CHAPTER 6
The sports car glided into the private underground parking garage of a high-rise residential tower overlooking the East River in Manhattan. The building wasn't a corporate office; it was a secure, ultra-luxury penthouse complex reserved for the elite.
Ronan bypassed the grand lobby, taking a private keycard elevator directly to the top floor of the tower. I followed him silently, wrapped in his heavy cashmere overcoat that smelled intoxicatingly of his signature cedar cologne.
The elevator doors opened directly into a massive penthouse featuring floor-to-ceiling glass walls showcasing the glittering Manhattan skyline. Modern artwork lined the dark marble walls, and a grand fireplace crackled warmly in the center of the living area.
"This isn't Moratini Holdings," I observed quietly, stepping onto the plush rug and looking around the breathtaking room.
"This is my primary residence," Ronan explained, removing his suit jacket and tossing it onto a leather couch. "You aren't returning to your Brooklyn apartment tonight, Lena."
I snapped my head toward him, my anxiety spiking once again. "Excuse me? I have a life, Mr. Moratini. I have clothes, a cat, and a landlord."
"Your landlord was paid six months of rent in advance two hours ago," Ronan stated calmly, walking over to a crystal decanter to pour two glasses of dark amber liquid. "And your belongings are currently being packed and transported to the guest suite in this penthouse."
"You can't just kidnap me!" I shouted, taking a step toward the private elevator doors. "I am an independent adult! I will walk out of here right now!"
Ronan set the crystal glasses down on a glass table, taking three long strides across the room until he stood directly in front of me. He didn't grab me; he simply used his towering height and overwhelming presence to block my path completely.
"Corcelli saw your face at the docks tonight, Lena," Ronan said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, deadly serious low register. "The Russian family knows you are connected to me now. If you walk out those doors alone, you won't survive thirty minutes on the street."
The air left my lungs in a sharp gasp as the terrifying reality of my situation crashed down around me once again.
"You brought me there," I whispered, tears of frustration burning my eyes. "You intentionally put me in danger just so you could lock me up in your gold cage."
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Ronan stepped closer, reaching out to gently touch my jawline with his calloused fingers, his touch sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
"I brought you there because I needed to know if you had the spine to stand beside me," Ronan confessed softly, his eyes searching my face with intense devotion. "And now that I know you do, I will burn this entire city to the ground before I let anyone hurt you."
