Chapter 29

Dan got out of the building, fixing his tie. "Start the car now, Wilson," he ordered, his voice tense. As he settled into the backseat.

"Yes, sir," Wilson responds, starting the engine and pulling out into traffic. Through the rearview mirror, Wilson can see Dan's reflection, his face a mask of tension.

"Sir, is everything alright?" Wilson asks, his voice barely audible. He knows Dan's moods well enough to sense that something is amiss. "You seem... preoccupied." Dan lets out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Just a challenging meeting, Wilson."

Dan settled his back to the chair. "Do I still have a meeting, Lewis?"

"Yes, sir. The meeting with Mr. Thompson is still on for 2 PM at the office. Unless you'd like me to rearrange some of your schedule for today?" John offers, keeping his eyes on the road. He knows Dan's packed schedule like the back of his hand.

Dan's brow furrows as he processes this information. He leans forward slightly, his voice low and urgent. "No, leave the schedule as is for now, John. But keep Thompson waiting just a few minutes - I need a moment to collect myself before facing him."

John nods understandingly, his eyes flicking to the clock on the dashboard. "Of course, sir. I'll ensure we arrive a couple of minutes late. Shall I prepare the file on Thompson's company for a quick refresher?" John asks, looking at the tablet for a schedule.

Dan nods, grateful for John's quick thinking. "Yes, please do. And have my coffee ready as well. Black, no sugar." He pauses, his mind racing with the thoughts swirling in his head. "And John?"

John meets Dan's gaze briefly in the rearview mirror, "Yes, sir? Anything else you need before we arrive at the office?" His tone is professional and patient, accustomed to Dan's often intense and demanding demeanor.

Dan leans back in his seat, his eyes closed briefly as he massages his temples. "Just... keep an eye on the markets today, John. I have a feeling there might be some unexpected movement." He pauses, opening his eyes to look out the window at the cityscape whizzing by. "And give me the number of Ms. Morris."

"Understood, sir. I'll monitor the markets close today. And I'll have the number for Ms. Morris ready for you shortly." John's fingers fly over the tablet, pulling up the necessary information and forwarding it to Dan's personal device.

Dan arrives at the office, late for the meeting with Thompson, and finds the board room already filled with executives. He takes his seat, trying to compose himself before facing Thompson. Meanwhile, John discreetly hands him his coffee and the file to Thompson.

The air is tense and heavy inside the boardroom. Dan glances at the executives around the table, all of them waiting patiently, yet impatiently. He notices some of them staring at him, a mix of curiosity and anticipation in their eyes. As Dan sips his coffee, he catches a glimpse of Thompson sitting at the far end of the table.

Thompson, a middle-aged man with graying hair and a stern demeanor, gives Dan a slight nod as their eyes meet. He seems to be awaiting an explanation for Dan's tardiness.

Dan clears his throat, setting his coffee down. He composes himself, pushing aside his personal concerns to focus on the matter at hand.

"My apologies for being late, everyone," Dan finally says, addressing the room. "I had a few pressing matters to attend to before our meeting."

Thompson leans back in his seat, folding his hands. "Understandable, Dan. But we have much to discuss, so let's not waste any more time, shall we?"

A murmur of agreement fills the room, and Dan nods, signaling for the meeting to continue. As the discussion ensues, Dan finds his mind still wandering, unable to fully focus. He takes occasional sips of his coffee, pretending to pay attention as the others speak.

"Dan, any thoughts on this?" Thompson's voice cuts through Dan's thoughts, pulling him back to reality. He looks up to find all eyes on him, waiting for his input.

Dan takes a moment to compose himself, masking his distraction with a confident smile. "I think it's a viable approach, but we need to consider a few potential risks..."

The meeting goes on, with Dan trying his best to stay focused and engaged. However, his thoughts keep returning to the events of earlier that day.

As the meeting progresses, Dan's phone buzzes in his pocket, causing a discreet vibration. He subtly checks the notification, discreetly reading the message on his phone.

The message is from Eric, reading "Your already become close to Ms. Morris,Dan."

Dan's heart skips a beat as he reads the message. He glances up, furtively observing the room, to ensure nobody else has noticed his distraction. He discreetly slips his phone back into his pocket, silently cursing the timing of the message.

Back in the meeting, Dan forces himself to focus on the discussion at hand. He responds to Thompson's question, injecting a sense of confidence in his words, all the while thinking about Eric's message.

The meeting drones on, minutes feeling like hours as Dan struggles to keep up the facade of attentiveness. He steals glances at his phone, discreetly checking for any new messages or calls, hoping they won't draw any attention.

His mind is in a whirlwind of thoughts, half-listening to the conversation at the table and half-mulling over the implications of Eric's message. Every time he glances up, he sees the other executives studying him, waiting for him to speak, and his internal tension spikes.

Just as he is about to respond to Thompson's last question, Dan's phone vibrates again in his pocket. He feels the buzz, and his heart skips a beat. He manages to keep his expression composed and responds to Thompson with an answer, albeit a little distracted. As Thompson nods in response, Dan feigns a quick glance at his phone under the table, checking the new message.

The phone screen flashes with a new message from Eric, "Meet me in the parking lot. 5 minutes."

Dan swallows heavily. What does Eric want? He glances up at the meeting, noting the others still engaged in the discussion. He leans back in his seat, trying to appear nonchalant, but his mind is a maelstrom of anxiety.

Dan discreetly checks his watch, gauging the time. The five minutes are almost up, and the urgency of the situation starts to sink in. He casts a quick glance around the room: Thompson is still addressing the group, and the others are intent on the conversation, seemingly oblivious to Dan's inner turmoil.

Dan takes a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. He looks up, ready to feign some excuse to step out without drawing too much attention.

"Excuse me for a moment," Dan cuts in, interrupting Thompson mid-sentence. All eyes turn to him, surprised by his sudden interruption.

Dan feigns a calm demeanor, his voice smooth. "There's an urgent matter I need to attend to."

Thompson raises an eyebrow, curious but professional. "Is everything alright, Dan?"

Dan nods, his expression casual, though his heart is pounding in his chest. "Just a minor issue that needs my immediate attention. I'll be back shortly."

Thompson gives Dan a scrutinizing look, but nods in understanding. "Very well. We'll continue without you for a moment."

Dan gives him a curt nod and stands up, his eyes darting to the clock on the wall. Time is almost up.

As Dan steps out of the boardroom, he notices a shadowy figure lurking near the end of the hallway, seemingly waiting for him. He freezes, his heart hammering in his chest as he realizes the figure is Eric.

Eric steps forward, his face obscured by the dim lighting. "You're late," he says, his voice low and menacing. Dan swallows hard, trying to maintain his composure. "I had to wrap up a meeting, and you texted me that we're going to meet up the parking."

Eric's gaze narrows, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity in the dim light. "The parking lot, yes," he replies, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But we're not meeting up to discuss the latest company strategies, are we, Dan?"

Dan swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably. His gaze flickers nervously towards the boardroom door, half-expecting one of his colleagues to emerge at any moment. "What do you want, Eric?" Dan's voice is low.

Eric's face contorts into a mocking grin, his teeth glinting menacingly in the shadows. "Oh, come on, Dan. Don't play dumb," he hisses, taking a step closer. "You know why I'm here."

Dan's breath hitches as Eric closes the distance between them. He can feel the tension radiating off Eric's body, like a coiled snake ready to strike. "You're talking about... that?" Dan whispers, his eyes darting warily between Eric's face and the boardroom door.

Eric's grin widens, but there's no warmth in his eyes. "That's right, that," he confirms, his voice a sinister purr. "You thought you could double-cross me and get away with it, didn't you?" He reaches out, gripping Dan's arm with bruising force.

Dan winces, trying to pull his arm free from Eric's iron grasp. "Keep your voice down, for heaven's sake!" he hisses urgently. "Someone might hear us."

Eric tightens his grip, his fingers digging painfully into Dan's flesh. "I don't care if they hear," he growls.

"Your making a scene in your company, you idiot." Dan replied.

Eric drags Dan to the nearby emergency staircase, out of earshot from the boardroom. Eric pushes Dan against the cold concrete wall, his face mere inches from Dan.

Eric pins Dan's arms above his head, emphasizing his dominance and the power imbalance between them. Eric leans in close, his breath hot against Dan's ear as he whispers threats and demands. "You think I will not know what you did and that 'bitch' Olivia, earlier."

"We didn't do anything." Dan replied.

Eric's eyes narrow, his gaze piercing through Dan's attempted denial. He presses his body against Dan's, the hardness of his chest and abdomen evident through their clothing. "Don't lie to me, Dan. I have proof. And if you think I won't use it, you're wrong."

"Fine! But we didn't have sex." Dan said.

Eric's gaze lingers on Dan's face, searching for any sign of deception. He knows Dan is trying to protect Olivia, but he's not convinced. "Okay, let's say you're telling the truth. You and Olivia didn't have sex," Eric says, his voice measured and controlled.

"We really didn't because I… I remember you left me a lot of marks on my body. So I stop her…" Dan looked away.

Eric's expression softens slightly, a hint of possessiveness flickering in his eyes. He realizes that Dan's loyalty to him, albeit misguided, had prevented him. He leans in closer, his voice dropping to a low purr.

Eric's breath brushes against Dan's ear as he whispers, "You stopped her because of the marks, didn't you? Because you're mine, and you know it." He pauses, savoring the moment before continuing. "But here's the thing, Dan. Those marks aren't just any marks."

Eric's voice drops to a sinister whisper. "Those marks are a message, a claim. You belong to me, Dan. And I don't take kindly to others encroaching on what's mine." He presses his body harder against Dan's, pinning him completely.

Eric's breath is ragged as he leans in to nuzzle Dan's neck, his teeth nipping gently at Dan's throat. "Dan, my darling, I want you to do something for me, okay?" Eric's voice is low and commanding."

"Dan feels a chill run down his spine. Eric's tone, a mix of possessiveness and dominance, sends shivers through his body. Dan swallows hard, his voice barely a whisper. "What do you want me to do?'"

Eric's grin turns predatory as he sees Dan's submissive posture. He leans in close, his lips brushing against Dan's ear as he whispers, "I want you to suck my dick."

"Dan's breath hitches. He can feel the heat radiating from Eric's body, the tension in the air almost palpable. He swallows hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Right... right here?" he stammered, his gaze flickering nervously towards the staircase landing above them."

Eric's eyes gleam with a dangerous intensity as he nods. "Right here, right now," he confirms, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands grip Dan's shoulders, the pressure firm and unyielding. "And Dan, make it good. I want to hear you choke on it."