Chapter 144

William's POV

I arrived at Elena's door early, hoping to catch her before she started her day. After last night's social event, I figured she could use a break—perhaps a drive along the coast to clear her head. More selfishly, I wanted time alone with her before she fully immersed herself in work.

But as I approached her room, I noticed Dennis standing outside, looking unusually solemn. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and he kept yawning, clearly sleep-deprived.

"Morning," I greeted him. "Is Elena awake? I thought we might—"

"Don't go in there," Dennis cut me off, his voice oddly flat. "My sister made quite a commotion last night."

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Dennis rubbed his eyes. "There were... noises. And the bed was shaking. I think she's not used to this place yet."

Something cold settled in my stomach. The air around the door carried a scent I hadn't noticed at first—a powerful, masculine musk that could only belong to one person.

Richard Blackwood.

My muscles tensed involuntarily, a dangerous heat building behind my eyes. "He was here," I stated rather than asked, my voice barely controlled.

Dennis looked confused. "Who?"

I ignored him, my fists clenching so tightly my knuckles turned white. Had that bastard forced himself on her? Or worse—had she welcomed him?

"Do you need help with anything?" Dennis asked, but I was already turning away, my face rigid with fury.

"No," I managed to say through clenched teeth, stalking down the hallway with purposeful strides.

Behind me, I didn't see the subtle smirk that crossed Dennis's face before he retreated to his own room.

Elena's POV

I woke up disoriented, my body aching in places I'd forgotten could ache. The digital clock read 2:13 PM—Jesus, I'd slept half the day away. The room smelled of Richard, his scent embedded in the sheets, the pillows, and worst of all, on my skin.

When I tried to sit up, my muscles protested. Catching my reflection in the mirror across the room, I gasped at the sight. My neck and wrists displayed unmistakable marks.

Flashes of the previous night rushed back—his hunger, his unexpected tenderness, the way he'd whispered my name as if it were something precious. The way I'd responded to him like my body had just been waiting for his touch.

"Richard Blackwood, you fucking bastard!" I shouted, suddenly furious at both him and myself.

A knock at the door made me jump.

"Elena? You okay in there?" Dennis called through the door.

"Shit!" I whispered, scrambling out of bed and rushing to the bathroom. "Just a minute!" I called back, frantically turning on the shower and grabbing my makeup bag.

Five minutes of rushed concealer application and a liberal dose of perfume later, I opened the door with what I hoped was a casual expression.

"Sorry, just woke up," I said, running a hand through my damp hair. "What's up?"

Dennis studied me with his eyes. "Oliver called. He wants us to come over—says he has a money-making opportunity."

I nodded, trying to appear normal. "Great. Let me get dressed. Have you seen William today?"

"He came by earlier but left suddenly," Dennis replied, pushing his black-framed glasses up his nose. In his khaki beanie and oversized sweater, he looked every bit the innocent college kid—except for those eyes that occasionally flashed with unexpected sharpness.

"Did you... say anything to him about last night?" I asked carefully.

Dennis blinked. "Just that you were sleeping restlessly. Maybe not used to the new environment."

"Don't mention anything about last night to anyone, okay?" I said, closing the door quickly before he could ask questions.

Through the door, I heard him pause before walking away. His behavior seemed strange.

When we arrived at The Grey Manor that afternoon, I was surprised to find several investors from yesterday's gala already waiting. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation.

"Looks like today really is about big business," I commented as we were ushered into a private room.

Dennis remained uncharacteristically quiet, standing vigilantly behind me, his eyes constantly scanning our surroundings.

"Have you been here long?" I asked.

"No, everyone just arrived. By the way, Ms. Winter, have you heard what project we're working on this time?" someone suddenly asked me.

I shook my head. "No idea. Do you all know already?"

"Ms. Winter!" A gray-haired investor said with a mysterious smile. "Have you heard of Pinnacle Engineering Group?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Good God," I muttered under my breath.

Pinnacle Engineering Group was the leader in precision manufacturing—robotics, digital electronics, medical devices. They were the gold standard, the company that everyone wanted a piece of but few could afford.

A few minutes later, Oliver finally appeared and announced that our target was indeed Pinnacle Engineering Group.

I turned to Oliver. "You're insane," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "Yesterday Blackwood Group, today Pinnacle Engineering? Are you trying to challenge the entire financial world?"

The other investors chuckled excitedly.

"That's a big fish," one of them commented. "The return would be at least several billion dollars."

"As usual, once you have this, you can see your assignments for today," Oliver handed out laptops containing the information to us.

I handed my bag to Dennis and found a seat, opening the laptop to review my task.

I frowned. "Futures trading? Seriously?"

Oliver approached me personally. "It's your first time with us—start small, test the waters."

Oliver clearly still didn't trust me.

"Who has idle money for this low-risk, low-return investment?" I complained loudly.

Oliver just smiled enigmatically and moved on to the next investor.

I turned to Dennis, frustrated. "What do you think? You're supposed to be the economics expert, remember? Yesterday you were analyzing Blackwood Group like a pro."

Dennis froze, his fingers trembling slightly. "I just... don't want to influence your judgment."

I frowned at his strange behavior, but before I could press further, Oliver announced it was time to head to the financial district.

And I stepped into that famous financial district as a formal financial trading investor.