Bound by Trust

chapter 1

ELENA
The rain taps against my office windows, each drop leaving streaks that slide down, blurring the city skyline. Gray clouds smother the horizon, swallowing the tops of the tallest buildings. It's like the whole city is taking a breath, settling into a rare kind of quiet.

I take a sip of my coffee-black, bitter, strong. It's my third cup today, and I know it won't be the last. Leaning back in my chair, I let my eyes drift over the endless columns and rows on my screen, each one its own small piece of the Moratti empire. Dom may own the company, but I'm the one who keeps it running. I know every contract, every corner, every single risk by heart.

A vibration from my phone pulls me from my thoughts. I glance down-it's Dom. He rarely sends me messages directly; he doesn't need to. Everything goes through me anyway. I open the text: Can you check in on the Archer deal?

My calendar's already open, confirming what I know. I have a call with them at noon, I type back. I don't mention that I've reviewed every detail twice already. Dom trusts me. He has since the beginning. But I can't help staying a step ahead; it's who I am, who I've trained myself to be. Out of respect for him, for myself-I'm never anything less.

The office door creaks open, and Bianca slips in with a fresh stack of reports. She's drenched, her hair frizzed from the rain. "Sorry for the mess, but everything's ready for the financial review," she says, setting the papers down. She winces at a coffee stain on one of the folders.

I wave it off and offer a small smile. "Thank you, Bianca. Take a break if you need it."

As the door clicks shut, I stand and walk to the window, pressing my hand lightly against the cool glass. The rain has a way of grounding me, reminding me of everything I've fought through to be here. To think I was once that scared college girl, unsure of everything, clinging to the edges of a life Dom gave me a second chance to build. But now I'm Elena Thorne-untouchable, or at least as close as I can get.

The city blurs below me, lost in the rain, and for a moment, I let myself drift with it before pulling back. There's work to be done.

---
DOMINIC MORATTI

The house is unusually quiet as I hear Elena's car pull up outside, headlights flashing briefly through the window. The sky's already deepening into a steel gray, and the cold air slipping through the entryway feels sharper than usual. I let her in, and she steps over the threshold, bringing a touch of the winter chill with her.

"Elena," I say, closing the door behind her. She gives a quick, polite smile and nods, brushing off a few raindrops clinging to her coat. I can't help but notice how composed she is, even after driving through traffic in this weather. She's always like that-steady, no matter what storms are coming her way.

"Thanks for seeing me here," she says, setting her bag down on a chair. "It's easier to go over these reports without the noise of the office."

I nod, motioning for her to follow me into the study. "No problem. Besides, you're probably the only person who doesn't mind walking through the cold for a meeting." I mean it as a joke, but I'm not sure she notices. She's already pulling out her laptop, focused on the numbers she's about to break down for me.

"Only if it's necessary," she replies, glancing up briefly with a small smile. "I wouldn't waste a trip otherwise."

She has this way of staying completely professional, even though we've known each other for years. Eight years, to be exact, and in all that time, she's kept that steady distance. It's always made sense for her, given her role and her own life, which she keeps entirely separate from anything to do with Moratti Enterprises-or me. But sometimes, like tonight, I catch myself wondering what it would be like if she didn't.

I pull myself out of it, clearing my throat as I sit down across from her. "So, the Archer deal-any surprises?"

She shakes her head. "Everything's on track. They're sticking to the terms we set, and they've accepted the timeline revisions. I'll keep an eye on the numbers, but I'd say we're in a good place."

I watch her for a second longer than necessary. The light from the study lamp casts a warm glow over her, softening her edges just a bit. But her focus never wavers. She's already onto the next report, eyes scanning the pages with that precise attention to detail I've come to rely on.

She looks up, catching my eye, and I realize I haven't said anything. "Dom?"

"Right, sorry. That sounds good. You've handled it perfectly, as always."

There's a flicker of something in her expression, maybe surprise, maybe appreciation-it's hard to tell with Elena. She nods, accepting the compliment without a word. Just a quiet, subtle lift of her lips. It's enough to make me feel like I said the right thing, even if I have to remind myself that this is strictly business.

After an hour of reviewing reports and discussing numbers, she gathers her things, getting ready to head back out into the cold. She doesn't linger. She never does. "Thanks for the time, Dom. I'll send you the revised projections tomorrow morning."

I follow her to the door, watching as she steps out into the icy night air, every inch as composed and professional as ever. She nods once, briefly meeting my gaze. "Good night."

"Good night, Elena." I say, my hand still on the door as I watch her walk down the drive, disappearing into the shadows beyond the porch light.

It's quiet again, but it feels colder now that she's gone.
Elena had always maintained a strictly professional relationship with me, and I understood why. When I first hired her, I had been tough-demanding nothing less than perfection from her. Yet, as the years passed, my curiosity grew. Beneath her meticulously composed exterior lay a mystery I found myself wanting to unravel.She handled my company with a body that only exists in a man's wet dreams, soft eyes that can draw every single man to worship her in an instant, and a mind capable of running an empire. I couldn't help but wonder what drove her.