Empire Business

[Morning – Xander Pays His Debt]

The bank clerk nodded as Xander handed over the final payment. The last three million dollars.

“It’s done, Mr. Xander. Your debt is fully settled,” the clerk confirmed.

Xander exhaled deeply, staring at the receipt. A weight that had crushed him for years was finally lifted. Now, it’s my time to take back what’s mine.

As he stepped onto the pedestrian walkway, a sleek black McLaren screeched to a halt beside him. The window rolled down, revealing Valeria, her expression unreadable.

“Get in,” she commanded.

Xander’s jaw clenched. “Not interested.”

She smirked. “I didn’t ask if you were.”

With a quiet sigh, Xander pulled the door open and slid inside. The car purred forward, effortlessly weaving through the city traffic.

“I figured you’d want a tour,” Valeria said casually. “Now that your debt is gone, you should see what you were fighting against all these years.”

Xander’s gaze remained fixed outside the window. “I don’t need a tour. I already know what this empire is built on.”

Valeria chuckled, tilting her head. “Oh? And what’s that?”

“My suffering,” he said bluntly.

For a moment, the car was silent. Then Valeria sighed, tapping her manicured nails against the wheel.

“You’re free now, Xander. Maybe stop acting like you’re still in chains.”

Xander turned to her, eyes cold. “Chains don’t disappear just because the locks are broken. You should know that better than anyone.”

Valeria simply smiled. “That’s why I keep the keys.”

As the McLaren moved smoothly through the city streets, Valeria kept her eyes on Xander, who sat beside her in silence. The skyline reflected in the tinted windows, mirroring the weight of unspoken words between them.

“You do remember the Zenith Summit is tonight, don’t you?” Valeria’s voice was calm, but there was an unmistakable edge of expectation in her tone.

Xander didn’t even glance at her. Instead, he let out a short, almost indifferent exhale, eyes fixed ahead. “Didn’t cross my mind,” he muttered, his fingers tapping lightly against his knee.

Valeria smirked, unfazed by his dismissive tone. “That’s funny, considering it should be your priority. You’re the one trying to reclaim what was yours.”

Xander finally turned his head slightly, his gaze sharp. “I don’t need reminders.”

Valeria tilted her head, watching him like he was an intricate puzzle she already knew how to solve. “Yet, here you are, acting like none of this concerns you. You do realize what happens if you skip it, right?”

His jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. He knew exactly what she meant.

_____________

Valeria leaned against the glass wall of her office, arms crossed, watching Xander with a knowing smirk.

“So, this is it?” Xander said, his voice even but laced with disbelief. “I’m taking over as CEO. The tower is mine now.”

Valeria chuckled softly, tilting her head. “Of course. That was always the plan, wasn’t it?”

Xander narrowed his eyes. “You settled my debt.”

“I did,” she admitted, stepping forward. “But you paid it off. You cleared your name. And now, this empire is officially under you.”

Xander exhaled, still expecting resistance, a last-minute condition, some hidden clause. “Just like that?”

Valeria’s smirk deepened. “What? You wanted more drama? Blood and tears?” She gestured around. “This isn’t a war, Xander. This is business.”

For a moment, Xander said nothing. He had prepared for a battle, but instead, she had handed it over like a well-wrapped gift. And that unsettled him more than any fight would have.

Valeria leaned against the glass wall of her office, arms crossed, watching Xander with a knowing smirk.

“So, this is it?” Xander said, his voice even but laced with disbelief. “I’m taking over as CEO. The tower is mine now.”

Valeria chuckled softly, tilting her head. “Of course. That was always the plan, wasn’t it?”

Xander narrowed his eyes. “You settled my debt.”

“I did,” she admitted, stepping forward. “But you paid it off. You cleared your name. And now, this empire is officially under you.”

Xander exhaled, still expecting resistance, a last-minute condition, some hidden clause. “Just like that?”

Valeria’s smirk deepened. “What? You wanted more drama? Blood and tears?” She gestured around. “This isn’t a war, Xander. This is business.”

For a moment, Xander said nothing. He had prepared for a battle, but instead, she had handed it over like a well-wrapped gift. And that unsettled him more than any fight would have.

Xander leaned back in the luxurious chair of his newly claimed tower, letting the weight of his so-called victory settle in. He had expected blood, sweat, and a ruthless battle to seize this place, but Valeria had handed it over with a smirk—as if it were a mere formality, not the war he had braced for.

His mind raced. If this was just one of Valeria’s holdings, what about the rest? The true empire—her network of businesses, assets, and power—should have been shifting under his name, making him rich beyond measure. But instead, as he looked beyond the glass windows, more towers stood, looming like silent witnesses to an unfinished game. And with them came the name he least wanted to hear.

Vania.

He exhaled sharply. He had barely stepped into this so-called victory, and already another battlefield awaited. Those towers weren’t his yet, and from the way things looked, they wouldn’t be handed over as easily as this one. They were tangled in conflict, caught between Valeria’s whims and Vania’s grip.

A soft chuckle broke his thoughts.

“Did you really think I’d give you my entire empire?” Valeria’s voice was filled with amusement, her lips curving into something dangerously close to a taunt. “No, Xander. Money means nothing to me. But a fighter—” She leaned in slightly, her eyes gleaming. “That’s my Alpha male.”

Xander stiffened. The way she said it—like he had just passed some invisible test—sent something unexpected through his chest. Flattery? Amusement? He wasn’t sure.

He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. “So this is just another test?”

Valeria only smiled, her silence saying more than words ever could.

Xander exhaled, glancing back at the city beyond. One by one, she would give him these towers. Not as gifts, not as easy rewards, but as challenges. And if he wanted to achieve his true purpose; to be more than just Valeria’s tamed Alpha, to be her true equal, he would have to take them.

All of them.

As Valeria turned toward the door, ready to leave, Xander leaned against his desk, watching her with narrowed eyes. The question had been resting on the tip of his tongue for a while now, an unspoken curiosity that he had refused to acknowledge before. But tonight, after everything; the tower, the empire, the unspoken battles between them; he couldn't let her walk away without asking.

"Valeria," he called, his voice smooth yet edged with a rare uncertainty. "What do you actually feel about me?"

She stopped in her tracks, her long dark lashes casting shadows over her sharp eyes. For a moment, silence stretched between them, thick and unreadable. Then, without answering, she tilted her chin, a silent command for him to follow.

Xander hesitated. He wasn't one to obey orders, much less follow someone like a lost man seeking answers. But Valeria had always been different. She had a way of turning his world upside down without even trying. So, with a huff, he pushed off the desk and followed her, his steps falling into rhythm with hers.

She led him down the hall, her strides unhurried yet purposeful. Xander noticed how the lights cast a soft glow on her profile, highlighting the curve of her lips, lips that never told him the full story. When they reached her room, she pushed the door open and stepped inside, barely glancing back as he followed. The door clicked shut behind him, locking them into a space that suddenly felt heavier than before.

Xander took a slow breath, scanning the luxurious yet minimalistic room. It was a reflection of her; controlled, powerful, and hiding something far more dangerous beneath its elegance. He barely had a second to process before Valeria turned, stepping close, her fingers grazing his jawline with a touch that was both fleeting and commanding.

"You want answers?" she murmured, her voice smooth yet laced with something unspoken.

Xander met her gaze, his own dark and unreadable. "I do."

A slow, almost predatory smile played at her lips. "Then you'll have to earn them."

Before he could react, Valeria moved, her control wrapping around him like an invisible leash. He wasn't sure when it shifted; when he stopped chasing and when she started dictating the pace; but by the time he realized it, Xander wasn't standing his ground anymore. He was being taught a lesson. A lesson in power, in dominance, and in the undeniable fact that no matter how much he thought he had gained tonight, Valeria would always be ten steps ahead.

And for the first time in his life, Xander found himself disciplined; not just by her touch, but by the unshakable realization that this woman, in every way, had the power to ruin him completely.

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