Elara, dressed in a backless, emerald green gown, was the picture of cool, calculated grace. Her dark, almond-shaped eyes, usually warm, were currently glacial, fixed on the man who was both her fiercest competitor and the silent subject of her most frustrating nightmares. Every deal they touched turned into a bloody war. The press loved their rivalry-the 'Ice Queen' vs. the 'Shadow King.'
Kaius Kincaid, six-foot-three of sculpted arrogance in a bespoke tuxedo, leaned against a marble pillar, sipping expensive scotch. He didn't look at her, yet every fibre of her being knew he was aware of her presence. He was built like a predator: wide shoulders, a lean, taut body, and a jawline that could cut glass. He didn't smile; he merely tolerated the world around him. He radiated power, the kind that made grown men sweat and intelligent women wary.
He finally turned his head. His eyes-a startling, penetrating grey-met hers across the room. It was not a glance; it was a challenge. It bypassed her business facade, her guarded intelligence, and targeted something raw and buried deep inside her.
He knew. He knew the infuriating, inexplicable current that zipped between them every time they were in the same room. It was a secret, electric hatred, thinly disguised as professional enmity, always threatening to break the surface.
Elara tightened her grip on her champagne flute. This man had just stolen the $500 million Singapore infrastructure deal she had been working on for two years. He had done it with a predatory smile and a handshake.
A wave of uncontrollable anger-mixed with a desperate, unwelcome flicker of fascination-washed over her. She knew she had to leave before she did something reckless, like throwing her drink at his arrogant, perfect face.
As she turned to find the exit, a low, smooth voice spoke, right behind her ear, sending shivers down her spine.
"Running already, Vane?"
Elara froze. The scent of sandalwood, expensive leather, and something uniquely him-dominant and intoxicating-enveloped her.
She slowly pivoted, meeting his gaze at close range. His eyes were dark pools of intent.
"Kincaid. I didn't realize you wasted time cornering losing opponents," she said, her voice steady and sharp. "Congratulations on Singapore. Enjoy your victory. It will be the last."
A corner of his mouth lifted, a terrifyingly magnetic expression. "Such fire. It's what I admire about you, Elara. You're the only woman in this city who doesn't bore me to tears."
"The feeling is mutually exclusive," she retorted. "You are a menace, Kincaid. A ruthless shadow that poisons every deal you touch."
He stepped closer. Too close. His massive frame eclipsed the light, making her feel suddenly small and trapped. "Poison? Or simply superior competition? Tell me, Elara. Why the anger? Is it the loss of the deal, or the fact that you find yourself thinking about me even when you shouldn't be?"
His directness was stunning. It was exactly what she despised about him: his blatant confidence in his own allure.
"You flatter yourself, Kincaid. I think about you only as a necessary evil to be defeated."
He chuckled, a deep, resonant sound. "Lies. You're trembling. Your hostility is a mask, and tonight, I think I'd like to see what's underneath."
He took her arm, his touch firm, non-negotiable. "There's a private balcony on the 60th floor. We need to talk about the fallout from the Singapore deal."
Elara knew it was a lie, a thin, flimsy excuse. But the dangerous curiosity-the overwhelming pull to finally confront him without the watchful eyes of the financial world-was too potent to resist. She needed to cut him down, to finally extinguish the dark flame he ignited in her.
"Fine," she hissed, pulling her arm away, walking ahead of him. "Let's talk, Shadow King. And let's get this over with."
The air on the private, obsidian-tiled balcony was frigid, a stark contrast to the burning tension radiating off them. The cityscape below was a glittering, silent ocean.
"Well?" Elara challenged, turning to face him. "Talk, Kincaid. What do you want?"
He didn't answer with words. He merely stared at her, his expression unreadable, predatory. The space between them shrank until his heat was a palpable presence against the cool night.
"I want to end this rivalry," Kaius finally murmured, his voice low, gravelly.
"By giving back the deal?" she scoffed.
"No. By reminding you that before we were rivals, we are two adults who burn far too brightly around each other."
The next second, the world tilted. He moved with the swift, shocking speed of a large cat. He caged her against the cold railing, his hands clamping on either side of her head, his eyes locked onto hers-a fierce, possessive claim.
"You look at me like you want to kill me," he ground out, "but I see the truth in your eyes, Elara. It's the same hunger that consumes me when I look at you."
Before she could form a protest, he seized her mouth.
The kiss was not tender; it was an act of war, a collision of two egos too powerful to submit. It was rough, demanding, and utterly consuming. He tasted of expensive scotch and raw power.
Elara's mind screamed No! but her body betrayed her instantly. A primal switch flipped. She hated him, yes, but the suppressed tension of years burst forth like a raging flood. She responded with equal ferocity, her hands flying up to grip the silk of his lapels, pulling him tighter.
Her emerald dress was a fatal weakness. He slid one large, warm hand down her exposed back, pulling her flush against his hard, unyielding body. She felt the heavy, undeniable evidence of his arousal pressed against her.
This is wrong. This is Kincaid. This is the enemy.
The rational thoughts were obliterated by the storm. He backed her up against the stone column, his mouth never leaving hers, deepening the kiss into something dizzying and utterly without restraint.
His fingers found the zipper of her gown, pulling it down quickly. The cool air hit her skin, only to be chased away by the heat of his hands as he ruthlessly swept the emerald silk down her shoulders.
He lifted her, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist, her face buried in the crook of his neck. The only sounds were their ragged breaths and the pounding of the city far below.
They weren't making love; they were staking a claim, an act of mutual destruction fueled by years of repressed, aggressive chemistry. In that moment, the rivalry, the deals, the empire-everything vanished. There was only the raw, desperate, intense need to conquer and be conquered.
Kaius found the private door leading back into the penthouse suite. He kicked it shut, not bothering with the light. He didn't need to see her; he knew her body by the feel of the fierce tension beneath her skin, by the frantic rhythm of her heart against his chest.
Clothes were torn, not removed. Whispers were not of love, but of commands, challenges, and dark, possessive ownership. They fought their way to the bed, and they fought on the bed. It was fast, furious, and brutal-the expression of a rivalry that had finally found its forbidden, devastating release.
Elara woke up to the cruel, pale light of the dawn filtering through the penthouse windows.
Her head was throbbing. Her body ached, but the sensation was not one of peace; it was the sharp, unsettling burn of something explosive and temporary.
She was alone.
The other side of the enormous bed was undisturbed, the crisp white sheets still perfectly smooth, as if he had never been there. The only evidence of the night before was her shredded emerald gown discarded on the floor and the stinging, raw feeling of her lips.
A wave of cold dread washed over her. She sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest, feeling utterly violated by the silence.
Then, she saw it.
On the bedside table, next to a crystal water glass, lay a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills secured with a simple silver paper clip.
Lying on top of the money was a small, folded piece of thick, personalized stationary-Kaius Kincaid's emblem subtly pressed into the corner.
Elara snatched it up, her fingers trembling. Her gaze was immediately drawn to the sharp, decisive, unforgiving handwriting.
"It was exactly what I expected. A necessary release. Nothing more. Consider this payment for your... time. Don't call me. Don't show up at my office. This rivalry is over, Vane. You've lost."
Elara didn't scream. She didn't cry. That was for weak women, and she was Elara Vane.
A slow, terrifying wave of pure, molten hatred replaced the momentary shame. The sheer arrogance! The dismissal! He had treated her not just as a competitor he defeated, but as a transaction-a paid convenience.
She grabbed the stack of cash and flung it against the wall with all her might, the paper scattering like dust.
"You think I have a price, Kincaid?" she whispered, her voice dangerously low. "You think one night makes me a loser? I will destroy you. I will dismantle every last tower you've built, piece by painful piece."
She forced herself out of bed, ignoring the trembling of her limbs. She gathered her tattered clothes, her mind already racing with plans for revenge. She didn't need a ride; she needed to walk, to burn off the poisonous heat of his touch.
She reached the elevator lobby of the Kincaid Tower, running on sheer adrenaline and righteous fury.
Then, the world gave a violent lurch.
A sudden wave of intense nausea hit her, forcing her to clutch the cold marble wall for support. Her vision swam. She hadn't eaten much last night. Stress, surely.
But the dizziness persisted.
Elara's hand instinctively drifted down to her lower abdomen, resting protectively on the spot where Kaius's body had been fiercely pressed against hers hours ago.
Her breathing hitched. Her eyes widened, a horrifying thought freezing the hatred in her soul.
No. Not possible.
"...I can't be pregnant."
/1/100069/coverbig.jpg?v=266299a282d1ae46819c8552b3d79f23)
Alpha's Rejected Mate: A Billionaire's Unexpected Surprise 
/0/96250/coverbig.jpg?v=ecdc90d9e0a5ea52d51f55e70cd5a75a)
/0/99842/coverbig.jpg?v=20251124185609)
/1/100013/coverbig.jpg?v=6d0af460c9de169f9a558158b630d2d7)
/0/78710/coverbig.jpg?v=ece29bda3e4b7a7b69e986c6371e406e)
/1/100069/coverbig.jpg?v=20251124182425)
/0/99551/coverbig.jpg?v=20251124182422)