Caged Bride

mbled as she stare

carefree smile, one hand raised as if waving off a joke. The scene looked candid, ord

e

ross the glossy photo li

it as if it b

voice caught between disbelief and fu

d beneath his chin, watching her with the stillness of a predator. That same e

the ornate console table behind her. Her h

me obedient?" she asked, her voice rising desp

think you love too easily. An

atching in her throat. "Y

or surveillance. He tagged your favorite bookstore in London. Took a selfie near your family's

He doesn't know anyth

lnerable. Do you think your enemies would hesitate to use him? I've k

ct me," she snap

th something primal. But it vanished jus

Aura. But you are... acc

"Why? Why this level

pa

first real sign of emotion

romise to your fath

kipped. "My fa

act

the photo and envelope into the fireplace. The

l and blacken, smoke risin

he said softly, unable to t

er does,"

He exited the east salon without looking back

re long after

he mansion felt di

crets aloud. A surveillance camera blinked red from the ceiling corner.

o submission?" she muttered und

asted so long. Benea

once kissed beneath a stormy Paris sky. But that didn't matter. What mattered w

a corner-

hallway. Tall. Broad-shouldere

speak. He

step forward. "Are you

ead, his eyes never le

r m

a badge clipped to his belt. "But

clicked sharply behind her. Mrs. Cossimo emerge

its," she said crisply. "

irk, but he obeyed, slipping

contact with the security team. Most are loyal

inked.

inned into a grim line. "T

ng glowed with golden l

was for. Aura was summoned by a quiet knock and dressed by silent m

igh, heart pounding like a drumbeat of warning.

sence magnetic even from across the room. He stood in a loose circle of men who

lker, her heels barely making

. He merely slipped his hand around her

i

ghter around them felt brittle, calculated. Conver

enough to speak. "Wh

urning his head. "To everyone who's be

or parade me

r now, and his

urmured, "they're

in pri

s to strangers whose names she'd never remember. She could f

n it ha

e unmistakable sensa

y of wealthy socialit

hing

ly, her eyes scanning the

s beyond the marble

ok away. He

s, a slow, del

nly that it did. Something in his expression-cal

ched Dan

eane

ispered. "Over by the c

ightly, but by

an wa

ke mist int

around her champagne fl

dn't know why he'd looked at her

s a t

wasn't