I woke to a dull ache in my head, the soft golden light making my disorientation worse. Blinking, I tried to remember where I was. The last thing I recalled was... Alexander. His piercing blue eyes. His arms around me. And then—nothing. A soft knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. “Come in,” I called out, my voice shaky. A maid entered with a tray of water and aspirin, setting it on the bedside table without a word. I didn’t ask any questions, still trying to piece together what had happened. After she left, I swung my legs off the bed, the cool floor beneath my feet grounding me. My foot throbbed from the shoes, adding to the confusion. “What happened?” I whispered to myself, my heart racing. “I don’t remember anything after dinner.” Running a hand through my hair, I tried to recall how I ended up here. The last clear memory was Alexander carrying me, his arms steady as my body trembled.- - - Back in alex study, Alexander sighed, running a hand through his alre
"Don't wander off. I’ll meet you in an hour," Alexander said as he handed Vee his sleek black card, his tone clipped. His icy-blue eyes flicked to Dysis briefly, softening for a fraction of a second. "Get what you need. Vee, stay with her."Dysis hesitated, the weight of his gaze making her stomach churn. “Are you not coming with us?”“I have something to take care of,” he replied, his voice firm. Without waiting for her response, he turned and strode toward the parking lot, his tailored coat billowing behind him.“Come on,” Vee said, her tone softening as she tugged Dysis toward the glass doors of the luxury mall. “Let’s get those shoes sorted out.”The mall was bustling, its opulent atmosphere overwhelming. Chandeliers sparkled above them, and polished marble floors reflected the designer stores on every corner. Dysis felt out of place in her worn sneakers and simple dress, but Vee’s confident stride gave her the courage to follow.---Inside a boutique with walls lined in expensive
The Levi mansion loomed with an oppressive silence, its grandeur overshadowed by secrets. Alexander sat at his desk, his expression a mask of calm, as John handed him the report.Thomas Salmon was dead. The cause of his demise was murky.Leaning back in his chair, Alexander’s icy-blue eyes narrowed. Dysis didn’t need to know. The man who had sold her like a commodity wasn’t worth mourning. But the thought of her learning the truth from someone else gnawed at him. It was a small fear he’d never admit, but he couldn’t push it aside.“Dispose of this,” Alexander said flatly, pushing the report toward John.John hesitated, glancing at the file before meeting his gaze. “Sir, if Max Carter is involved—”“For now, this stays between us,” Alexander cut him off, his voice hard.John nodded, the tension in the air palpable as he left. Alexander remained, alone with his thoughts. For the first time in a long while, his mind was consumed with guilt, an unfamiliar and unwelcome feeling.**Dysis h
Dysis reclined in the chair, her fingers gliding along the spine of the book on her lap. The words merged into one, her thoughts wandering as she attempted to concentrate on the tale, yet Sofie’s voice resonated in her head, unyielding.“Know your place, slave.” The phrase lingered like a poisonous whisper, each repetition a cruel reminder of the tension between her and Sofie. Dysis clenched her jaw, forcing herself to push the memory aside. She had to stop thinking about it, stop letting it consume her. Sofie's presence merely reinforced the power dynamic she could never evade in this world. She turned the page of the book, but the words didn’t sink in. Instead, her thoughts surged, attempting to understand all that had transpired—the increasing unease she experienced in Sofie’s presence, the instances when Alexander’s focus appeared to waver, and the oppressive burden of an unexpressed tension among them. “What type of connection do Alex and Sofie share, anyway?” she whispered t
Alexander Levi was heading home, the soft drone of his car and the city lights blurring by providing scant comfort to the fatigue pulling at him. He had recently departed from the firm after a taxing day, his mind consumed by an increasing discomfort he couldn’t disregard. His phone buzzed loudly on the console, its vibration disturbing the quiet. He kept his gaze on the road while reaching for it and pressing the call button. “Milo,” he said, his tone composed but tinged with a subtle command. However, Milo’s voice on the other line was far from calm. “Sir, there’s an issue.” Alexander's grip on the wheel became firmer. "Speak?" "It is Dysis." "She’s missing." The vehicle jolts a bit as Alexander suddenly stops, his heart racing in his chest. "What do you imply by *missing*?" “She’s gone,” Milo said, frustration and panic bleeding into his tone. “Her personal guard, Vee, was last seen escorting her out of the mansion, but they never made it back. None of our teams can track he
Alexander strode past John, his footsteps echoing sharply through the marble corridors of the Levi mansion. The tension in the air was suffocating, every member of his household aware of the storm that had descended.Entering his office, he found Milo waiting, a laptop open on the desk and surveillance feeds streaming across the screen. Milo stood as Alexander entered, his expression grim.“What have you found?” Alexander demanded, his tone cold and impatient.Milo adjusted his glasses and turned the laptop toward Alexander. “We traced Vee and Dysis to the edge of Ravenhold, near the industrial district. The car disappeared into one of the tunnels, and we lost the signal. It’s a dead zone—no cameras, no tracking.”Alexander leaned over the desk, his icy-blue eyes scanning the footage. His jaw tightened as he replayed the moment Vee and Dysis vanished.“What about the men at the perimeter?” he asked.“They saw nothing,” Milo replied. “Whoever orchestrated this planned it carefully. No
Dysis’s thoughts raced as she devised a frantic strategy. She leaned back against the wall, feigning sleep as she heard the footsteps of one of Max's bodyguards getting closer. The lock snapped, and the stout door groaned as it opened. “Food,” the man growled roughly, setting a tray down on the table. Dysis remained motionless, breathing steadily, her heart racing within her chest. She could sense the ribbon pressing into her wrists, so tightly that the skin was starting to tear, blood running down her hands. The bodyguard approached, bending down to see if she was alert. It was this moment or not at all. Gathering all her power, Dysis raised her restrained hands, surprising him with a sudden blow to his face. He staggered backward with a grunt, and before he had a chance to regain his balance, she pushed him with her shoulder, causing him to slam into the table. Adrenaline rushed within her as she ran toward the door. She banged it closed behind her and secured it with shaky fin
Dysis’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes darted between Vee, who whimpered weakly in the guard’s grasp, and Max, whose expression was calm but deadly.“You wouldn’t,” she whispered, though her voice lacked conviction.“Try me,” Max said, his tone sharp. “I have nothing to lose, I’ve already done far worse, Dysis. Don’t test how much further I’m willing to go.”Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she absorbed the impact of his words. Her thoughts raced, seeking an escape, a passage out of this nightmare. However, regardless of the direction she faced, she sensed confinement. “You’re running out of time,” Max said, holding the contract and a pen out to her. “Sign it, and I’ll let her live. Refuse, and she dies right here, right now.”Dysis’s hands trembled as she reached for the pen, her vision blurring. Was this really her only option?No!. Dysis’s expression turned steely, her eyes brimming with defiance as she faced Max’s icy gaze. "You and my dad are identical," she hi
Adam Levi's office door creased as it swung open. The room was dark, only the orange glow of one desk lamp lighting it. From a half-burned cigar in a crystal ashtray, smoke coiled sloppily. Towering and loaded with ancient leather-bound volumes that smelt of dust, conflict, and tradition, bookshelves ran down the walls The air smelt strongly of cedarwood and ash, swallowing the faint winter trace coming from the window crevices. Silent Alexander entered, his bare feet soft against the smooth hardwood floor. He wore a big jumper that hung off one shoulder with sleeves engulfing his hands. He felt a breeze from the slightly ajar window, but he did not react. His experience with cold was one of adaptation. Adam turned his back on him. He stood behind his desk, wide back stiff under a dark suit. Under low light, the grey in his hair stood more clearly. With one hand he clutched a glass of bourbon, the ice clicking softly as he spun it. His other hand rested on a hefty, sealed, crimso
One Year Later The Levi estate stood silent, wrapped in fog and frost. The mansion, once alive with Rosie’s laughter and sunlight spilling through open windows, had grown cold—like something sacred had been buried inside its walls. A clock ticked softly somewhere in the distance. The fire in the parlor crackled, but it gave no warmth. Adam sat at the edge of his office desk. His hands were stained with oil and blood—both recent. Though the air was cold, his black shirt fit his back and hung with sweat. His tie disappeared from view on the floor next to a broken whisky tumbler. A long gash stretched across the side of his palm, still bleeding. He hadn’t spoken in hours. Not a word. The leather chair behind his desk remained untouched, like a throne he no longer deserved. He no longer ruled with strategy or calculation. He ruled with silence. With steel. With the kind of violence that didn’t end when justice was served—but hunted until it bled out everything. Every na
Six Years Later Alexander's sixth birthday started with laughter early in the morning. Like birdsong during a protracted storm, high-pitched and brilliant it rang through the Levi mansion's hallways. With his silk pyjama pants hanging around his legs and hair tangled and sticking out in a hundred ways, the lad went barefoot down the great staircase. His laughter echoed off gilded mirrors and marble columns, a sound so innocent it felt like a revolt in a house constructed on steel and shadows. “Alexander!” Rosie’s voice trailed behind him, laughing too. “Shoes! What did I say about running like a little wolf?” He darted behind the banister."Wolves do not wear shoes!" She grabbed him at the stair foot and gently raised him in her arms, kissing his warm, drowsy cheek. Like childhood, like everything good she had ever dared to wish for, he smelt of honeyed milk and sunshine. She said, "You're six now," softly moving his dark hair off his forehead. “That’s ancient.” “Ancient?” he
Outside the mansion, the night air smelt jasmine buds, and through the windows one could hear the soft rustle of trees. As a fire blazed in the fireplace, the luxurious sitting area glowed in warm, golden tones. The Levi family estate saw many important occasions with its lofty columns and extravagant furniture. None would be as significant, though, as the one in the way right now.Rosie sat by the large bay window in low light, her hands softly brushing a newborn draped in exquisite, pastel blue blankets. Her face exuded an unmistakable brightness, yet it was little worn with the minor exhaustion of delivery. Looking down at the small face peeping out from the swaddling, her heart grew with a love only a mother could experience. At last here was her long-awaited son, Alexander.Adam stood in the corner of the room, his massive form silhouetted against the flickering fire. Though he weighed his eyes, a calm delight that ran deeper than anything he had ever experienced, his face exuded
Four years had spun their complex designs into the fabric of the Levi mansion. The enormous home was evidence of the passage of time with its soaring columns and vast gardens. Still, inside its boundaries, the dynamics had changed in minute, almost invisible terms. Adam Levi stayed a tower of strength and loyalty; his love for Rosie just got stronger every day. His love had not only survived but grown, like roots digging ever more into the ground. Now his eyes were softer, full of unspoken love, every touch a statement of his relentless dedication. Ever the picture of elegance, Rosie had found comfort in the daily grind. She cared for the flowers Adam had given her in the mornings, feeling the chilly ground between her hands. Afternoons were for melodies on the grand piano resonating through the hallways, the soothing tones warming the cold marble flooring. Still, something inside her stirred—a restlessness she could not quite identify—even as she had built a world of beauty all ab
Eventually, he relented.Adam Levi, once so firm in his resolve, stood before a mirror in a black suit that fit him too well. It wasn’t new. He hadn’t bothered with a custom tailoring for the occasion. What did it matter? Nothing about this day belonged to him—not really.Downstairs, the mansion pulsed with the sound of soft piano music, played by a hired musician Lili insisted on. She had a taste—refined, elegant, precise. She had orchestrated every detail of the wedding with the efficiency of someone born into this world, raised to carry it on her back.She entered the Levi family like water filling a glass—graceful, quiet, but impossible to ignore.She wore ivory, with glittering silver thread woven across it. Maybe it hung on her frame like the cloth had been spun particularly for her. Her golden hair put into a chignon exposed the sharp contours of her cheekbones, and she glided down the aisle with an elegance almost surreal. Blue eyes gleamed under the light of the chandelier—no
Months passed in silence between Adam and Rosie, like an old scar not healing. Adam had believed that time would help things to settle down, that the anguish of their hidden reality would lessen into something more doable. But it failed. It was never accomplished.Rather, the days merged into one another, mornings colder than yesterday. With her light and deliberate movements always just out of reach, Rosie walked across their mansion like a ghost. For his part, Adam submerged himself in the limitless obligations of the Levi empire. His father's loud and strong voice echoed in his memory every day, reminding him of what he had to do and what he needed to achieve. Still, there was something in the silence, the times Rosie was near when their eyes crossed a room and they didn't say but yet recognised each other, that felt like the beginning of something else. Not precisely, it was not love. not yet. But there was something more profound, something that descended below simple affection.
The cake shop felt like a universe unto itself, a little, modest haven amid a busy city. Outside, unaware of the little time Adam and Rosie had just experienced, the planet sped ahead. Inside, the air scented like vanilla and buttercream—the kind of scent that would have let even the hardest man forget the coldness of the life he led.Adam requested a slice of cake. He was unable to quite articulate why. Perhaps it was the way Rosie had eaten the sweets with such wild abandon, as though she had no regard for the guidelines of the society in which she lived. Perhaps it was because he experienced something not quite the keen edge of control for the first time in a very long period. Though it felt more than that, the cake was a rich, luscious treat, a transient pleasure. It felt like the start of something he was not yet able to name.Rosie didn't flinch as he sat beside her; his posture is always exact and tight. Though his presence still carried power, there was something different abo
Reviewing the files before Adam, he sat behind his polished mahogany desk, his fingers tapping steadily against the wood. High above the city, his office was a fortress of icy efficiency, every piece of furniture positioned with exacting accuracy. But even with all the grandeur around him, a great sense of unhappiness ate at his core. His life—the history, the expectations, the cold, deliberate actions that had gotten him to this point—pressed down on him ruthlessly. It all felt caught, suffocating him. And today, the approaching wedding plans of his father just served to intensify that pressure.Rosie. His mind kept returning the name, as it had for the last few days. With a force Adam could hardly ignore, her blazing red hair, calm, unwavering eyes, and rebellious attitude against everything he had made crashed into his meticulously created universe. She was his wife, a little pawn in the game of family politics, but she refused to follow the rules of his dominion. And in some weir