing shallowly, her mind reeling. She knew she had to record proof for the client, but her hands were trembling too much to reach for the tiny recording device hidden in her clutch.

He's too much, she realized. Theron is too much.

"I want to know your real name," Zayde whispered fiercely, his eyes blazing, demanding a truth she couldn't give.

"I told you, it's Evelyn," she insisted weakly, her head starting to spin with the sheer force of his presence.

"No, it's not," he growled, frustrated by her persistence.

He grasped her face roughly, tilting it up, forcing her to look only at him. He slammed his body tighter against hers, grinding his hips into hers in a silent display of what was coming next. The sheer, overwhelming dominance of the moment stole her breath entirely.

"I don't care what games you were playing in that ballroom," Zayde stated, his voice a low, gravelly promise. "You are mine tonight. And you will tell me your real name."

He suddenly shifted, spinning her around and roughly pinning her back against the cold, hard marble wall of the corridor leading to the private bedrooms. His body was pressed against hers, trapping her completely.

"Tell me your real name, or I'll find out every secret you hold, starting right now," he demanded, his mouth hovering just over hers, promising a night of furious, undeniable passion that would shatter her mask.