Desire Investment System

The elevator doors slid shut with a heavy thud.

Elizabeth's hands wouldn't stop trembling, her fingers twitching like they wanted to claw something apart.

For a long moment she kept her head lowered, breathing shallowly. Only when the numbers above the lift ticked past the twentieth floor did she finally snap.

Her voice was low at first, sharp with strain.

"W-Why… why the hell did you do that?"

Jace didn't even glance at her. His eyes were fixed calmly on the polished steel doors, his reflection faint in the metal.

His reply was indifferent, almost lazy. "What did you say? I didn't catch it."

Her voice cracked into a louder pitch. "YOU… You were the one who told me not to tell him!"

Her hands shot up and grabbed at his collar, knuckles white.

But before she could pull him closer, Kyra moved. Her hand caught Elizabeth's wrist, yanking her back a step. The force made Elizabeth's breath hitch.

Jace smirked faintly, his crimson eyes glinting with amusement. "You seem to enjoy grabbing collars too much."

He placed a hand on Kyra's shoulder, a light pat. Her head turned, lips parting.

But Jace cut her off, "It's fine." His voice was calm. He eased her aside and stepped in close to Elizabeth himself.

The crimson glow in his eyes sharpened, even as his lips kept that polite smile. "Elizabeth, everything went smoothly because you did what I told you. Didn't it?"

His voice was formal at first, "And besides… you should stop cowering in front of your father." But it turned cold enough to freeze. "It's pathetic."

Elizabeth flinched like the words were a blade that stabbed at the deepest part of her. "N-No, it's not like that." She stumbled a half step back, but Jace followed without hesitation.

Another step back. Another step forward.

The gap between them shrank until her back hit the chilled steel wall of the lift with a sharp clang. Her yellow eyes widened.

Jace lifted his hand, pressing his palm flat against the wall beside her head. His body leaned in, his face descending until his lips hovered just an inch from hers. She could feel the faint warmth of his breath brush her cheek.

Her heart thudded painfully in her chest, betraying her. Her voice trembled into a whisper. "…What are… you doing?"

Jace's lips parted, but before anything happened, the elevator jolted to a stop.

In one smooth motion he pulled away, stood beside Kyra again, and straightened his overcoat. His expression was as if nothing had happened.

The doors slid open on the tenth floor.

Jace stepped out first, his stride calm, assured. He didn't look back as he spoke. "Kyra, get the car ready. I've got something to take care of."

Elizabeth stood frozen for a beat before his voice reached her again, warm yet mocking.

"Then let's meet again, President Eli… za… beth. On the shooting day."

She bit down hard on her lip, but said nothing as he disappeared down the corridor.

The hallway was alive with noise. As Jace passed, voices buzzed in whispers that weren't really whispers.

"Is that Jace Cromwell?"

"He's the one who wrote A Dark Destiny, right? And acted in it too?"

"You mean the one everyone's calling the next top superstar?"

"I bet he would be a nominee for the best anti-hero male lead this year."

"Do you think if I sleep with him, I could land a role?"

Their eyes followed him with hunger, awe, and envy. But Jace didn't even spare them a glance, he just smiled inwardly.

His polished shoes clicked steadily against the marble floor until he stopped in front of the Director's Office.

He knocked lightly. "Amelia, it's me, Jace."

There was a startled rustle inside, then her hurried voice. "W-Wait a minute!"

A whole minute passed. Jace adjusted his sleeve cuffs, patient, his posture straight as ever.

Finally the door swung open.

Amelia appeared in the doorway, hair tied up in a bun that had already come half undone, strands of white hair spilling down her temples. Her glasses sat crooked on her nose. Her dark lavender coat and shirt were wrinkled, the black skirt uneven at her knees.

She smiled quickly, a little breathless. "Please, come inside."

Jace stepped in. The office was chaos, piles of scripts and papers littered the floor and desk. He bent down, picked one up, scanning a few lines.

Amelia flustered. "Ah! I'm sorry. I was going through scripts for my next project. I didn't notice how messy it got."

Jace glanced around at the scattered pages, then set the one in his hand back on the desk. "I see. It looks like you've been working hard."

Her cheeks warmed as she gave an awkward little laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Y-Yes, I suppose that's one way to put it."

Then Jace sat down on the sofa like the room belonged to him, crossing one leg neatly over the other. "Will you not offer me something to drink?"

Amelia blinked, then gasped softly. "Oh! Right—sorry." She scrambled to her desk, grabbed a silver flask, pulled two cups from a drawer, and poured out steaming coffee.

She handed one to him before sitting down beside him with her own.

She blew carefully at the rim, cheeks puffing slightly as she cooled the drink.

Jace, in contrast, held his cup with steady fingers, sipping slowly, his other hand resting lazily across his lap.

The silence stretched for minutes. Only the faint sound of coffee being sipped filled the room.

At last, Amelia turned her head toward him. Her voice was careful, edged with curiosity.

"So, Jace… why did you come here today?"

Jace's smile was subtle, but sharp. "Do you want to work on a project with me?"

Her face lit instantly. "Are you producing another webseries? Is it dark romance again? Will Valentina star this time? Or maybe Noelle?"

Jace chuckled at her eagerness. "Dark romance, yes. But the lead actress will be Juliana Everen."

Amelia froze. Her glasses slid slightly down her nose. "W-What? You mean Juliana? The TV actress known for carrying an entire series on her back? The one who won ten consecutive awards for playing the best mother role?"

Jace smirked, raising his cup. "Do you think I'd lie to you?"

Her hands waved quickly. "No! I didn't mean that. It's just… if someone like her is involved, the production cost must be enormous."

He placed his cup down on the table with deliberate calm. "Our CEO has already agreed. And L.V. Entertainment as well. The project is set for fifty million."

Amelia's jaw slackened. "F-Fifty…?"

Shock washed over her features, slowly shifting into a grim shadow. She lowered her head, voice trembling. "Jace, I… I don't think I could handle something this big."

Jace turned, his eyes fixing on her with calm certainty. His voice softened. "Don't worry."

Then his hand slid down, slow and deliberate, until his palm rested on the bare skin of her thigh where her skirt had ridden up.

Amelia gasped, the air catching sharply in her throat. A tremor shot through her body.