Trapped In The Reborn Billionaire's Embrace

Dalton's eyes snapped open.

His lungs heaved, pulling in jagged breaths of air as if he had just broken the surface of freezing water. Cold sweat soaked through the fabric of his custom-tailored shirt, clinging to his skin like a second layer of dread.

He stared at the ceiling. The dim glow of the wall sconces illuminated the opulent molding of the Four Seasons penthouse. A violent wave of vertigo hit him, making the room spin.

He looked down at his hands.

He turned them over, his chest rising and falling in erratic rhythms. The skin was smooth. The jagged, ugly scars from the car crash that had ended his life were gone. His muscles pulled tight, trembling so hard his knuckles turned white.

His gaze darted to the nightstand. The illuminated dial of his Patek Philippe watch glared back at him.

The date.

His pupils contracted into tiny pinpricks. The numbers on the dial hit him harder than a physical blow. He was back. Three years ago. The exact night the nightmare began. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic, deafening rhythm in his ears.

A soft, suppressed whimper broke the dead silence of the room.

It came from the other side of the massive king-sized bed.

Dalton's neck turned, the movement stiff and mechanical. His eyes pierced through the shadows, landing on the curled-up silhouette.

Audriana Christensen.

Her face was flushed a deep, unnatural red. Her hands moved blindly, her fingers tearing at the collar of her blouse with uncoordinated, feverish tugs. The heavy dose of the drug was tearing through her system.

The image of her lifeless, broken body from his past life flashed behind his eyes. A sharp, physical pain sliced through his chest. His eyes instantly burned red.

He threw the heavy duvet aside. He stepped off the bed, his bare feet hitting the freezing carpet. The icy shock grounded him, keeping his fractured mind from completely shattering.

He walked to the edge of the bed and looked down at her. His right hand reached out, hovering just inches above her burning skin.

His hand shook violently.

He was terrified. In his past life, his touch had destroyed her. He clamped his jaw shut, the muscles in his face pulling taut as he forced his hand to pull back.

Audriana groaned, the high fever making her thrash. She rolled hard toward the edge, her body slipping dangerously close to the drop.

Dalton moved on pure instinct. He lunged forward, his broad chest catching her scorching body before she could fall.

The scent of vanilla hit him.

It rushed into his lungs, familiar and intoxicating. Dalton's Adam's apple bobbed sharply. A heavy, dark possessiveness clawed at his stomach-a desperate need to lock her away from the world that had destroyed her.

He gritted his teeth, fighting the overwhelming urge to crush her against him and never let go. His movements were stiff, almost clumsy, as he gently lifted her and placed her back into the center of the mattress.

Audriana's hands flailed in the air. Her fingernails caught the side of his neck, dragging down and leaving a thin trail of blood.

Dalton didn't even flinch. The sting meant nothing. He turned on his heel and strode toward the walk-in closet, his steps heavy and urgent.

He grabbed a dark, custom cashmere coat off the hanger. The fabric carried his signature scent-crisp cedar and cold air. He walked back to the bed.

He wrapped the oversized coat tightly around her disheveled body, pulling the lapels closed to cover every inch of her exposed skin.

The heavy warmth of the coat seemed to soothe her. Audriana quieted down slightly, though her eyebrows remained pulled together in a tight knot of pain.

Dalton sat on the edge of the bed. He reached out, his rough thumb lightly brushing against the crease between her brows, trying to smooth away her distress.

A sound stopped him.

Faint, muffled footsteps echoed from the hallway outside the penthouse door.

The tenderness in Dalton's eyes vanished. It was replaced by a cold, hollow darkness. His heart hammered against his ribs. The memory of the trap set for her-the nightmare that had shattered her completely-flashed vividly behind his eyes.

Chadwick Kowalski was out there. He had brought the paparazzi. The trap was set.

Dalton stood up. With a swift, decisive movement, he fastened the top button of his shirt, his expression hardening into a mask of cold fury.

He walked over to the smart control panel on the wall. His finger tapped the glass screen.

The main chandelier flared to life, flooding the room with blinding light. Audriana whimpered on the bed, turning her face away from the glare.

Dalton walked to the heavy mahogany double doors. He leaned in, pressing his eye to the peephole. He watched the shadows moving outside.

Dalton could hear the faint sound of someone rattling the heavy door from the other side, throwing their weight against the wood, trying to force it open.

A cruel, bloodless smile curved the corners of Dalton's mouth.

The electronic lock beeped rapidly. Chadwick Kowalski was on the other side, aggressively swiping a forged keycard against the reader. The shrill sound pierced the quiet of the penthouse.

Dalton didn't back away. He reached out, his large hand wrapping around the cold metal of the door handle. He yanked it inward with brutal force.

The heavy door swung wide open.

Alex Jennings, a notorious gossip reporter, was standing right there. He shoved his massive camera lens straight into the doorway.

Blinding white flashes erupted like a violent storm. The strobe lights fired continuously, desperate to capture a scandalous scene.

Dalton stepped directly into the center of the doorframe. His massive frame formed an impenetrable wall, completely blocking any angle into the bedroom behind him.

He narrowed his dark eyes. The sheer, suffocating authority radiating from him made the reporters in the front row physically flinch. The air in the hallway turned to ice.

Chadwick pushed his way to the front. He pointed a trembling finger right at Dalton's face.

"You forced her!" Chadwick yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. "You took my girlfriend!"

Dalton stared at the man who had ruined Audriana in his past life. His expression was completely dead, looking at Chadwick as if he were already a corpse.

Alex Jennings tried to sidestep Dalton, lifting his camera high to shoot over Dalton's shoulder.

Dalton's hand shot out. His fingers clamped down on the edge of the camera lens with terrifying precision.

A loud, sickening crack echoed in the hallway. The ten-thousand-dollar professional lens shattered under the crushing grip of Dalton's single hand. Glass splintered onto the carpet.

The hallway went dead silent. The reporters stopped breathing, their eyes wide with shock at the casual display of violence.

Inside the bedroom, the commotion finally pierced through Audriana's drug-addled brain. A splitting headache hammered against her skull.

She clutched the oversized cashmere coat tightly around her body. Her legs shook as she stumbled out of the bedroom, leaning heavily against the wall for support.

The moment she appeared, the flashes erupted again.

The harsh light stabbed Audriana's eyes. She gasped, her body flinching backward in sheer terror.

Dalton's chest tightened painfully. He spun around, his long legs closing the distance between them in two strides.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her hard against his chest. He grabbed the wide lapel of the cashmere coat and pulled it up, completely shielding her face from the cameras.

Audriana panicked. The smell of cedar and male aggression surrounded her. She struggled, pushing against his chest, but Dalton's arm wrapped around her waist like a band of solid steel.

Chadwick saw her. He immediately contorted his face into a mask of agony.

"Audriana!" Chadwick cried out, his voice cracking with fake devastation.

Audriana's body went completely rigid. That voice. She knew that voice. She tried to poke her head out from under the coat.

Dalton's large palm clamped down on the back of her head, pressing her face firmly into his chest.

"Don't look," Dalton ordered, his voice a low, vibrating rumble against her ear.

Chadwick turned to the cameras, tears streaming down his face. He accused Dalton of using his Wall Street billions to prey on innocent college girls.

The cameras clicked frantically, eating up every second of Chadwick's performance. A massive media storm was brewing right in front of them.

Audriana shifted her head just enough to peek through the gap in the coat. The blinding flashes illuminated the hallway.

Her brain stuttered to a halt.

She didn't see a heartbroken boyfriend. She saw the ugly, unfiltered greed shining in Chadwick's eyes.

The fog of the drug cleared for a split second. A block of ice dropped into her stomach. Chadwick had handed her the drink. Chadwick had brought her here.

The sheer weight of the betrayal hit her nervous system. Her knees buckled. All the strength drained from her legs.

Dalton caught her immediately. He braced his stance, taking her entire body weight against his side without shifting an inch.

He lifted his chin. His dark eyes swept over the cluster of cameras and reporters, looking at them like a tyrant surveying a rebellion.

He pulled his phone from his pocket with his free hand. He hit the speed dial for his executive assistant, Simon Fletcher.

"Clear the floor," Dalton said. Two words. He hung up.

He looked back down at Chadwick, who was still rambling to the cameras. Dalton's lips parted slightly, ready to drop the match on the gasoline.

"Shut your mouths."

Dalton's voice wasn't loud, but the deep, gravelly baritone exploded down the narrow hallway.

The sheer dominance in his tone was suffocating. The reporters instinctively froze. Fingers lifted off shutter buttons. The flashing lights died.

Chadwick hated losing control of the narrative. He raised his voice even higher.

"How much money is it going to take for you to let her go?!" Chadwick demanded, stepping forward.

Dalton didn't even look at him. He looked down at the trembling girl crushed against his chest.

He lifted his warm hand and pressed it firmly over Audriana's exposed ear, pressing her other ear against his chest. He refused to let her hear the filth coming out of Chadwick's mouth.

Dalton slowly raised his head. His gaze locked onto the backup phone Alex Jennings was using to record the scene.

He reached up with his free hand and calmly adjusted his right cufflink. His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, yet heavy with absolute authority.

"Audriana Christensen is my fiancée."

The words hit the hallway like a physical shockwave. The silence that followed was absolute, heavy enough to choke on.

Chadwick's face froze. His mouth hung open in a grotesque, comical expression of pure disbelief.

Against Dalton's chest, Audriana's head jerked up. Her eyes were wide, staring in absolute shock at the sharp line of Dalton's jaw.

Dalton looked down at her. His dark eyes held no trace of a joke. There was only a terrifying, deep-rooted certainty.

Alex Jennings stuttered, pointing a shaky finger at Chadwick. "But... he said he's her boyfriend."

Dalton let out a dark, humorless laugh.

"He sold his girlfriend to an underground casino to cover a five-hundred-thousand-dollar gambling debt," Dalton stated coldly, exposing the rot for everyone to see.

All the blood drained from Chadwick's face. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with terror. He couldn't comprehend how the Wall Street billionaire knew his deepest, darkest secret.

The reporters smelled blood. The cameras instantly pivoted, the lenses now shoved directly into Chadwick's sweating face.

Dalton didn't stop. "The keycard he used tonight is a forgery. That is a federal felony."

Chadwick opened his mouth to defend himself, but his voice cracked. His weak stammers were nothing against the crushing weight of Dalton's detailed accusations.

Audriana stared at the man she had dated for two years. A violent wave of nausea twisted her stomach, making bile rise in her throat.

She grabbed the lapels of Dalton's coat. Her knuckles turned stark white. He was a stranger, but right now, he was the only solid ground she had left.

Dalton felt her small fingers digging into his chest. His arm tightened around her waist, pulling her even deeper into his protective space.

He looked straight into the recording phone.

"Any media outlet that publishes a single photo from tonight will face a total, permanent blackout from the West Corporation."

The threat was absolute. The veteran reporters in the back exchanged nervous glances. They slowly lowered their cameras. No one was willing to bet their entire career against Dalton West.

The elevator bell chimed at the end of the hall.

The metal doors slid open. Simon Fletcher stepped out, flanked by a dozen massive men in black suits.

The security team moved with military precision. They surged forward, violently snatching memory cards and cameras from the reporters' hands.

Chadwick saw the men and tried to bolt toward the stairwell. Two massive guards grabbed him, slamming him face-first into the wallpapered wall.

Dalton watched Chadwick get pinned. His eyes were dead, showing zero mercy.

He turned around, keeping Audriana securely against his side. He lifted his long leg and kicked the heavy mahogany door shut.

The heavy thud sealed the room, cutting off the chaos of the hallway instantly.

The penthouse was dead silent. The only sound was the jagged, uneven breathing of the two people standing in the foyer.

Audriana's adrenaline finally crashed. The last thread of her strength snapped. Her legs gave out completely, and she plummeted toward the hardwood floor.