As his words faded.
The man crashed his lips down on hers.
The kiss was deep and demanding, carrying an undisguised, predatory dominance.
"Mmph..."
Serena was forced to tilt her chin up, her breathing growing erratic.
Yet her fingers hooked into his tie, pulling him even closer.
The ragged breathing and the soft rustle of clothes shifting against the upholstery were exceptionally loud.
The sofa yielded slightly beneath their weight.
The space between them dissolved into a haze of chaotic breaths.
Between lingering kisses, the man's husky voice murmured softly, "Ms. Panacea... for this, how much more do I need to add?"
Serena let out a soft laugh.
The sound shattered against his lips, so thick with tension it made their ears burn. "Well, do you want more?"
"Naturally." The man's tone dripped with raw, unfiltered desire.
Serena yanked his tie down, delivering another resounding kiss. "I trust that whatever The Sterling Sovereign adds to the tab won't leave me disappointed." They collided again, mouths locking in a desperate, intoxicating embrace.
Their breathing tangled, heavy with seductive tension.
...
Inside the surveillance room, a few of the ship's monitoring staff had been nervously staring at their equipment, diligently listening for any slip-ups or sensitive deals between The Sterling Sovereign and The Panacea.
Instead...
All they heard were pulse-pounding gasps, the wet sound of kissing, and the frantic friction of clothing.
Eventually, the audio made it painfully obvious that the two were thoroughly entangled.
Director Silas Kaelen, having just wrapped up a call with the head of The Med-Tech Quarantine, walked over. "What's the status on The Sterling Sovereign?"
One of the operators cleared his throat awkwardly. "Director Kaelen, so far, there hasn't been anything unusual in their conversation. Plus... The Sterling Sovereign and The Panacea... they're hooking up. Right now they're... cough, you know."
Director Kaelen took one look at the operators' flushed faces and instantly understood what the two VIPs were doing.
Recalling his previous conversation with the quarantine director, his head was already pounding with the disaster surrounding Asset 07.
Now that it was confirmed the billionaire and the doctor were genuinely busy-one
in it for the money, the other for the beauty he couldn't care less about their private games.
The Director massaged his throbbing temples, waving a hand in annoyance. "Cut the feed to The Sterling Sovereign's suite for now. Stop listening."
"If he finds out we not only bugged his room but actively listened in on his private... affairs with The Panacea, none of us will survive the fallout."
"Yes, sir!"
The listening devices went dead.
Inside the top-tier suite, a micro-device Serena had just planted let out a faint, nearly inaudible beep.
Mid-kiss, she instantly froze.
The hand around her waist tightened noticeably.
The man wanted to keep going.
Serena just pressed a hand directly over his mouth. "What's this? Is The Sterling Sovereign slipping in his own private agenda to take advantage of me?"
Still pinned beneath him, she didn't have a hair out of place, though her lips were swollen and glistening.
The way she arched an eyebrow and stared up at him made Nicholas's Adam's apple bob heavily.
His gaze was dark, deeply fixated on her lips, his eyes still swirling with lingering affection. "How is that a private agenda?"
His arm wrapped tighter around her waist. "I was clearly... punishing someone for being disobedient."
Nicholas's thumb gently caressed
her cheek, his voice slow and deliberate. "Someone not only drugged me to sleep but dared sneak onto the highly dangerous Project Zero-Transit all by herself..."
"I knew you wouldn't behave."
Serena scoffed lightly, her grip on his tie tightening. "You say that as if you're perfectly innocent Sneaking onto the ship behind my back-why aren't we talking about that?"
As she spoke, her hand moved to grip his chin. "Since when did you acquire the
identity of The Sterling Sovereign?"
"Usually, you play the perfect,
obedient fiancé around me,
practically begging for my attention.
But behind my back, you turn into
the supreme head of the dark web's top syndicate..."
Serena poked his chest firmly as she spoke.
The muscle felt fantastic under her touch.
One poke wasn't enough.
So she poked it two more times. "Does someone enjoy making themselves a target?"
"If I hadn't been there earlier, were you just going to let Asset 07 tear you apart?"
Nicholas caught her roaming hand, wrapping her small fingers securely in his large palm.
The amusement in his eyes darkened a fraction. "Serena, I will never just stand by and watch you walk into danger alone."
"We both know exactly how lethal Project Zero-Transit and Whitecliffe Harbor are."
Tightening his hold, he sat up, pulling Serena securely against his chest.
With his arms locked around her waist, he rested his chin gently against her shoulder. His eyes, previously dancing with warmth, were now piercingly intense. "And you?"
"Serena, why don't you answer me first? Why did you come aboard alone using The Panacea alias, and why are you getting involved with those mutated Obsidian Augments?"