Chapter 19
The morning light that slipped between the blinds felt too clean for what had happened the night before. Jace sat at the edge of the bed, shirtless, watching the man sleep. His breathing was steady, chest rising and falling with the kind of peace Jace hadn't known in years. And maybe that was the danger—how easy it was to get used to this. To Elias’s touch. To the way he made him feel wanted. Worshipped.
But none of that mattered.He wasn’t here to fall for soft touches or whispered promises.
He was here so he can gain access to elias office and get the file.
The 2009 legal consequence document.
The one that had briefly surfaced during their last encounter in Elias’s office before Elias’s father, Victor Crane walked in.
Jace stood, pulled on his jeans slowly, because his body ached in places Elias had fucked him. It was a painful pleasure. The bruises weren’t visible, but Jace could feel them in his bones.
Jace turned back and stared at Elias’s sleeping face.
\----
Few moments later Elias stirred beside jace, mumbling something low and slurred. Jace seized the moment. He turned slightly, brushing a hand over Elias’s chest, drawing a lazy circle.
“I’ve been thinking…” Jace said, keeping his voice soft, careful. “Maybe it’s time I got serious about things.”
Elias cracked one eye open. “What things?”
“My future. Noah’s. I’m working every damn night just to keep us afloat. And with his recovery, I need something more stable.”
A pause. Elias watched him, brow arched. “You’re saying you want a job? Don't you have like a dozen already?”
Jace nodded slowly. “I did but i want something that actually pays well. I don’t want to rely on you every time Noah’s bills show up. That’s not who I am.”
He said it like it cost him something. Like this was hard. And Elias, predictably, bought the act.
“You want to work for Crane Corp?” Elias asked, half-amused.
Jace hesitated. “If it means stability… yeah. I’ll take the job.”
And Elias, against his better judgment, nodded.
That was all Jace needed
\---
The next morning, Jace walked into Crane Corp’s sleek, towering building dressed in a fitted navy shirt and slacks that clung just enough to make a statement. His dark hair was artfully messy, his lips slightly glossed, and his eyes sharp with purpose. He wasn’t here for a job. He was here for revenge —disguised in expensive cologne, the one he could afford and seductive smirks.
Elias’s office was on the top floor, a private kingdom behind black marble doors. When Jace stepped in, Elias was already at his desk, tie loosened, jacket draped on a chair. The way his eyes lingered on Jace’s frame didn’t go unnoticed.
“You’re early,” Elias murmured.
“I wanted to make a good impression,” Jace said, voice silk. He approached the desk slowly, deliberately, each step a performance. “What kind of boss would you be if your new hire showed up late?”
“You’re not hired yet.”
Jace tilted his head. “Interview me, then.”
Elias leaned back in his chair, arms folded. “Fine. What qualifies you to work here?”
“I’m good with my hands,” Jace said, smirking as he dragged his fingers across the edge of the desk.
Elias’s eyes darkened. “Jace…”
He walked around the desk, slowly, stepping into Elias’s space. “I’m good at taking orders. But I’m better at… persuasion.” He leaned in, breath brushing Elias’s jaw. “Isn’t that worth something?”
Elias’s fingers flexed. “Are you trying to seduce your way into a job?”
Jace gave a playful shrug. “Is it working?”
Elias smirked and then he stood abruptly, tension crackling between them. “You’re shameless.”
“And you like it, don't you?” Jace whispered, pressing a hand to Elias’s chest.
Elias caught his wrist. “This is still my office.”
Jace stepped in closer, chest to chest now. “Why don’t you shut the door and show me who’s boss.”
The kiss that followed was hard, hungry. Elias spun him around, lips crashing onto his as they stumbled back toward the desk. Papers scattered. Jace moaned, pulling Elias closer, feeling that familiar rush of heat build in his veins.
But then—Elias broke away, panting.
“Give me five minutes,” he growled. “I need the floor cleared.”
Jace nodded, eyes wide and full of feigned innocence. “Of course… sir.”
Elias narrowed his eyes at the word and stalked out of the office.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Jace’s smirk vanished.
He turned to the shelves behind Elias’s desk, fingers moving fast. The last time he’d been here, he’d seen a file. 2009 Legal Consequences. It was in a file cabinet. He pried it open again, heart racing. Empty.
“What the hell—” Jace whispered.
He checked the drawers next, yanking them open, searching behind folders and files, but it was gone.
Panic twisted in his chest. That document—proof that the Cranes were involved in his parents’ deaths—wasn not here.
He froze.
Victor caught me last time.
Did he tell Elias I found the document?
Had Elias moved it?
Did that mean… he knew?
Jace turned slowly, realization dawning. What if he was never innocent in all this? What if he’s been pretending just like me?
The room spun. He stumbled back, heart hammering.
And that’s when he saw the shadow.
He looked up—and Elias was standing in the doorway.
Eyes cold.
Face unreadable.
Jace’s heart stopped.
Elias stepped in, closing the door behind him, his voice quiet, dangerous.
“What are you looking for… Jace?”