Chapter 10 – Fire Beneath the Ice
The sun was already dipping into the horizon when Kirah finally leaned back in her chair. Her eyes, sharp as ever, burned with quiet satisfaction. Another trail of cooked figures traced. Another quiet corporate snake noted. She didn't report them just yet—she was collecting. Watching.
Let them think they're winning.
Her phone vibrated softly next to her elbow.
"Mum ❤️ Calling…"
Kirah's chest warmed instantly. She exhaled, softer now, and tapped the green icon.
"Mama," she said with a half-smile as she pulled her hair out of its tight bun.
"Kiraahhh," her mother's voice sang through the speaker, warm as stew on a cold night. "My hardworking girl! I was waiting for your call since morning oh! I hope they're not stressing you there o. You sound tired."
Kirah chuckled. "I'm okay, mama. Just a lot of work. But it's good work."
"I saw it o! Your new oga… that Dominic Vierra... every channel, he is there! Ehn-ehn, rich and handsome like that. I said, 'That's my daughter's boss o!'" Her mother cackled proudly. "The man too fine, but look like trouble. Still, I'm happy you're among the great ones now. Don't let anyone shake you."
Kirah grinned, her heart swelling despite herself. "Thanks, Mama. I'm holding my ground."
"You always do. And your father was just saying yesterday—'This our Kirah ehn, she go carry this whole family up one day!' We are proud of you, my baby. No man can match your fire."
Kirah bit her lip gently to keep her emotions at bay. "Tell Dad I love him. And make sure Junior studies before he watches TV, please."
"He's here o, pressing phone like the thing na rice," Mama muttered, then laughed again. "Go rest jare. Your voice don tire. I love you."
"I love you too, Mama."
She ended the call, her eyes softer now.
But that moment of peace didn't last long.
A ping from her office intercom snapped her back. "Miss Evans," came the assistant's voice, "A memo just went out from the chairman. There's a company celebration scheduled tonight. Mr. Vierra has invited all staff and executives to the Skyline Rooftop Lounge. Attendance is expected."
Kirah blinked.
A party?
That wasn't the Dominic she'd come to know. The man rarely smiled, barely showed emotion, and if anything, seemed married to his spreadsheets. This was… unexpected.
She didn't have time to dwell.
Skyline Rooftop Lounge – 9:03 PM
The venue was elegance redefined. Glass chandeliers, sleek firepits, soft jazz playing underneath the hush of city noise twenty stories below. The crowd was thick—executives, department heads, media figures. Champagne flowed like water, and laughter danced under the moonlight.
Dominic stood near the edge of the bar, black shirt undone just slightly at the collar, drink in hand, looking effortlessly godlike. He didn't host events often. He didn't need to.
But tonight… he had a purpose.
From the moment he entered, his eyes searched for one woman only.
Kirah Evans.
The woman who haunted him with her silence, challenged him with her eyes, and refused to acknowledge the way his world tilted slightly whenever she walked by.
She wasn't just smart.
She was magnetic.
Unreachable.
And it drove him crazy.
But he'd kept his distance. For respect. For professionalism. For control.
Until he saw her.
Kirah walked in ten minutes later, heels slicing across the marble like whispered threats. Her gown was a midnight blue that clung in places no man should be allowed to imagine. Her waist curved like a sin. Her hips swayed like a spell.
Conversations stalled.
Men stared.
Women whispered.
Even some of the female executives blinked.
Dominic turned fully. His drink stalled halfway to his lips. Every inch of his body reacted.
"F**k," he muttered under his breath.
She hadn't dressed for anyone. She simply wore what she owned—elegance in simplicity, strength in the way her chin tilted slightly higher, refusing to shrink.
But Dominic?
He was undone.
The glass in his hand began to sweat. Or maybe that was him.
"Sir?" his assistant said beside him. "Would you like another drink?"
He waved her off, gaze fixed.
Kirah had barely stepped fully into the lounge when she spotted him.
Of course he was watching.
Always watching.
Their eyes locked.
Just for a second.
Then she looked away, expression unreadable. As always.
But Dominic's heart punched hard once, then again.
He turned from the bar and made his way into the crowd, brushing past executives with half-muttered greetings until he was behind her.
"Miss Evans."
Kirah turned, cool and poised.
"Mr. Vierra."
"You came."
"I work here."
He smiled slowly. "But you don't have to look like that when you do."
She arched a brow. "And how do I look?"
"Like a problem."
She allowed the corner of her lip to twitch. "Good. I came to celebrate, not to flirt."
Dominic leaned in slightly, his voice like velvet. "What if I want both?"
She held his gaze. "Then you should pick one. Because with me, you can't have it all."
Dominic took a slow breath, amused, aroused, and just slightly frustrated. This woman was the only person who made him feel like a man—not a boss, not a king—just a man who wanted something he might not get.
He loved it.
He hated it.
She turned again, walking off into the crowd. And Dominic? He just watched her go, thinking about every urge he'd shoved deep down these past few weeks.
Tonight had cracked the dam.
Badly.