iana
ring stared, their eyes drawn to the raw power Caden radiated. He ignored them as if they were furniture. I tried to d
ll of hope. The old clerk, a wizened Beta named Elmsworth, looked up over his spectacles. His eyes widened
ing," Caden said. His tone
s nose. "Of course, sir. The preli
f his suit jacket and produced a slim, black card made of some unidentnal. The screen beeped, and the clerk's face went from professionally placid to pale with what looked like
man? I knew who he was-Caden Sinclair, the billionaire CEO. But knowing a name and standing next to
s broad shoulder blocking my view of the monitor, obsc
meant only for me. "My family has certain privileges
wasn't privilege; this was power on a scale I couldn't co
ed like actual sheepskin parchment, tied with a silver cord. He unrolled them with reverent hands.
" he whispered, h
lowing runes that lined the edges of the contract. This was real. This was happening. For a heartbeat, my hand faltered. The memory of G
sharp as his features
nd smooth, but with an undercurrent of steel
hant smile. I thought of my grandfather, already calculating how to
This was not a chai
ivan-at the bottom of the parchment. The ink flared with a soft, go
signature a bold, autho
th instructed, his vo
over the large, embossed Alliance
rving and strangely pleasant. The light coalesced at our wrists before sinking into our skin, leaving a faint, shimmering
a constant, physical remind
the new mark, a gesture of casual ownership that sent a jolt of pure electricity through
y breath catching in my throat. My heart hammere
epths, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He turned
uickly stamped the documents and handed Caden two small, l
," the cler
ent assistant, who had materialized
reached the massive doors
, turning to face me. "It r
row, waiting for
what might have been a grimace. "The transition of certain responsibilities i
lie, and one that s
The last thing I need is my personal life becoming a distraction." I pushed it a step
o draw a boundary. I expected an argument, a command.
"Inconvenient," he repeated, tasting the word. "Very
a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. My shoulders,
air rushed in, a welcome relief from the charged atmosphere of the hall. He ges
stry hall behind, bound to a man whose name I had
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