Chapter 45 The True Monster
"And you are entirely mine, Morgan," Marissa said coquettishly as she wrapped her arms around Morgan’s neck, kissing him with absolute triumph. They both laughed together, feeling completely invincible, never realizing that the "street-level gigolo" they so deeply despised was a figure capable of leveling the entire Valdez dynasty in a matter of hours.
The following day, New York was drenched in a drizzling rain that made the asphalt streets of Manhattan gleam with a dark, gloomy luster. Inside the grand study of the main Valdez estate, Bernhard Valdez stood facing the massive window, his arms crossed over his chest with an expression as cold as ice.
The middle-aged man, notoriously ruthless in the business world, turned around as his trusted personal assistant, Gavin, stepped inside holding a thick manila folder.
"Gavin, have you tracked down where that ungrateful daughter-in-law is hiding?" Bernhard asked, his voice heavy and dripping with intimidation.
"We have, Great Lord," Gavin answered, bowing respectfully. "Miss Elena Vance hasn't returned to the mansion since the wedding night. Our intelligence reports indicate she has leased a unit at The Azure Apartments in lower Manhattan. And shockingly, she is living there with that hired man from The Crown bar."
Bernhard snorted in disgust, a cruel sneer twisting his sharply lined face. "How utterly pathetic. It turns out Arthur Vance's daughter is nothing more than a cheap, desperate woman who needs a street trash to keep her company. Ready our best security team. This afternoon, I will personally pay a visit to that miserable apartment."
"Great Lord, should we contact Arthur Vance first?"
"No need," Bernhard hissed venomously. "I’ll clip Elena’s wings first. Once I eliminate her hired boy and drag her back to her cage, I will step on Arthur Vance’s neck until he surrenders the remainder of his cargo shares as compensation for this insult. We move now."
Meanwhile, inside The Azure apartment unit, the afternoon atmosphere presented a striking contrast. Elena sat at her drafting table in the living room, her fingers gracefully drawing precise lines across the sketch paper, perfecting the sapphire details for The Eternal Spark competition.
Beside her, Elijah sat casually on the carpet, leaning against the leg of the drafting table with a modest laptop resting on his lap. The young man typed occasionally—what Elena assumed was merely an IT report for his client—but in reality, Elijah was monitoring the Wall Street stock ticker, where he had just ordered Marcus to begin choking off the liquidity of the Valdez family bank.
Every time Elena let out a tired sigh, Elijah would look up, flashing his breathtaking, reassuring lopsided smile.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Elena asked, her face flushing slightly as she realized his sapphire blue eyes were completely locked onto her.
"I’m just admiring my employer working so hard," Elijah teased, his bariton voice low, raspy, and incredibly sexy. He closed his laptop and rose to his feet with an effortless grace, stepping closer until his powerful frame loomed protectively over Elena's chair. "You've been sketching for three hours, Ángel. Your bodyguard feels neglected."
Elena huffed softly, trying to mask the chaotic pounding of her heart that always went wild whenever Elijah was this close. "I have to finish this, Elijah. Our contract is expensive, Daniel's business is ruined, and I need to ensure my position at Valora Gems remains safe so I can support you for the next three years."
Elijah let out a low, deeply amused chuckle. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss onto her bare shoulder, exposed by her loose-fitting shirt, sending an instant electric jolt straight through her body. "Your allowance is always my favorite, sweetheart. But right now, you need a break."
The tranquility inside the apartment shattered instantly as the front door of The Azure was violently kicked open from the outside, the hinges cracking under the force.
Elena let out a sharp cry, instinctively standing up from her chair. Four large men in black suits and menacing expressions stormed inside, blocking the exit.
Shortly after, Bernhard Valdez stepped through the threshold, a silver-headed cane in hand, radiating the absolute ruthlessness he routinely used to break his corporate enemies.
"Dad, Bernhard?" Elena froze, her face instantly turning deathly pale. Her entire body trembled as she realized her notoriously brutal father-in-law had tracked her down.
Bernhard didn't even look at Elena. His sharp eyes immediately locked onto Elijah, who stood tall beside the drafting table. The older man sneered, eyeing Elijah’s simple flannel shirt with utter contempt.
"So, this is the bar trash you’ve been keeping with Valdez money, Elena?" Bernhard's voice echoed coldly through the room. "How dare you bring this pleasure servant into the New York high society circles and humiliate my family's great name."
"Father, it’s not what you think! Call Morgan, we—" Elena tried to step forward to defend Elijah, terrified to her core that her powerful father-in-law would harm the poor, young man beside her.
However, before Elena could take a step, Elijah’s broad, firm hand gently but securely caught her arm, pulling her completely behind his imposing frame, shielding her entirely from view.
Elijah stared at Bernhard Valdez. Behind the mask of the ordinary man he was playing, his sapphire blue eyes suddenly turned completely pitch-black, emitting the aura of an apex predator as cold as arctic ice. There was no fear, no panic. Instead, Elijah curled his lips into an extremely faint, lethal smirk—an expression that somehow gave Gavin, Bernhard’s assistant standing at the back, a sudden, terrifying premonition of doom.
"Great Lord Bernhard Valdez," Elijah spoke, his voice incredibly calm, resonating with a smooth baritone that was heavy with a dense, suffocating threat. "You have just damaged the door of the apartment leased by my employer. And in my world, damaging the property of someone I protect requires a very expensive compensation."
Bernhard burst into a harsh, mocking laugh. "An expensive compensation? You are nothing but a piece of street garbage living off a woman’s charity, and you dare speak of expenses to me! Guards! Drag this bastard out, break both of his legs, and ensure he never walks in New York again!"
Two massive guards immediately lunged toward Elijah, their fists clenched and ready to strike.
Elena screamed in a panic, "Elijah, look out!"
Yet, Elijah didn't even blink. Right as the first guard's fist was about to connect with his face, the apartment door swung open again with a far more devastating impact.
A squad of men in black suits, sporting silver pin logos shaped like the letter 'B' on their lapels—the elite primary security team of Blackwood Industries, led directly by Marcus—stormed into the room like a hurricane.
In less than five seconds, with precise military tactical maneuvers, the four Valdez family guards were pinned to the floor, the barrels of silenced firearms pressed tightly against their temples.
The cramped apartment room fell into a terrifying, deathly silence. Bernhard Valdez froze in shock, his silver cane nearly slipping from his grip as he stared at the silver pin logos on the chests of the men who had just arrived.
"Blackwood?" Bernhard whispered, his voice suddenly shaking violently.