####Chapter 4: The Golden Handcuffs

The office at the top of the Thorn Empire building didn’t feel like a place of business. It felt like a throne room. The walls were dark obsidian, and the air was thick with the scent of ozone and Elias’s expensive cologne.

​Elias sat behind a desk made of a single slab of petrified wood. In front of him lay a thick document bound in gold-leaf leather.

​"Sit, Marina," he said, not looking up. His voice was cold , professional, but the way his eyes flickered to the slit in her new red dress told a different story.

​Marina sat, the silk of her gown sliding against the leather chair. "You said we had a contract to sign. I assume this is about the servers? The code I wrote for Julian?"

​Elias finally looked up. A slow, predatory smirk spread across his face. He pushed the document toward her.

​"Read the title, Marina."

​She looked down. Her breath caught in her throat.

Marriage?" Marina’s voice went thin. "Elias, I just got divorced. Publicly. Humiliatingly. I’m not looking for a husband."

​"You aren't looking for a husband," Elias agreed, leaning forward, his silver hair shimmering under the recessed lights. "You’re looking for a god. You’re looking for someone who can make the law bend to your will. You’re looking for a way to take back the fifty percent of Julian’s company that he legally stole from you."

​He tapped the paper. "Under this contract, you become the legal wife of Elias Thorn. My lawyers have already found the loophole. Julian’s 'merger' with Saren’s family relies on a morality clause in his corporate charter. If his ex-wife marries a man ten times more powerful than him within forty-eight hours of the divorce, it triggers an immediate audit of his marital assets."

​Marina felt her head spin. "You’ve thought of everything."

​"I told you," Elias stood up and walked around the desk. He didn't stop until he was standing over her, his shadow swallowing her whole. "I’ve been waiting for you to be free. But I don't give my protection for free, Marina."

​He leaned down, placing his hands on the arms of her chair, pinning her in place. His face was so close she could see the dark rings around his pupils.

​"If you sign this, you are mine. Legally. Socially. Physically. You will live here. You will appear at every gala on my arm. And when I decide it's time to consummate this 'deal,' you will not say no."

​The erotic tension in the room was suffocating. Marina could feel the heat radiating from him. She thought of Julian’s cold sneer. She thought of being thrown in the mud. Then she looked at the pen—a heavy, gold instrument that held the power to change her life.

​"Why me, Elias?" she whispered. "There are a thousand women in this city who would kill to sign this. Why the 'withered' wife of your rival?"

​Elias’s hand moved from the chair to her throat, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw with agonizing slowness. "Because they are all glass, Marina. You... you are a diamond that Julian was too stupid to cut. I want to be the one who finally sees you sparkle. And I want to be the only one allowed to touch you."

​His touch grew firmer, not enough to hurt, but enough to show his dominance. "Sign it. Become the Queen of this city, or go back to the rain. The choice is yours."

​Marina didn't hesitate this time. She grabbed the pen. Her hand shook slightly, but her signature was bold.

​Marina Thorn.

​The moment the ink dried, Elias pulled the pen from her hand and tossed it aside. He didn't move away. Instead, he pulled her up from the chair by her waist, crushing her against his hard chest.

​"A wise choice, Mrs. Thorn," he murmured against her lips.

​The office door opened suddenly. Elias’s assistant stepped in, looking pale. "Sir... Julian Vale is downstairs. He’s demanding to see you. He says you’ve 'kidnapped' his property."

​Elias didn't let go of Marina. In fact, he pulled her closer, his hand sliding down to rest possessively on her hip.

​"Tell Mr. Vale to come up," Elias said, his voice dropping into a dark, joyful tone. "I think it’s time he met my new wife."

​Marina’s heart hammered. This was it. The first confrontation. The first step of the revenge that would earn her—and the story—thousands of fans.

​"Wait," Marina said, stopping the assistant. She looked at Elias. "If I'm a Thorn now, I want him to see exactly what he lost."

​Elias grinned, a flash of white teeth. "That’s my girl. Let’s give him a show."

​