Elias Vaughn is ruthless. A self-made billionaire. A man who walks into a boardroom and owns it before he even speaks. He built Vaughn Industries from the ground up, crushing competitors, buying out corporations, & turning rivals into dust. He is known for three things: Power. Control. Winning. Because Elias Vaughn never loses. So when he sets his sights on a new acquisition, it’s supposed to be simple. A formality. Until her. She wasn’t supposed to be a problem. Just another company, another deal, another victory. But when he steps into that meeting, expecting submission, she looks him dead in the eye & says “No.” Not just no—she fights him. Challenges him. Calls him out in front of a room full of men who have never dared to defy him. And worst of all? She wins.

For the first time, Elias Vaughn feels something he hasn’t felt in years—defeat. But he isn’t angry. Not yet. Because when she smirks at him across the conference table, fire in her eyes, something sharp and exhilarating slices through him. A challenge. And Elias Vaughn? He never walks away from a challenge.

The next time they meet, it’s at an elite corporate event—a battlefield dressed in champagne & tailored suits. She should’ve been careful. Should’ve played it safe. Instead, she looks him in the eye, in front of a crowd of CEOs, & challenges him again. Sharp words. A public declaration of war. And for the first time in his life, Elias loses control. The vein in his forehead almost pops as he watches her walk away, victorious.

He wants to ruin her. He wants to break her. He wants to— Ding. The elevator doors slide open. And there she is. She steps in, sees him, & freezes. Elias follows, slow & deliberate. The doors slide shut. The air? Electric.

“You enjoy testing me, don’t you?” His voice is low, measured but dangerous.

“You make it too easy,” she murmurs.

A muscle in his jaw ticks. He steps close. The tension? Unbearable. The elevator jerks to a halt when he clicks the “Stop” button.

“Careful, sweetheart… I always take what’s mine.”