Bought By My Ex's Billionaire Uncle

"Relax, Miss Williamson. The NDA doesn't require you to act like a block of wood."

Dante Hopkins's low, raspy voice brushed against Aurora Williamson's ear, heavy with the undeniable authority of a man who owned half of Wall Street. In the dim light of the Manhattan penthouse bedroom, Aurora lay flat on her back against the velvet mattress. Her fingers twisted into the silk sheets as she tried to calm her ragged breathing. Above her, Dante's tall frame pressed down. His long fingers slowly unbuttoned the last button of his dress shirt, and his cold platinum cufflinks grazed her collarbone.

Aurora's eyelashes trembled. Forcing her cramped fingers to uncurl from the sheets, she raised her arms and obediently draped them over his broad shoulders.

Satisfied with her compliance, Dante lowered his head. His thin lips, carrying the faint scent of bourbon, hovered an inch above the side of her neck. Aurora instinctively tilted her head back. Their warm breath tangled in the narrow space between them, thick with heat.

Just as his lips were about to touch her skin, heavy, hurried footsteps echoed down the wide hallway outside the bedroom.

Aurora froze. Her pupils shrank, and her gaze shot past Dante's shoulder toward the slightly ajar mahogany double doors. Dante didn't stop. He didn't even bother to look back, locking his dark, cold eyes onto hers with an arrogance that dismissed the entire world outside.

A loud thud echoed from the outer suite as the heavy metal entrance door was shoved open. Leather shoes pounded across the carpet, coming closer by the second.

"Uncle! You have to stop the old man from freezing my trust fund! It's not fair!"

The young, drunken, reckless voice punched right through the bedroom walls. The sound hit Aurora's eardrums like a jolt of high-voltage electricity. Her heart dropped into her stomach. Pushing hard against Dante's chest, she drained of all color, her face turning as pale as paper.

Dante frowned, displeased by her sudden resistance. With one large hand, he easily pinned her wrists above her head and pressed her back into the pillows.

Outside, the man was already right at the bedroom door. The mahogany panels vibrated under the slap of his palm.

"I know you're in there! Why the hell is the board listening to you?"

Aurora opened her mouth in terror, her throat so tight that not a single sound came out. That voice, burned into her memory, had returned after three years to turn tonight into a living nightmare.

Dante finally straightened up. He pulled an Hermès cashmere blanket over Aurora's shaking body, wrapping her from head to toe. Turning toward the bedroom door, he spoke in a voice devoid of any warmth.

"Get out."

The pounding stopped instantly. Through the crack of the door, the young man seemed to stop breathing for a full second under the weight of that command. After a few seconds of dead silence, a nervous, audible gulp came from the hallway.

"Sorry, Uncle... I didn't know you had company. I'll wait for you in the garage downstairs."

Hurried footsteps scrambled backward, followed by the heavy thud of the outer suite door closing. Dead silence settled over the penthouse once again.

Aurora gasped for air like a drowning woman. Her hands clutched the edges of the cashmere blanket so hard her knuckles turned white. Dante turned around and looked down at her, his sharp gaze sweeping over her pale cheeks. Slowly buttoning his shirt back up, he returned to his usual cold, businesslike tone.

"My apologies, Miss Williamson. Tonight's schedule ends here."

Aurora swallowed hard, fighting to keep her voice from shaking.

"Was that... a relative of yours?"

Dante walked over to the wet bar and poured a glass of ice water, answering without looking back.

"My nephew, Kaden Bentley. A spoiled heir."

Kaden Bentley. The full name hit Aurora like a bucket of ice water poured from head to toe, shattering her last shred of hope. Underneath the cashmere blanket, her body shook uncontrollably. Carrying the glass back to the bed, Dante caught her reaction, his eyes narrowing.

"Do you know him?"

Aurora's fingertips were freezing. Forcing a stiff smile onto her face, she shook her head.

"No. I just think I've heard the name on the financial news."

Dante stared into her eyes for five full seconds, the weight of his gaze pressing down on her chest until she could barely breathe. Finally, he looked away, setting the glass on the nightstand before walking toward the walk-in closet.

"You have ten minutes to get dressed. My driver is waiting for you downstairs."

Watching his tall figure disappear behind the closet door, Aurora collapsed back onto the pillows, her mind racing to find a way out of this trap. She threw off the blanket and stumbled toward her dress scattered on the floor. Pulling the zipper halfway up her back, her hands shook so badly she couldn't fasten the hidden hook.