Chapter 7: The Gravity of Fear

Sia’s P.O.V

The board meeting had been exhausting. For three hours, I sat at the head of the mahogany table, answering questions from men who looked at my company like it was a prize they were desperate to get their hands on. I handled each question the way I always did, calmly and without hesitation. My voice stayed cold and steady, making it clear that there was no room for anyone to argue with me.

But throughout the entire session, I could feel him.

Julian hadn't just stayed in the room; he had claimed a corner of it.

Despite my explicit instructions for him to wait outside, he had simply looked at me with that infuriatingly calm expression and remained.

He didn't speak, didn't interrupt, and didn't even look at the slides. He spent the entire meeting watching me—not with the lustful gaze of some of the board members, but with the focused intensity of a predator guarding its prize.

I was frustrated. I was used to being the only power in the room, and his presence was a constant, humming reminder that I was currently viewed as a liability. But I didn't say a word. I couldn't afford to look unstable in front of the shareholders.

As the meeting adjourned and the men filed out, Milan, my secretary, stepped forward. She was a whirlwind of efficiency, her tablet clutched to her chest.

"The briefings for tomorrow’s merger meeting are in your inbox, Sia," Milan said, her voice low and professional. "I've also scheduled the final review with the legal team for 8:00 AM. Your car is waiting downstairs."

"Thank you, Milan," I replied, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears. I felt a sudden, desperate need to be alone, to shed the skin of the Ice Queen and simply breathe.

I turned toward the executive elevator, the gold-plated doors sliding open with a soft chime. I stepped inside, the plush carpet muffling my footsteps. I didn't have to look back to know that Julian was right behind me.

He stepped into the small, mirrored space, the scent of sandalwood and something metallic—like rain on asphalt—filling the confined area immediately.

The doors slid shut, sealing us in.

For a few seconds, the only sound was the quiet hum of the elevator and the faint movement of our reflections in the mirrors.

My eyes drifted toward him before I could stop them.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and somehow seemed to take up more space than he actually did. His sleeves stretched over strong arms, and the slight crease between his brows made him look even more intimidating as he stared at the control panel.

I quickly looked away.

There was something about being this close to him that made me too aware of everything—the warmth coming from his body, the clean scent of his cologne, even the quiet sound of his breathing.

It was ridiculous! I barely knew the man.

So why did standing beside him feel like being pulled toward something I had no business wanting?

Then suddenly…the world dropped out from under me.

One second, I was standing beside Julian. The next, my stomach lurched into my throat.

The elevator dropped.

Not a gentle jolt. Not the kind of mechanical stumble that made you curse under your breath.

It fell.

My body slammed upward before gravity dragged me down again, and a scream tore from somewhere inside me before I could stop it. My fingers clawed for something—anything—to hold on to, but there was nothing.

The floor vanished beneath my feet. For one horrible second, I was weightless.

Then came the sound. Metal screamed against metal.

The emergency brakes engaged with a violent crack, and the elevator jerked so hard that I was thrown sideways. My shoulder slammed into the wall, knocking the breath from my lungs.

Julian caught the railing with one hand, the other shooting out toward me.

"Sia!" His voice barely reached me over the deafening groan of twisting metal.

Then—everything went black.

The lights died.

Absolute darkness swallowed the elevator.

For a moment, neither of us moved. I could hear my own breathing.

Too fast, too loud.

My heart hammered against my ribs as if it were trying to escape my chest. I pressed one hand against the wall, desperately searching for something solid, something that would remind me that I wasn't falling anymore.

But all I could feel was the cold metal beneath my palm.

And then the elevator shifted, just slightly. That tiny movement was enough.

My breath caught. "We're going to fall."

The words came out before I could stop them.

"No." Julian's voice came through the darkness, low and firm.

I swallowed hard. "You don't know that."

"I do."

Another metallic groan echoed through the shaft.

I flinched.

Julian moved immediately. "Sia, don't move."

"I wasn't planning on it." My attempt at sarcasm sounded weak even to my own ears.

I heard him shift closer. "Are you hurt?"

"No."

"Look at me."

I almost laughed. "We're in complete darkness."

"I know."

There was something in his voice that made me obey anyway. I turned toward where I thought he was standing.

I couldn't see him. But somehow, I could feel him.

"Good," he said quietly. "Keep breathing."

I hated how much I wanted to listen to him. I hated even more that my body seemed to trust him before my mind did.

I drew in a shaky breath. Then another.

Another violent jolt shook the elevator.

I stumbled, my heart jumping into my throat. Before I could think, my hand shot out and found Julian's.

I grabbed him hard, my fingers wrapping around his like he was the only solid thing left in the world.

For a second, I forgot to breathe. Then I realized what I was doing and tried to loosen my grip.

I couldn't.

This time, Julian swore.

My stomach dropped. "What? What’s wrong?"

"This isn't a normal failure." I heard him moving toward the control panel, but he didn't move his hand.

"This building has backup systems for its backup systems. The elevator shouldn't have dropped even one floor."

Another pause.

Then his voice became colder. "Someone shut the safety system down."

My blood ran cold. "You think someone did this?"

"I know someone did."

The darkness suddenly felt smaller. Closer.

I could barely breathe.

Someone had sabotaged the elevator. Someone had wanted us inside it.

And if those emergency brakes hadn't caught us—I didn't finish the thought.

I didn't need to.

Julian was already at the doors. "Stay back."

"What are you doing?"

"Getting us out."

There was a metallic bang. Then another.

I heard him grunt as he forced his fingers into the narrow gap between the doors.

"Julian—"

"Back." He shoved harder.

The doors groaned.

For a terrifying second, nothing happened.

Then, with a sharp crack, they opened a few inches. Cold air rushed into the elevator.

Julian widened the gap, revealing a narrow concrete ledge beyond it. I stared into the darkness of the shaft, my legs suddenly turning weak.

We weren't even level with a proper floor, we were hanging between them.

One wrong step…

I stopped breathing.

Julian looked back at me. "You're going first."

"I can walk."

"I didn't ask." Before I could argue, he reached for me.

His hand closed around my waist.

Heat shot through me, even in the middle of my fear, my body noticed him.

His chest pressed against my back as he leaned over me, one arm locking firmly around my waist while the other reached toward the ledge.

"Trust me."