Chapter 20: The First Blow
POV: Elias Voss
The email came through at 6:17 p.m.
Elias was still at his desk, tie loose, jacket draped over the back of his chair. The office had emptied out hours ago, but he liked the quiet. It gave him room to think. Or try to.
The subject line was blank.
The sender: unknown.
He almost deleted it.
But then he saw the attachment.
IMG_0471.png
And the message:
> "Not everyone in your company is blind. Keep your secrets closer."
\---
He opened the photo.
And froze.
It was grainy, but unmistakable.
Him and Noah. On the penthouse balcony during the gala. Elias’s hand gripping the back of Noah’s neck. Their mouths close. Too close.
Not kissing. But everything about the image screamed intimacy. Possession.
Desire.
His stomach turned.
Someone had been watching. Had a camera. Had waited.
And now they were warning him.
Or threatening him.
\---
He stood slowly, hands curled into fists. The light in the office suddenly felt harsh. Everything too sharp.
He shut the laptop and locked it. Reached for his phone. Scanned every recent message. Nothing suspicious.
But he knew what this meant.
Someone in the company was watching them.
Someone had seen the shift.
And they wanted leverage.
Why now?
They’d been careful since that night. No slips. No lingering looks. Not in the office. Not in public.
But it didn’t matter.
They had already been seen.
\---
He moved to the window, watching the city glitter below like a lie made of glass.
If this leaked—
If this reached the Board—
If Noah’s name was dragged into it—
No.
Not happening.
He’d destroy the entire chain of command before he let that happen.
\---
The office door opened behind him.
He didn’t turn.
He didn’t have to.
He felt Noah the second he stepped into the room.
“You didn’t respond to my message,” Noah said quietly. “I thought we were meeting downstairs for the car.”
Elias didn’t answer.
Noah came closer, voice lower. “Are you okay?”
Elias turned.
Their eyes met.
And for the first time since they started this dangerous game, Elias didn’t bother to hide the storm in his gaze.
“No,” he said.
Noah stiffened. “What happened?”
Elias walked back to the desk. Opened the laptop again. Turned it toward him.
Noah leaned in.
Saw the photo.
And went pale.
\---
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Noah straightened, voice tight. “Do you think it was someone at the gala?”
“No,” Elias said. “This was taken from my building. Someone close. Someone inside.”
Noah sat slowly. “Are they threatening you?”
“They’re warning me.” Elias folded his arms. “Which is worse. It means they’re waiting. Watching. Planning.”
Noah looked down at his hands. “So what happens now?”
Elias didn’t answer right away.
He walked over to him. Leaned against the desk. Looked down at the man who’d walked into his world and changed everything.
“I fix this,” he said. “Before they think they have any power.”
Noah looked up. “And me?”
Elias cupped his jaw. “You stay close. You keep your head down. And if anyone so much as whispers your name in a meeting, I’
ll cut their career off at the knees.”
A pause.
Then Noah whispered, “You can’t protect me forever.”
Elias’s voice was dark.
“Watch me.”