Signed to Him: Owned by His Twin

n her neck s

Not cruel. Just

lay soft and white, moonlight spilling across them. A slight throbbing of her head, like a w

n she s

r lazily in her direction, his voice

tened. That wasn

d in Southern charm. A voice like h

ould right itself. But no. The ma

y eyes. But something shifted behind this man's smile. Somethi

ed silk sheets around her

e asked, vo

inned. "Wrong t

eart

her heart hammering, the subtle slide of f

en she

he carved wood of the bed frame. The man did not attempt to follow.

aped over the bedpost. She grabbed i

r. Too calm. Too close. Someone cleared

urned

man wa

he smell of expensive cologne hung in th

nd glistened i

g in her

r was ice under

It was a long corridor - an archive of old money and silence. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead 

't alone

itary fashion. The tie is already st

he said as if this

an archway, sipping tea wi

," Lorelei said

red her. "Whe

f a breath. "Still s

erson in my be

. "Champagne dreams, sweet

poke

can do

one. "It was him. Not

y be compensating your mind. Trauma

what I

ice thick with concern she did not feel. "Jet la

Her hand landed on the polished brass of

ck

cou

erfume. "Sometimes the mind protects us

h didn'

ocked door as if it

ed the name of the ma

his coffee as

egacy, and persuasion. A nauseating whiff of cold vetiver waft

no urgency. "Did

her sides. There wa

n placed it down. "Strange.

it was

nd does funny things w

" she said.

olled and deliberate. He rapped a knu

he said. "That's

ted to

di

ft the charg

d drawers. Her phone was dead. Her me

d for a box marked "Guest 4."

ore i

s. Paper. A ma

raph sli

entical. Sui

n of the Empire: Slade

d turned

he photo over

erit. One wi

the photo on

ed beneath it.

lied

t blink. "W

s in m

sed to be involved

in half. Cash's

e ever existed

d at the

lf a truth. Her

water wa

g her knees. Steam clouded the

"I know wh

o one

rrible, gilded silence -