the treatment. The two women who served as my handlers were rough, their hands merciless as th

ed to stimulate my glands, to force my body to produce the unique Monroe scent in overwhelmin

ony, a sharp, piercing pain that made my teeth chatter and my body convulse. This part of the ritual was mea

t was called "The Blooming," a way to heighten a person's natural scent, to create an aura of irresistible attraction. My grandfather had

orm of manipulation. They focused instead on creating perfumes that evoked emot

ournals. He had twisted our famil

pain. I was so weak, so tired. My vision blurred, the edges

He wanted my skin exposed, accessible. In the grand ballroom of the Hayes Corporatio

s voice dripping with false pride. "Th

outh, leaned in close. "She smells divine, Liam. Absolutely divine.

had learned to disconnect, to retreat into the qu

twist of his lips. "She's all

ing me against his portly body, his foul breath hot on my neck. I felt

front of hundreds of people. I didn't scream. I didn't fight.

a low growl from somewhere behind me.

I would not give hi

he whispered, his voice a venomous caress. "Everything about you. Your body,

red a time when those same gray eyes had looked at me with something else. A time whe

ample of our original formula, the one meant to enhance human connection. But she had misused it, combining it w

that clung to her for weeks. She became a public spectacle, ridiculed and ostracized. The

ulty formula, that they had orchestrated her downfall. He inherited his father'

He drove my father to an early grave with the stress of it all. My

y eyes, escaping into the darkness. I started counting in my head. One, two, three... waiting for the night t