FIORA

Chapter 4 (Eyes Of The Hunter)

NARRATOR's POV

Leo sat at the head of the sleek glass conference table, the skyline of the city spread out behind him, glittering like a thousand tiny stars. The top floor of Blue Orchid was his domain, a place where he controlled everything from the ambiance to the music playing in the club below. Tonight, however, his focus was divided.

He knew she would be there—his sweet little Fiora. The thought of Lila stepping into his world sent a thrill through him, a possessive need to ensure everything was perfect for her. He ordered his men to treat Lila and Nora like royalty, anticipating their every need, making sure nothing disturbed their night.

As the meeting droned on, his phone buzzed quietly on the table. With a subtle glance, he pulled up the camera feed from the club. There she was. His breath caught for a moment as he took her in—the way the white top hugged her frame, the metallic skirt clinging to her hips as she moved to the music. She was a vision, pure and untouchable, yet here she was, within his reach.

Her laughter reached his ears through the speakers, light and carefree. She was trying to let go, to enjoy herself, and Leo was determined to make that happen. A quick message to the DJ ensured that only her favorite songs played for the rest of the night. He watched as she laughed, sang along, and danced without a care in the world, her happiness filling him with a dark satisfaction.

Satisfied that she was enjoying herself, Leo turned his attention back to the meeting. His sharp mind focused on the details of the new project, but Lila was never far from his thoughts. As much as he loved his work, the drive, the power, nothing compared to the way Lila made him feel. She was his goddess, a hustling force of nature, and he wanted nothing more than to surrender to her completely.

Leo's desire for her was more than just physical; it was spiritual, an obsession that made him want to write her name on every particle of this earth, carve her essence into the very fabric of the universe. He wanted to worship her, day and night, to show her new ways to be happy, to give her everything the world had to offer just to see her smile.

And he would. He would go to any lengths to bring that smile to her lips, to make her his in every way possible.

Leo's voice was steady, authoritative as he spoke into the video call. "Our expansion into the Middle East is crucial. We need to ensure that our brand not only enters but dominates the market. I've already initiated contact with—"

His words trailed off as his eyes flicked to the live footage on his phone. The lounge, which had been alive with music and movement, was now empty. Lila was nowhere in sight. His heart rate spiked, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut.

"I have an emergency to attend to," he said abruptly, cutting off the client mid-sentence. His voice was clipped, leaving no room for questions. He ended the call before they could respond, his mind already racing with possibilities.

Leo immediately called his head of security, his voice cold and commanding. "Where the fuck is she?" he demanded.

"We're not sure, sir. The lounge—"

"Find her. Now." The steel in his voice was unmistakable. "And listen carefully—if there's any danger, if there's even the slightest threat, I want you to eliminate it. Use whatever means necessary. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the man responded, the fear in his voice evident.

Leo's jaw clenched as he dispatched two of his most reliable men. They knew what she meant to him—failure wasn't an option. But he wasn't going to sit back and wait. Not when she was in his club, his territory, and out of his sight.

He stormed into the security room, his presence like a hurricane. The guards stood at attention, but it wasn't enough to stop the fury that rolled off him in waves. "How the hell do you lose sight of her in my own club?" His voice was low, lethal, each word a bullet aimed straight at them. "You're supposed to protect her. I trusted you with her safety!"

One of the guards stammered, "Sir, we—"

Don't," Leo snapped, cutting him off. "You had one job—keep her safe. You failed. You are fired. The rest of you better pray she's found safe, or you'll wish you were dead."

His body was coiled with tension, every nerve on edge. Just as he was about to take control of the situation himself, his phone buzzed again.

"Boss, we found her," one of the men reported. "She's safe. There was a man... he was determined to kill her, but we shot him in the leg. We're bringing him to the club's dungeon now."

Leo's grip on the phone tightened as a wave of relief washed over him. "And Lila?" His voice was softer now, but still filled with urgency.

"She's with her friend. She's shaken up, but she's safe. You don't need to worry."

But Leo was far from reassured.

He ended the call and moved with purpose. Every fiber of his being was focused on one thing—getting to Lila. Nothing else mattered, not the business, not the chaos he'd left in his wake. Lila was all that mattered, and he'd stop at nothing to be by her side.

In the dimly lit backseat of Nora's limo, the world outside blurred by, but Lila's mind was sharp with the chaotic thoughts she couldn't escape. Nora, seated beside her, glanced over with guilt written all over her face.

"Lila, I'm so sorry," Nora began, her voice tinged with regret. "My manager called me about some work, I was coming to find you in the bathroom, but I got lost—I was drunk, and I ended up in the wrong room and everything just spiraled. I didn't mean to leave you alone, especially when you needed me."

Lila didn't respond, her grip tightening on the champagne bottle she hadn't let go of since she got in the limousine. The events of the night, the feeling of being watched, the package, and the terrifying encounter with the man who tried to harm her—everything was a jumbled mess in her mind. She took another long swig from the bottle, trying to drown out the reality she couldn't escape.

Nora noticed the distress in Lila's silence, her expression softening as she reached out to touch Lila's arm. "I promise I'll never leave you alone like that again, okay? Whatever that man was planning, thank God those two guys showed up when they did. But I'm here now, and I won't let anything happen to you."

But Lila remained silent, her gaze distant, lost in the fog of alcohol and fear. Nora didn't know the full extent of what had happened—the gun, the looming threat—but Lila did, and it was tearing her apart from the inside.

When the limo finally pulled up in front of Lila's apartment, she muttered a quick goodbye to Nora and stumbled out of the car, the bottle still clutched in her hand. She fumbled with her keys, her hands shaking, before finally managing to unlock the door and step inside.

As the door clicked shut behind her, the shadows of the room seemed to close in, pressing down on her. She leaned against the door, trying to steady herself, but before she could catch her breath, a tall, dark figure emerged from the shadows, standing just a few feet in front of her.

Lila's heart nearly stopped. The bottle slipped from her grasp and shattered on the floor as her legs gave out, her body collapsing against the door. She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind racing with the terrifying thought that this was it—that she was about to meet the same fate as the man who had tried to kill her.

But then...nothing. No pain, no cold grip of death. Just the eerie silence of the room and a pair of hands holding me close.

Cautiously, Lila opened her eyes, and what she saw made her breath catch in her throat. Towering above her, so close she could feel his warmth, was the man from her nightmares—the one she had feared and felt watched by. But his amber eyes, glowing in the dim light, weren't filled with malice. Instead, they were soft, intense, and...something else. Something she couldn't quite name.

Amber eyes that seemed to hold the entire universe within them, a deep warmth that matched the rich hue of her own skin, as if they were two parts of a whole, perfectly in sync yet starkly different.

(A/N)
Hello bunnies. Expect something hot in the next chapter. All my smut readers be ready to dive into some Leo-ness. Don't forget to VOTE, COMMENT & SHARE.