SECOND LIFE: CEO's shadow

The air inside the ballroom was thick with the scent of lilies and the kind of perfume that cost more than a month of my old rent. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, dripping with light that made the diamonds on everyone's necks sparkle like ice. In my first life, I would have been hiding in a corner, hoping Marcus would come find me. Tonight, I stood in the center of the room and let them look.

I saw Alistair Thorne before he saw me. He was standing by a marble pillar, a glass of dark amber liquid in his hand. He wasn't talking to anyone. He didn't need to. He had this gravity about him-people stayed a few feet away, whispering about him, too afraid to actually step into his circle.

He was exactly how the rumors described him. Cold. Dangerous. Like a wolf that had walked into a room full of sheep and was just deciding which one to eat first.

I felt a flutter of fear in my stomach, but I crushed it. I had died once. There was nothing this man could do to me that was worse than the pavement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats," the auctioneer's voice boomed.

I sat in the third row. Alistair was in the front, his back to me. I watched the back of his head, the way his shoulders stayed perfectly still while everyone else was fidgeting. He was a statue.

The auction started with small things. Gold vases, paintings, a set of pearls. I waited. I knew what was coming. It was the piece Marcus had obsessed over in my first life-the Cursed Emerald. It was a deep, blood-green stone the size of a pigeon's egg, rumored to bring nothing but ruin to whoever owned it.

"And now, Lot forty-two," the auctioneer announced. Two men in white gloves brought out a velvet cushion. "The Midnight Emerald. Starting bid, two million dollars."

The room went quiet. Two million was a lot, even for this crowd.

"Two million," Alistair said. His voice was deep, smooth, and carried a weight that made the hairs on my arms stand up.

"Two point five," a man in the back called out.

"Three million," Alistair said immediately. He didn't even look back.

The room stayed silent. No one wanted to outbid Alistair Thorne. It wasn't just about the money; it was about the fact that if you crossed him, he'd find a way to take everything else you owned the next morning.

The auctioneer raised his hammer. "Three million going once. Three million going twice-"

"Five million."

The entire room gasped. People actually stood up to see who had spoken. I felt every eye in the building land on me. My heart was thumping so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest, but I kept my face as cold as stone. I didn't look at the crowd. I looked at the back of Alistair's head.

For the first time all night, Alistair Thorne moved. He turned his head slowly, looking over his shoulder. His eyes were like dark glass-unreadable and sharp. He looked at me, his gaze lingering on my face, then down at the emerald silk of my dress, then back to my eyes.

He didn't look angry. He looked... curious.

"Six million," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.

"Seven," I replied. My voice didn't shake. I had the money. It was my father's "emergency" fund, the one Marcus didn't even know existed yet.

Alistair tilted his head. A tiny, almost invisible smirk touched the corner of his mouth. "Ten million."

The room was buzzing now. People were whispering my name. Isn't that the Vane girl? Where did she get that kind of money? Is she crazy?

"Ten million going once," the auctioneer said, his voice trembling with excitement. "Ten million going twice..."

I stayed silent. I didn't bid again. Ten million was exactly what I wanted him to pay. I wanted him to see me, to remember me, and to know that I was a player who wasn't afraid of him.

"Sold! To Mr. Thorne for ten million dollars!"

The hammer came down. Alistair kept looking at me for a long beat before he finally turned back around.

The rest of the auction was a blur. My skin felt hot, and the adrenaline was humming through my veins like an electric current. As soon as the event ended and people started moving toward the bar, I made my move. I didn't wait for him to find me. I walked straight toward him.

He was standing by the exit, leaning against the wall, waiting. It was like he knew I was coming.

"That was an expensive game for a girl who doesn't even want the stone," Alistair said. He didn't turn to look at me, but his voice was loud enough for only me to hear.

"I wanted to see if the rumors were true," I said, stepping up beside him. I could smell him now-cedarwood, expensive tobacco, and something cold like rain. "They say you always get what you want, no matter the cost."

He finally looked at me. Close up, he was even more terrifying. There was no warmth in him, just a heavy, dark power. "And what do you want, Clara Vane? Besides making me overpay by seven million dollars?"

"I want a partner," I said. I didn't flinch. "I have information about a merger that's going to happen in three months. A merger that will ruin your shipping empire if it goes through. I can stop it. But I need your protection to do it."

Alistair stepped closer, entering my personal space. He was so tall I had to tilt my head back to look at him. He looked down at me, his eyes searching mine for a lie, for fear, for anything.

"Why should I trust a girl who was, until yesterday, the shadow of a man like Marcus Reed?" he asked. His voice was low, a dangerous growl.

"Because the girl you're talking about died," I whispered. "And the woman standing in front of you is the only person in this room who isn't afraid of you."

Alistair stared at me for a long time. The silence between us was like a taut wire. Then, he reached out. I expected him to grab my arm or push me away, but his hand stopped just an inch from my cheek. He didn't touch me, but I could feel the heat from his skin.

"You're playing a very dangerous game, Clara," he said. "If you lie to me, I won't just ruin you. I'll make sure you disappear."

"I know," I said. "That's why I'm here."

He dropped his hand and stepped back. "My car is outside. You have ten minutes to convince me not to leave you on the curb."

He turned and walked away without checking to see if I was following. I took a deep breath, smoothed my dress, and followed the monster into the night.