Page 2 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ping that contrasted sharply with the hammering of Serenity's heart. She stepped out onto the marble floor, each click of her Louboutins echoing through the empty hallway like a countdown.

Serenity adjusted the collar of her blazer, smoothing down the lapels with practiced precision. The twenty-second walk to Darius's penthouse suite stretched before her like a gauntlet.

Just business,she reminded herself, though her body knew better. Her Omega senses were already heightening, preparing for the proximity of the Prime Alpha waiting behind that door.

She flexed her fingers, hoping to release some of the tension building in her muscles. The last message from Darius had been characteristically brief:Penthouse. 9 PM. Don't be late.

No please. No explanation. Just a command from the King of the East Coast's underworld.

"Arrogant bastard," she muttered, even as a treacherous heat pooled low in her belly.

She reached the double doors of the penthouse suite and paused, drawing in a deep breath. The scent of him—sandalwood and something darker, something uniquelyDarius—already permeated the air outside. Her Omega instincts threatened to take over, urging submission, begging for his approval.

Not today,she thought, straightening her spine.I'm a Vale. We bow to no one.

Without knocking, she pressed her palm against the biometric scanner. The technology recognized her instantly—of course it did. Darius would have programmed it to admit her and her alone.

The door unlocked with a soft click, and Serenity pushed it open.

The penthouse sprawled before her in opulent darkness, floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the glittering Manhattan skyline. But it wasn't the view that drew her attention. It was the silhouette standing before those windows, a glass of amber liquid in his hand, his powerful frame outlined by the city lights.

Darius Castellano. The Prime Alpha. The man who made her blood sing even as she fought against his gravitational pull.

He didn't turn immediately, and Serenity knew it was deliberate—a power play. The air between them crackled with tension, thick enough to cut with a knife.

"You're three minutes late," he said finally, his deep voice reverberating through the space between them.

Serenity rolled her eyes, grateful he couldn't see her face. "Traffic was a bitch. You should try leaving your ivory tower sometime."

Now he turned, and the full force of his gray eyes hit her like a physical blow. He wore a tailored black suit that emphasized his broad shoulders, the top buttons of his shirt undone to reveal a glimpse of tanned skin beneath.

"I don't waste time on excuses, Serenity." He took a measured sip of his drink. "And neither should you."

Christ, he's infuriating.She moved further into the room, refusing to be intimidated by his presence, though her Omega instincts screamed at her to bare her neck in submission.

"Then let's not waste time at all," she countered, dropping her clutch onto a nearby console table. "Why am I here, Darius? What was so urgent it couldn't wait until morning?"

He set his glass down and moved toward her with predatory grace. Each step he took seemed to draw oxygen from the room, and Serenity fought the urge to retreat.

"The Colombians," he said simply. "They've reached out about your father's shipments."

Serenity stiffened. "My father's dead."

"And yet his empire lives on." Darius stopped a few feet from her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. "In your hands now."

Her golden eyes, flecked with red—the Vale family trait—narrowed. "I haven't decided if I'm keeping it."

A dark laugh escaped him. "You think you have a choice? The moment Marcus Vale drew his last breath, you inherited more than his money, Serenity. You inherited his enemies."

And his allies,she thought bitterly, eyeing the man before her. The complicated web of alliances that had kept the Vale Empire afloat for decades now rested on her shoulders—including the uneasy partnership with the Castellanos.

"Is that a threat?" she asked, chin tilted upward defiantly.

Darius's eyes darkened. "It's a reality. One you'd be wise to accept." He reached out, not touching her but allowing his hand to hover near her face. "The Vale Empire needs a strong leader. Someone who understands the game."

"And you think that's me?" She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice. "The illegitimate Omega daughter he never acknowledged until his deathbed?"

"I think," Darius said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "that you're more like your father than you know."

---