"And she needs to be someone they’ll accept. Someone with the right background, the right breeding. These old bastards care about bloodlines, about loyalty that’s bred in, not earned. An outsider?—"
"That's exactly what I need right now," I interrupted. "Someone who doesn’t have divided loyalties. Someone who belongs to me and no one else."
I could hear the disapproval in Declan’s silence. He was old school, like the rest of them. He believed in arranged marriages within the Irish community, in unions that strengthened existing alliances rather than creating new ones. But that traditional thinking was what was holding us back, what was keeping us trapped in cycles of violence and retribution.
I needed someone fresh. Someone clean. Someone who could help me build something new.
"Just make the call, Declan. Tell them I’ll have an announcement soon."
"And if she says no?"
I looked at the monitor again. Cassie was returning to her desk with a cup of coffee, her movements graceful and confident. She caught sight of one of the other assistants and smiled—a real smile, warm and genuine. A smile that could disarm enemies and charm allies.
The kind of smile that could help me legitimize an empire.
"She won’t say no," I said.
"How can you be so sure?"
Because I owned her now. Because I’d seen the way she’d responded to my touch, the way she’d surrendered to me completely. Because I knew what kind of leverage I had over her—financial, professional, and now sexual.
But I didn’t say any of that to Declan. Instead, I said, "Trust me."
I ended the call and set the phone aside, my mind already working through the logistics. Cassie would need to understand what she was agreeing to. She’d need to be prepared for the scrutiny, the danger, the way her life would change completely. But she was strong enough to handle it. I’d seen that strength today, the way she’d faced me down even when she was terrified.
She was perfect for this. Perfect for me.
A soft knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see Cassie standing in the doorway, her cheeks still flushed, her lips swollen from my kisses. She looked uncertain, vulnerable,but there was steel in her spine that told me she wasn’t backing down.
"Come in," I said, my voice rougher than I intended.
She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, the click of the lock echoing in the silence between us. For a moment, we just stared at each other, the weight of what had happened settling around us like a physical presence.
I rose, watching as her eyes tracked my movement. She was trying to read me, trying to figure out what came next. Smart girl. She understood everything had changed, that we’d crossed a line we couldn’t uncross.
"Mr. Creed," she started, but I held up a hand to stop her.
"Roman," I corrected. "After what just happened, I think we can drop the formalities."
She nodded, swallowing hard. "Roman. I think we should talk about?—"
"Yes, we should." I walked around the desk, moving deliberately. She didn’t back away, which impressed me. Lesser people would have run by now. "But first, I need you to understand something."
I stopped in front of her, close enough to touch but not quite making contact. The tension between us was electric, dangerous. Her breathing had quickened, and I could see her pulse fluttering in her throat.
"I don’t make mistakes, Cassie. Everything I do is calculated, purposeful. What happened here wasn’t a moment of weakness or a lapse in judgment. It was inevitable."
Her eyes flared. "Inevitable?"
"From the moment you walked into my office five months ago, this was always going to happen. You belong to me now. In every way that matters."
I saw her jaw tighten, that stubborn streak I’d glimpsed earlier flaring to life. "I don’t belong to anyone."
"Don’t you?" I reached out and traced a finger along her jawline, feeling her shiver at the contact. "Your body certainly seemed to disagree a little while ago."
She jerked back, putting space between us. "That was... that was just physical. It doesn’t mean?—"
"It means everything." I followed her retreat, backing her against the door. "It means you’re mine, Cassie. And I protect what’s mine."
