Bound By Desire

king against the marble floor. The room was already buzzing with tension, the kind that came from desperate negotiations and unspoken demands. His father, Gregory Knight, st

f glance at the documents spread across the table. "Wh

wouldn't like. "Arturo and I have come to a solution to secure the merge

es had pushed Knight Enterprises to the brink of vulnerability, a position he despised. He folded hi

My daughter, Elena. She'll marry you. With our families unit

ing to crack. He didn't need to ask if Elena had agreed; the answer was irrelevant to t

ted," Damon said

utives still lingering in the room. "This is bigger than you, Damon. Do you think I

. "What happens when your perfect plan fails? You think

Damon. With our families combined, Velcor won't dare touch us. And Elena... she's

on't interest me,

nsion. "You'll meet her. That's all I ask. If you'r

second. Gregory Knight wasn't

ction. A private dinner with the Knights, scheduled like a business meeting. She tossed the card onto

"You can't avoid this forever, Elena. Your f

hips. "Worked hard? You mean he sold me off l

ls a sharp contrast to the chaos of Elena's studio. "You're exaggerating.

h for whom? Certainly not for me. I don't care ho

d once you meet him. He

"I've read enough about him to know he

his isn't just about you, Elena. It's about our family. The ga

d strokes. "Maybe it's time to let it go. Maybe it's time for all of

finally spoke, her voice was softer. "Just meet

knew her mother wouldn't leave until she agreed

understated opulence that screamed wealth without effort. Damon arrived early, his irritation barely concealed

he turned to see he

vibrant and unapologetic, her dark hair framing a face that held both beauty and defianc

" she said, her voice smo

a hand. "And you mus

n them palpable. Elena met his gaze witho

air, "you're the man I'm supposed to ma

mile. "And you're the woman I'm supposed to marry

he weight of their shared pred

nally, "but I'm not interested in being anyone's

tly, intrigued despite hims

as forced,"

" Damon replied

left, Damon leaned forward, his expression serious. "Let's get one thing straight. I

But don't expect me to fall in line with your corp

d. "Then we have

sing between them. Neither realized it, bu