The private club was dark, filled with the smell of expensive cigarettes and heavy bass that rattled the floor. Julius was sitting in a deep booth, this was the after party of the gala.

His head leaning back against the leather. He had three drinks in less than an hour, and the alcohol was starting to blur the edges of the room. He felt high—not from the drink, but from the raw energy of the night.

Helen was draped over him. She was dancing in her seat, her hands moving over his suit jacket and her fingers tracing the line of his jaw. To anyone watching, they looked like the perfect couple celebrating a win.

But Julius felt empty. He looked at Helen and felt nothing but a cold, heavy void. Her touch didn’t make his heart race. It didn’t make his blood boil.

It was just noise.

"You’re so quiet tonight," Helen whispered into his ear. She was pressed so close he could feel the heat of her body. "My father is already talking about the merger being official. We did it, Julius. We’re back."

"Yeah," Julius said. His voice sounded far away. "We’re back."

The music got louder, the lights flashing in a way that made his head ache. He couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to get away from the smell of her perfume and the way she was looking at him like he was a prize she had finally won.

"I need to use the restroom," Julius said, gently pushing her hands away.

"Again?" Helen laughed, her eyes bright and glazed. "Don’t be long. The DJ is about to play our song."

Julius didn’t answer. He stood up, his legs feeling a bit heavy, and walked toward the back of the club. He pushed through a set of heavy curtains into a long, dimly lit hallway.

The noise of the club died down, replaced by a low hum.

He took a few steps, but stopped when he saw a shadow leaning against the wall near the end of the hall.

Harrison was there. He wasn’t wearing his jacket anymore. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, and his hair was a mess. He looked tired.

He looked like he had been through a war.

Julius tried to keep his face steady. He started to walk past, keeping his eyes fixed on the door at the end of the hallway.

"Don’t," Harrison said.

It wasn’t a command. It was a plea.

Harrison stepped away from the wall and blocked Julius’s path.

"Get out of my way, Harrison," Julius said, but his voice lacked the bite it had earlier. The alcohol and the exhaustion were wearing him down.

"I can’t," Harrison said. He stepped closer, his eyes searched Julius’s face. He didn’t look angry or territorial this time.

He looked broken.

"I’ve been sitting in that room for two hours watching you touch her. I’ve been watching her put her hands on what belongs to me, and I’m losing my mind, Julius."

"I don’t belong to you," Julius whispered, though he didn’t move away.

"I will bring this whole city down," Harrison said, his voice shaking with a raw, desperate energy. "I will burn them to the ground before I let someone else have you."

"You’re making me lose it. For the first time in my life, I don’t have a plan. I don’t have a strategy. I just have this."

Julius looked at him. He looked at the way Harrison’s hands were trembling and the way his eyes were wet with a pain he couldn’t hide.

For the first time, Julius didn’t see the monster or the boss or the Enigma.

He just saw a man who was as scared as he was.

Julius felt the last of his pride crumble. He was tired. He was so tired of the fighting and the lies.

"No more games, Harrison," Julius said. He stepped into Harrison’s space, their chests almost touching. "No more secrets. I don’t want the version of the truth you think I can handle."

"I want the real thing. Just the truth."

Harrison reached out, his hand cupping Julius’s face. His thumb brushed over Julius’s lip where the blood had dried.

"I promise. Everything. I’ll tell you everything."

The tension that had been building between them for months finally snapped.

Harrison leaned in and kissed him. This time, it wasn’t a brawl. It was a surrender.

Harrison’s hands slid up Julius’s neck, his fingers wrapping around his throat. He wasn’t squeezing; he was just holding him, tilting Julius’s head back to control the depth of the kiss.

Julius let out a soft groan. He let go of being the "Alpha." He let go of the need to be the strongest person in the room.

He just wanted to be taken. He wanted Harrison to lead.

He leaned into the touch, his body molding against Harrison’s as they moved together in the dark hallway.

Harrison pulled away for a second, his breath hot against Julius’s skin.

"Not here."

He took Julius’s hand and led him down another corridor, away from the restrooms and the club. He stopped in front of a heavy door and pulled a key from his pocket.

"How do you have a key to a private suite?" Julius asked, his voice breathless.

"I own this place," Harrison said.

He pushed the door open and pulled Julius inside, locking it behind them. The room was dark, the only light coming from the city buildings outside the window.

The air in the room was already thick with the scent of Harrison—that spicy, dark smell that Julius had tried so hard to fight.

Harrison turned to him. The moonlight hit his face, making his eyes look like dark glass.

He looked at Julius’s body, his gaze lingering on the way Julius was breathing.

"Strip for me, baby," Harrison said. It was a low, dark command that made Julius’s blood turn to fire.

Harrison stepped closer, his eyes dropping to the front of Julius’s trousers. He saw the way Julius dick was begging to be free.

A dark, triumphant smile touched Harrison’s lips.

"Fuck, you’re so hard for me," Harrison whispered. He reached out, his hand hovering just inches away from Julius. "Do you want me to help you out?"

Julius couldn’t think. He couldn’t remember why he was supposed to be angry.

He just nodded, his head falling back.

"Beg for it," Harrison whispered, his voice vibrating in the quiet room.

Julius let out a shaky breath, his pride completely gone. He looked at Harrison, his eyes pleading.

"Please... I want you badly. Please."

Harrison’s smile widened. He looked like a man who had finally won the only prize that mattered.

"Perfect," Harrison said.