A Dance with Danger

Chapter Two

**Ilaria’s POV**

Tiberius’s grip on my wrist was like iron as he pulled me behind him, his pace swift and unrelenting. The hallways blurred around us, the tension radiating off him so thick it was nearly suffocating. He didn’t stop until we reached an empty room. With a sharp tug, he pushed the door open and dragged me inside. 

I wrenched my arm free as soon as we crossed the threshold, stumbling back a step to create distance between us. His dark gaze pinned me in place, full of fire and something even more dangerous—control. He was a storm barely contained, pacing back and forth like a predator calculating its next move. 

“I told you Mr. Ricci was allergic to shellfish,” he began, his voice low but cutting. Each word was deliberate, a warning wrapped in calm fury. 

My heart pounded, but I squared my shoulders, refusing to cower. “I called Chef Edward and told him. I *watched* him prepare the dish,” I replied firmly, my voice steady even though panic churned in my gut. 

Tiberius didn’t slow his pacing. Instead, he paused only long enough to unbutton the top three buttons of his shirt, exposing a sliver of his chiseled chest. It was a casual movement, but it felt like a calculated distraction. My breath caught for a moment before I forced myself to look away. 

“You’re lucky Mrs. Ricci forgave the mistake,” he said, his tone dark and pointed. “If she hadn’t been so understanding, we’d be facing a lawsuit—and worse, damage to my reputation.” 

I swallowed hard, glancing toward the door. It was slightly ajar, the sliver of light spilling in like a beacon. While he raked his fingers through his hair, momentarily distracted, I took a cautious step toward it, then another. 

My fingers brushed the cool metal of the doorknob when his hand suddenly clamped around my forearm, pulling me back with a force that sent my pulse into overdrive. In an instant, my back hit the wall, his body pressing close enough to trap me without touching. 

“I didn’t dismiss you,” he growled, his voice low and rough, filled with the kind of authority that made defiance feel dangerous. His dark eyes bore into mine, their intensity igniting a wave of goosebumps across my skin. 

“I don’t need your permission to leave,” I bit out, the words spilling from my lips before I could think better of them. 

His lips curved into a dangerous smirk, the faintest glint of amusement flickering in his gaze. “A beautiful girl with a sharp tongue,” he mused, his tone both teasing and menacing. 

I glared at him, refusing to let him intimidate me further. 

“There are many ways I could punish you,” he continued, his voice dropping into a near-whisper, “and I wouldn’t even have to be your lover to do it.” 

The words sent a chill through me, equal parts thrilling and terrifying. I fell silent, unable to meet his gaze, but that only seemed to spur him on. 

“Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” he commanded, his rough fingers hooking under my chin and tilting my head up. 

“We’re done talking,” I snapped, swatting his hand away. 

His smirk deepened, as if he relished my defiance. In one fluid motion, he grabbed both my wrists and pinned them above my head against the wall, his grip firm but not painful. 

“I will let you know when we’re done,” he said, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down my spine. The faint trace of his Russian accent curled around the words like smoke, both alluring and menacing. “And when you are dismissed.” 

“No,” I whispered, my voice trembling with adrenaline but still defiant. “I dismiss myself. Not you.” 

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “I wouldn’t say that if I were you,” he murmured, his voice like velvet, wrapping around me and rendering me speechless. 

Before I could form a response, a sudden *click* broke the tension—a camera shutter. 

Tiberius froze, releasing me immediately as his gaze snapped toward the door. “What the hell was that?” he demanded, his tone sharp and deadly. 

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My heart was racing too fast, my thoughts too scattered. 

A shadow flickered across the balcony outside the room, and without hesitation, Tiberius moved. His strides were purposeful and swift as he pushed the door open and stepped onto the balcony. 

I hesitated for only a second before following him, kicking off my heels to keep quiet. My feet moved almost on instinct, but my mind was still reeling from the charged encounter moments earlier. 

When I reached the balcony, I found him standing at the edge, his back rigid, his hands gripping the railing tightly as he stared down into the darkness below. 

“Tiberius?” I whispered, my voice tentative. 

He didn’t respond. Instead, he pulled his phone from his pocket and barked into it, “I need the CCTV footage from tonight. Now.” 

His voice was cold and commanding, each word laced with a quiet fury that promised consequences. 

I shivered, though the night air was warm. There was a thrill in the danger that surrounded him, in the power he wielded so effortlessly. But that thrill was a double-edged sword, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could walk this razor-thin line without getting cut.