ELENA CARLSON

Who is Atlas Grant?

This man standing here offering me 10 million dollars to take down Luke Grant was a complete stranger to me.

“What do I have to lose?” I had said earlier on but now that I stare into his eyes, there was this darkness in it that I could not place my hands on. If he had ten million dollars to give away, why didn't the Grants go after him and not me.

Braden was rich, he had two successful businesses, one in the clothing line and one as an investor in a firm. But he wasn't “Give away 10 fucking Millon dollar” kind of rich.

“Elena, I would need you to give me an answer, so that I can have my Lawyers draw up a contract,” his voice was calm again, almost too calm and his expression unreadable. I hate when people’s face don't give off their intentions.

Mostly you can tell the intent from their expression but with Atlas, there was nothing. Point blank. “A contract with the devil, I see,” I muttered, the words playing on my lips a little bit long.

“Don't see it that way Elena,” he smirked, it was infuriating how good he looked when he grinned devilishly. how his lips carved out my name in a way that made my legs tremble at those words.

“How am I to see it Atlas? Because from where I am standing you knew who I was, you fucked me knowing who I was, and now you are proposing a deal and I have no idea who you are,” I snarled, the more the words came out of my lips the more I tilted towards refusal.

“You know things about me, you know about my sick family, you know I am the illegitimate son of an asshole dad and you know what it looks like when I am butt naked, from where I am standing, I might as well just hand you over my social security number,”

My cheeks flustered pink in embarrassment and I prayed to whatever deity roamed the universe to split it into two and swallow me, but I didn't want to show him the effect his words have on me, I crossed my hands under my breast pushing them up, my chest up slightly and giving myself a posture that would make me appear more confident than I felt. Atlas leaned against his desk, his hands and butts on it as his eyes stared at me, he was in his zone, this was his world and he ruled it effortlessly.

“How comforting,” I finally spoke after moment of silence and wallowing in the shame that came with my situation.

“What do you need to know, tell me, I would answer?”

He just gave me a get to know him free card and I was going to use him.

A smile curved on my face, I had a lot of questions floating through my mind. I could ask him questions about his background and motive but I wanted the questions that was lingering on my mind the ones I wanted to know.

“Why did you have sex with me knowing fully well who I was?”

He didn't answer immediately, he studied me, his gaze still on me, his eyebrows raise a bit to hint at discomfort, it was a faint shift in his expression but I caught it.

“Hmmm,” he sighed, then continued, “I was at the engagement party when you showed up unexpectedly,”

That single statement opened a flood of a dozen questions but I bit my lips slightly, preventing myself from interrupting him now that he was talking.

“I wanted to approach you but you fainted, then I asked my bodyguard to keep an eye on you, to make sure you were fine, you left for your friends place and then I was informed you were at the bar so I came there,”

My jaw dropped in complete awe, I struggled to find the word to describe him, to express how I had interpreted all he had just said, “What in the fucking name of Joe Goldberg is wrong with you,”

Joe Goldberg is the name of an actor in one of my favorite books about a stalker.

“I just wanted to make sure that you were safe,” he responded unrepentant, his voice showing no hint of remorse.

“By stalking me, you creep,” I snapped, I have had enough of this, there was no way I was going to go ahead with any form of deal with a man who stalked me and has Grant as his last name, that was already a red flag enough.

“If you are not ready for the truth Elena, why ask?” He muttered.

“The….the …. I didn't expect you to say that you were stalking me that night,”

He stood up and all of a sudden I shrunk, all the courage I had gathered snarling at him with my words crumbled at the sight of this six foot tall man towering over me.

He walked towards me and I swallowed hard, my mind involuntarily replaying every single detail of that night, from when he had held me, the way he kissed me, the way he handled me like I was made for him. When he said “You are mine,”

“This is no fairytale Elena,” his words cut through my thoughts. I could feel his breath ever so slightly on my skin, he was standing close to me, the space between us almost non-existent. “I knew you were going to be there, I wanted to talk to you about this offer but you walked up to me, you came up to me, Elena,”

“I was drunk,” I snapped, no way I was going to take up the blame for all this.

“I tried to resist you, but I couldn't, do you have any fucking idea how gorgeous you are, I don't do romance or relationships Elena, I see them as weaknesses, and that night you proved me right, against my better judgement, I couldn't resist you and that is why we are here now,’’

I stared at him, I had not expected those words to come from his lips.

“What do you mean by you don't do relationship?” I asked, a stupid question my mind had come up with before my brain could think.

He stepped forward. closed the distance between us,and then tilted his head down to meet mine.

“Because Elena, relationships are for the weak, I have seen love screw people over and over again, my mother, you. I won't be a victim of that feeling,”

His words stirred up more emotion in me than I wanted to admit, my eyes began to well up in tears but I shifted my gaze. He was right, I had been a victim of the heart but not now.

“I will get back to you in three days time,” I spoke, my tone final. “And Atlas, if I chose not to go ahead with it, kindly stay the fuck away from me” I didn't wait for his response before I stormed out leaving his eyes trailing after me till I slammed the door.

ATLAS

I was just on my way to my office when the call came in.

Sighing, I slid my fist off my jaw and tapped the answer button on the screen.

“Yes,” I grumbled out, keeping my eyes on the highway.

“Why do you sound so snappy this early?”My father’s voice filtered through the car speaker, grating on my nerves.

“This early?” I bit back. “It’s past ten, father.”

What did he want? He rarely called.

“I see,” he paused, an uncomfortable silence stretching for the next few seconds. “Well,” he added after a while, “we’ll be having this.. brunch thing in thirty minutes, and I’d like for you to be here.”

“Why do you want me there?” I demanded, my tone even colder. “I mean, this is new.”

“It’s important that you’re here, Atlas,” my father retorted in an equally cold tone, the playfulness vanishing into thin air. “We’ll be discussing business and sorts.”

Sighing heavily, I lifted one hand and raked it through my hair, highly displeased at the sudden disruption of my plans.

“Well, informing me thirty-minutes-before is a little too short notice, don’t you think?”

“I know you can make it here in less time, Atlas. Don’t be difficult.”

“Fine,” I conceded moments later, “I’ll be there.”

Before he could say another word, I leaned forward and ended the call abruptly.

In the same breath, I swerved the car onto the left route and sped towards his penthouse, my mind swirling all the while with thoughts of what this supposed business talk would possibly be about.

An appreciated distraction from the thoughts of a certain woman.

************

He was already waiting with Luke at the large table on the rooftop when I arrived, glancing impatiently at his wristwatch.

Apparently, I’d arrived more than forty minutes later.

“What took you so long, Atlas?” My father asked as I strode towards the table, adjusting my suit, all the while feeling Luke’s hot, malicious stare on my face, “I encountered some delay at the gas station.”

Silent for a moment, my father picked up his napkin and spread it in front of him. Then he glanced up at me, his eyes hard-set. “It’s always one tale for every time, isn’t it?”

I said nothing in response, unwilling to get into an argument without settling in.

“So,” I cleared my throat, picking up my napkin, “what is this about? It’s not everyday we have brunch together.”

“Like I said,” he replied, stabbing a fork into his tortilla and wrapping it round, “we’re here to discuss business.” One thing I admired about him, he wasted no time getting to the point.

“And as you both know,” he continued, grabbing a maple syrup off the table and squeezing it over his plate, “I’ve been working for years. So I think it’s high time I stepped back and let one of you continue the ride.”

From my corner of my eye, I noticed Luke tense in his seat, his plate untouched. Well, so was mine.

“What are you saying, father?” Luke demanded, his terse voice slicing through the silence as he couldn’t handle it anymore.

“I’ll be stepping down from my position as CEO of the empire soon,” he announced, then lifted his head to pull his gaze between Luke and I, “and when that happens, one of you will be replacing me, as my successor.”

“What?!” Luke snapped almost immediately, bolting to his feet. “You’ll be ‘choosing’? But I'm the COO, father!”

“That doesn’t matter, Luke,” he replied, pinning him with a hard glare. “I’m trying as much as possible to be fair and square here, so this will be a healthy competition between my sons. The best man wins. It’s simple.”

“You can’t be serious, dad,” Luke scoffed, his features taut with disbelief. He whipped his gaze to me, filled with spite and malice. “How is Atlas even an option? I’ve been the one working tirelessly, all my life! Sacrificing my time and my life, dedicating it all to this company! Even after we almost lost it to Braden’s bitch of a wife after his passing!”

He paused, breathing heavily, and my knuckles tightened underneath the table.

Bitch of a wife?

Elena?!

For goodness sake, I would leap out of this fucking chair in the twinkle of an eye and punch the living daylights in this bastard, for calling her a bitch. But I refrained from acting out my thoughts.

How could he dare speak about her in that manner? A bitch? The same woman he’d taken advantage of immediately after Braden’s passing, seducing her and eventually getting into her pants, deceiving her, all to steal Braden’s inheritance?

What black-hearted asshole did that?

My father’s fork clattered onto his plate, and he picked up his napkin, wiping the corners of his lips and fixing a hard gaze on Luke. “Well, I hope you ride on the coattails of the same ambition that drove you to marry your late brother’s wife, because I’m not joking, Luke. This is a fucking competition.”

He paused, his gaze straying to where I sat.

“Atlas here,” he continued, “has some experience running a company, but my choice would be strictly based on merit. So you both have to work hard to impress me.”

Of course. You mean kissing your ass, right?

I really didn’t have the time and energy to kiss anyone’s ass, so this would surely be a long shot.

Grunting in displeasure, Luke scraped his chair backwards and threw his napkin down on the table. “Well, I guess we’re done here.”

As he stormed off, I let out a small sigh under my breath and pushed to my feet, raking a finger through my hair.

“I can go now, right?” I asked quietly, staring down at my father.

“You didn’t touch your food,” he observed, his palms intertwined on the desk as his gaze slid over to Luke’s plate. “None of you did.”

Saying nothing in response, I turned around headed towards the exit, eager to leave here so I could focus fully on worrying about why I hadn’t heard from Elena in over three days now.

“Work hard to impress me, Atlas,” my father’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I paused in my tracks, my jaw working. “I need to see your best.”

Was that a strain I heard in his voice?

When nothing else seemed to be forthcoming from him, I strode out the exit door, reaching into my pocket for my phone.

I was almost going crazy, expecting a text or even a call from her, and I’d spent a greater part of my time staring at my screen these past few days. Waiting for something. Anything.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my palm, and as my eyes flicked over the name on the screen, my breath caught in my throat, my heartbeat accelerating.

>• Meet me at the Hives, the text read, In ten, preferably.

Shoving the phone back into my pocket, I took the stairs two at a time, striding quickly towards the garage.

I jumped into my car and punched in the address of the restaurant, speeding off.

I arrived in less than ten minutes, panting heavily, my heart racing excitedly.

Calm the fuck down, Atlas. What has she done to you?

I spotted her as I stepped into the restaurant, seated at the far end of the left wing, her gaze locked on her phone.

Even from a distance, she looked breathtaking, her hair beautifully pulled up in a half-messy bun, her skin glowing radiantly.

“Elena,” I called as I walked up to the table, my voice a little thick, and she instantly whipped her head up, her eyes widening slightly, a blush creeping into her cheek as our gazes locked.

“Oh,” she licked her lower lip, “you’re here.”

I nodded, pulling out a chair and sinking in.

“That was fast,” she muttered under her breath, and a small smile crept into my lips.

“So,” I cleared my throat, impatient as it was, “have you decided?”

She sat up straighter, pulling her palms up and intertwining them. “I’ll do what you want,” she announced finally, and my heart leapt with joy and relief.

Thank goodness… I’d feared she wouldn’t bite.

“That’s great, then,” I replied, watching as she picked up her bag and pulled out a brown, medium-size envelope, sliding it towards me on the table.

“What is this?” I demanded, eyeing the envelope suspiciously, and she leaned into her seat, folding her arms across her chest.

“A contract of my conditions, Atlas Grant. That’s what.”

ELENA

I’d spent the past few days pondering so hard on everything that’s happened recently, and the crazy web of fate I’d found myself tangled in, with the Grants.

Just why in the flying fuck was all this happening?

First it was Braden, the one I actually loved.

Then it was Luke. The bastard that deceived and seduced me just to steal from me.

Now, it was Atlas. The drop-dead gorgeous, six feet tall, striking-blue-eyed man I’d impulsively had a night-stand with.

All of them fucking Grants.

How did I get here?

No matter how much I thought about it, the blame kept falling to Braden. Yes… he was the reason I was in this mess.

I mean, if he hadn’t kept me away from his family, shielded me away, I most probably wouldn’t have been in this mess. Because then, I’d have been able to tell what kind of person Luke was, and also know he had another gorgeous man for a brother.

True, Braden had always told me his family were all bad people, and didn’t want me involved with them. It was only now I understood why he’d always been so secretive…

After Atlas had made the ridiculous proposal, and I’d pondered and pondered, without getting anywhere, I’d turned to my borderline crazy and nice friend.

“You already fucked the three brothers, Elena,” Emily had said with a ridiculous smirk on her lips. “So why not fuck with them even more?”

I’d shrugged off her words, together with the urge to slap her out of her messed up head, lamenting the poor luck I had getting entangled with three brothers.

Married two and had a one night-stand with one.

But Emily had been unrelenting with her absurd advice.

“Listen,” she’d continued, “what they did to you was purely horrid, but I have to tell you, sobbing over spilt milk, or drowning in self pity isn’t really the way to go. Trust me.”

“If Atlas Grant is offering you such a sweet deal, a way to take to take it all back from them, then you should fucking take it. I bet opportunities like this don’t come your way twice.”

I’d sighed heavily, shaking my head. “Atlas isn’t necessarily a good person, Emily. Believe me. He doesn’t even care to pretend to be one, and I think he’s going to screw me over. What happens then?”

Emily had gone ahead to slip me the contact of her lawyer, doing her best to assuage my fears.

“Contact him,” she’d said, “and he’ll help you draft a contract that can protect you in case things go south. You get me?”

Now I was seated across from the drop-dead gorgeous, blue-eyed man in this restaurant, watching him go through the contract I’d eventually drafted.

The terms had been perfectly tailored to my tastes.

How I would like to get paid.

How I intended to get back all that was stolen from me, and humiliate and expose Luke Grant for the fraud he was.

How I intended to clear my name and reveal who was really behind the manslaughter I was accused of.

How my involvement with this hunk of a man—Atlas Grant—would be strictly professional.

How I intended to gain immunity from whatever shady stuff he planned to delve into or was in, already.

The terms in the contract were fucking genius.

After long minutes of silently going through the contract, Atlas pulled his striking blue gaze up to me, a smirk on his lips, causing an electric bolt to zap through me.

What was it about those eyes? It was nothing like Braden’s. Or Luke’s.

Much colder. Much more captivating.

“What do you think of me?” His gruff voice pulled me out of my thoughts, causing me to jolt slightly. “A shady dealer?” He added, cocking a brow, then leaned forward. “Is that really all you think of me?”

There was a hint of amusement in his tone that annoyed me.

I folded my arms across my chest so I could look a little tough. “I know there’s more to you than meets the eye, Atlas Grant. You can’t fool me, you know.”

“And just so you know,” I leaned forward also, matching his intimidating gaze, “I really wouldn’t want to know that part of you.”

He chuckled then, a deep timbre that instantly sent a bit of heat between my thighs.

What. The fuck. Is wrong with me?

Why was I reacting to the sound of his laughter?

“You’re smart, Elena Carlson,” he said, leaning back and still watching me with that intense gaze. “I’ll give you that.”

“Well,” I lifted my shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, “spending years in prison will teach you a thing or two. Undoubtedly.”

“I see,” he replied, then glanced down at the document. “So, about this last part,” he lifted his head again, a smug smile playing on his lips, “isn’t it a bit too much?”

I cocked a brow, wondering what he was talking about because I couldn’t really remember what that last part was about. “What do you mean?”

He pushed the document to the side and leaned forward. “What if I want to get reacquainted with the taste of you?”

Instantly, I remembered what was in that last part, and I swallowed hard, a memory of this blue-eyed hunk tasting my wetness flashing through my mind.

A blush creeped into my cheeks and I averted my eyes from his, adjusting in my seat so I could calm the vicious throbbing in my panties.

I cleared my throat. “That clause is just as important as the rest in the contract, Atlas,” I replied as bluntly as I could, “and if you sign the contract, we have to keep this strictly professional. No sexual contact.” I paused, adjusting in my seat as he wouldn’t stop looking at me in that way that made me feel uncomfortable and good at the same time. “And didn’t you say you don’t do relationships?”

He shrugged, leaning back. “I did say that,” he replied, “but it still doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do a lot of unspeakable things to you, Elena.”

Goosebumps scattered across my skin as he said those words, and I suddenly couldn’t even regulate my own breathing, or articulate my fucking thoughts, or think of anything to say in response.

The way he says my name. God.

Just what kind of man was I about to sign a deal with?

And even most importantly, why wasn’t I appalled by the thought of him doing whatever unspeakable things he had in mind to me?

Worse, I feared I looked forward to the day he did those things. Again..