Velvet Chain

nica

nt-masculine, expensive, wrong. It was sealed with a wax emblem I didn't recognize, its deep red sheen catching the light. My fi

re glaring reminders of everything I didn't have. The memory of Damien Cross's cold, hung

he envelope dragged against m

an invitation? Wh

buzzed. A

foundation? We real

st tig

oney-it was Mia's future.

oss might be

controlling,

h and finally tore the envel

he kind that looked like it belong

tract. Total submis

rint. No

le line at

_________

ed. The air in

eeing to terms-I'd be giving away contro

f I d

ne buzz

wn Nu

red, he

A calm, authorit

I whi

his far. The c

ne wen

dropped

dn't b

urned agai

of total su

had held me-like he could crush me, or worsh

ïve. This w

was p

bout to han

as out

ow what it would feel like-to fall, to

pen with a

-

en's

he city laid out before me like a kingdom I own

e

ica B

t beautiful. S

k last night... the way she didn't flinch

wrapped in tr

ed to burn

mile. But Veronica? She looked me d

ts to women like her.

wonder if chains could feel like fr

I didn't want

surrender-rea

oose me, knowing f

she wasn

s the

iskey in my han

ne vib

conside

gged at the cor

take h

er ch

, I wouldn't ju

ence. Her secre

surr

-

nica

lock

d sounded l

on the signature line. My reflection in the window

am I

her

midnight. No e

ear his voice, v

mer

to fists. My pulse p

The way his breath had touched my neck. The

h I wanted to f

part of me crav

ne ran

fr

aid, softer this tim

he emotion risi

?" I wh

you're the only one who doesn't back

lid down

se I beli

first time in a lon

ne wen

ade my

-

en's

o

nt of re

ing at the contract notifi

th

sweat slid down t

iety. From a

going

lake wasn't just a

rm waiting to

one b

sig

y, then whisper

me

-

nica

till trembling wh

like a

in wa

, even before I knew wha

e buzze

y. This is only th

ht of the signature

s hi

er tha

ng echoed

elev

buzzed

urn

vy footsteps ech

art s

I saw

mi

in hand, eyes darker than I reme

your life away, V

real

tract hadn't