DAGON MANSION

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: AN ATTACK AND AN INDECENT PROPOSAL

The monthly meeting at Dagon Enterprises had just begun. The atmosphere was unusually quiet—several executives were traveling, and most offices stood empty.

It was the perfect moment for Alisha to slip inside.

Her steps echoed faintly against the marble floor as she moved through the corridors, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The voice in her head was calm today, almost gentle.

"Go to her office. Wait until she's alone."

Alisha obeyed. She reached Xena Blackwood's door and slipped inside, hiding behind the bookcase near the right wall. The scent of lilies and paper filled the air. She clutched the syringe in her hand and waited, trembling but obedient.

In prison, Ryan Dagon greeted Theolinda Brady with a warmth she hadn't seen in months. He was still in the visiting cell, but his eyes were alive again, his posture lighter.

"Theo," he said with a soft smile. "You have no idea how good it is to see you."

"You look better," she replied. "More... alive."

He chuckled. "Your words did that. You've been a balm to me."

She smiled, relieved. "I'm glad to hear that, Ryan."

He hesitated, then leaned forward, his tone lowering. "Theo, I wanted to make you a proposition."

She arched an eyebrow playfully. "A proposition? Indecent, I hope?"

Her own words startled her, and she bit her lip, embarrassed.

Ryan grinned wickedly. "You're right—it's indecent. Entirely adult."

"I'm intrigued," she said, forcing a nervous laugh. "Go on."

He inhaled slowly, as if steadying himself.

"I want you to help me stop thinking about Mia. I can't control it anymore. I don't want to desire her, to dream of her. I want something real, something that will break the obsession. I want us to have sex, Theo. I want us to be lovers."

Theolinda froze. The air thickened around them.

"Ryan... are you out of your mind? That's the strangest thing anyone has ever asked me."

"Think about it," he insisted. "You're intelligent, beautiful, and lonely. I don't want a fantasy—I want you. It wouldn't just be sex. We understand each other."

She looked away, heart racing. She couldn't deny the pull between them—the raw, dangerous curiosity.

"I'll have to think about it," she said quietly. "In the unlikely event I'd want anything like that."

Ryan nodded, respectful but still smiling. "Fair enough. But tell me, would you rather keep longing for Rogers? That man doesn't see you, Theo. He's blind. You're beautiful. I think you find me attractive. Look."

He took off his shirt, revealing his lean, toned torso.

"Ryan!" she gasped. "Put your shirt back on. What are you doing?"

"I'd strip bare if it proved I'm real, Theo," he teased.

She blushed fiercely. "Do you think that's how I choose men? By the size of their—"

He burst into laughter, genuine and disarming.

"Relax, Theo. I'm not trying to seduce you. I just want to be honest. Do you like me?"

Her voice faltered. "Yes... I do like you."

Ryan's smile softened. "And I like you. You're a sensual woman, even if you pretend not to be."

Theo laughed nervously. "It's because I'm a redhead? People say that makes us passionate."

"I've been with women of every color," Ryan said, amused. "Sensuality has nothing to do with hair. It's about the eyes—how someone looks at you."

Theolinda looked away, struggling not to meet his gaze. She couldn't deny his allure.

Rogers's wife visiting the office, the little touches, the laughter—it had been too much. And Ryan was here, raw, vulnerable, alive.

"I'll think about it," she whispered. "I'll call you once I decide."

Ryan exhaled, relieved. "Thank you for not rejecting me outright. I was terrified you would. If you accept, Theo... you won't regret it."

Something in his voice—half plea, half promise—lingered in her mind long after she left.

Later that day, Xena returned to her office after the meeting. The room gleamed under the afternoon light. Every time she walked through those doors, she still felt a faint disbelief.

This was her world now. Ryan Dagon's world. Her father's empire.

It was strange to think of him as her father—he felt more like a myth, a shadow she'd inherited. But thanks to him, she had wealth, influence, and the freedom to pursue what truly mattered: her Quantum Physics degree.

She set her folders on the desk and began organizing them when a faint rustle broke the silence.

She turned.

A figure in black—face masked, hands gloved, was standing near the bookcase, a syringe glinting in the light.

Instinct took over. Xena's breath caught as her hands moved instinctively; a field of light shimmered around her, bright and humming. The attacker lunged, but the barrier held firm, sending them staggering back.

Alisha's breath hitched in panic. She dropped the syringe. For a split second, their eyes met and then Alisha bolted toward the door.

"Stop!" Xena shouted, chasing after her.

Alisha hurled a chair backward. It struck Xena hard, knocking her to the floor.

The office door burst open. Her secretary, pale and trembling, rushed in.

"Mrs. Xena! What happened?"

Xena winced, holding her side. "Someone tried to kill me. Call the police immediately. Don't touch the syringe—it could be crucial evidence. The attacker wore gloves, but there may still be something we can trace."

The secretary nodded, hands shaking as she dialed emergency services.

As Xena rose, she looked toward the fallen syringe gleaming on the carpet—

a small, perfect weapon left behind by someone whose mind no longer belonged to her.