章節 4: Chapter 4: The Return of Ice and Fire
The boardroom buzzed with murmured conversations as the directors of Moriarty Industries assembled, awaiting the announcement of their newest member. Outside, the rain poured down in sheets, the gray sky casting a shadow over the city. Elliot Moriarty stood by the window, gazing out at the storm. His reflection was a stranger to him—sharp suit, perfect skin, cold eyes. He felt the weight of the new role he was about to step into. A role his old self would have crumbled under.
Today, he was being appointed as a director of the company.
The Elliot who once hid behind indulgence and insecurity was gone. In his place stood a man who had been remolded by pain, discipline, and the unforgiving world of business. The intense heir training had stripped away every weakness, every illusion of comfort. Now, Elliot was calculating, detached, and dangerous. He no longer desired his father's approval—he had earned it, and that was a currency far more valuable.
As the doors opened, Jonathan Moriarty entered the room, his eyes flicking to Elliot with an approving nod. "Gentlemen," Jonathan began, addressing the board, "today, I appoint my son, Elliot, as the newest director of Moriarty Industries. He has earned his place here. I expect nothing less than excellence from him, as I do from all of you."
The board members gave polite applause, but Elliot could sense the undercurrent of skepticism. Many of them had known the old Elliot—the pampered son who had been more interested in wasting money than making it. But as Elliot stepped up to take his place at the head of the table, he could see the doubt in their eyes flicker to something else—fear.
His transformation was undeniable. The room fell silent as Elliot looked each man in the eye, his presence commanding their attention. He wasn't just Jonathan's son anymore. He was something far more formidable.
Later that evening, Elliot found himself standing in the grand foyer of the Moriarty estate. It had been months since he'd been here. His life had been consumed by the boardroom and corporate warfare, and the mansion that once felt like a prison now felt distant and irrelevant. The housekeeper informed him that a visitor was expected shortly, but she wouldn't say who.
He didn't have to wait long to find out.
The door swung open, and in stepped Alice Greystone, his fiancée. She was back from her year abroad—a year in which she had fled the suffocating engagement she despised. Elliot had once been infatuated with her, chasing her every step like a lovesick puppy. But those days felt like a lifetime ago.
Alice was as stunning as ever, her honey-blonde hair falling in soft waves over her shoulders, her high cheekbones and sharp eyes giving her an air of aloofness. But there was something different in her expression today—something Elliot had never seen before.
Shock.
She stood in the doorway, her eyes wide as she took in the man standing before her. She had expected the Elliot she had left behind—the obese, bumbling fool she couldn't stand. The one she had felt forced to accept, out of obligation to their families. But instead, she was faced with a man she didn't recognize.
Elliot was tall, lean, and muscular. His once bloated face was now chiseled, his jawline sharp, and his eyes… those eyes that used to follow her around with desperate devotion now looked at her with icy detachment.
"Elliot?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly, unable to mask her surprise.
He didn't respond immediately. He simply stood there, his posture relaxed but his gaze unwavering. The silence between them stretched out, making her fidget where she stood.
"I didn't know you were coming back," he finally said, his voice low and calm. Gone was the gushing eagerness that used to drip from his every word. Now, his tone was measured, impassive, almost as if she were a stranger.
Alice stepped forward, trying to regain her composure. She forced a smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I came back to… well, my exchange program ended, and I thought it was time."
Elliot nodded, not offering anything further. The coldness in his demeanor unsettled her. She had prepared herself for the old Elliot—the one who used to fawn over her, desperate for her approval. The one she could manipulate and control. But this man standing before her… this was someone new.
"You've… changed," Alice said, her eyes narrowing as she studied him. "You look… different."
Elliot smirked, though there was no warmth in it. "A lot can change in a year, Alice."
The words hung between them, and for the first time, Alice realized she no longer held the upper hand. She had run away from him, disgusted by his weakness, his appearance, his obsession with her. She had thought that by the time she returned, nothing would have changed—she would come back, fulfill her duty, marry him, and find a way to live with it.
But now, she wasn't so sure.
There was a new distance in his eyes, a hardness that hadn't been there before. The old Elliot had been easy to read, his emotions painted plainly on his face. But now… she couldn't tell what he was thinking. And that terrified her.
"You're not going to ask me how my year abroad was?" Alice pressed, trying to regain some semblance of control in the conversation.
Elliot shrugged, indifferent. "You seemed to enjoy it," he said, his voice devoid of interest. "I assume it was everything you wanted."
Alice blinked, taken aback. The old Elliot would have hung on her every word, would have asked endless questions, desperate to hear about her experiences. But now, he seemed like he couldn't care less.
He walked past her, heading towards the large staircase that led to the upper floors. "I have work to do," he said over his shoulder. "Let yourself out when you're done."
Alice's mouth dropped slightly as he ascended the stairs without a second glance. She had spent the entire year abroad, relishing her escape from the engagement she despised. She had expected to return and find him the same—weak, foolish, and eager to please. But this man… this new Elliot was someone entirely different. He no longer worshipped her, no longer hung on her every word.
And for the first time, Alice felt something she never expected to feel for Elliot Moriarty.
Fear.
That night, as Alice sat alone in the grand living room, she realized that the game had changed. Elliot had once been an easy pawn for her to manipulate. But now, he was no longer a pawn. He was a player, and he had learned how to play the game better than she ever could.
And she had no idea how to deal with that.
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