le I wasn't looking. Every sound-the hum of the fridge, the creak of the floorboard, the distant wail of a siren-felt m

n my mind: "Meet me. 8

sation? An order? A test? Or something

truth was, the contract wasn't just on paper anymore-it had slipped into my veins. Every heartb

s quiet, almost sterile, the kind of silence that makes your own thoughts loud and accusatory. His assistant didn't speak; she just guided me towar

ll, commanding the space even without moving. His eyes found me immediately, and for a moment

id. One word

bey

tudying prey. Every step he took echoed against the polished floor, reverberating i

hy I called you here

fully, though my pulse thump

heat from his body, the scent of him-a sharp, clean warning. "Thi

the lump in my throat

dent. Then he smiled-not kind, not warm-but calculating. "You will be tested. Tonight, in ways th

t a question. Th

ual parts dread and something darker-

a man who offered chances l