Chandelier Enthralled (Chandelier Sessions #3)

Chapter One

I had no choice but to go back—even if it meant self-destruction.

No matter how much I prolonged this agony, it wasn’t going away on its own. Still, it was unthinkable that I’d willingly return to Pendulum after last night—after everything that had happened over the last month.

That place tarnished everything I admired about “the scene.” The darkness there had finally been exposed. It was my problem now, my mess to clean up. It was my job to tear it down.

Tear them all down.

The ones who craved pleasure through another’s suffering. The same place where I used to forget , found refuge from the chaos. In the wrong hands, it had turned into a nightmare.

Atticus had brought me to Cameron Cole’s home last night, the man who consoled those who’d gone over the edge.

Apparently, those like me.

And here I stood, in a private bedroom in his sprawling Beverly Hills mansion, grateful for it, yet unable to shake the grip of this nightmare.

A few hours had slipped by since I’d walked through his front door, but I couldn’t stay—not with knowing everything I had to do to find peace.

There was no doubt I felt safe here, surrounded by the finest décor.

Cameron Cole’s home was a marvel of light and intellect, each room reflecting his genius. The décor breathed history, art and wisdom into every corner.

I got dressed again, after taking a nap on the bed. This majestic bespoke tuxedo I had found in the closet had Italian tailoring that fit me well. My own wrinkled tuxedo was a lost cause—there was no saving it after I had slept in it for a few hours. My Brioni shoes reflected the darkness of my soul.

I finished securing my cufflinks, a gift from Cameron long ago, that memory pulling me gently from the haze. I wanted back those better days. The time before Pendulum.

It wasn’t perfect.

But it wasn’t this.

An hour away from midnight and the stillness did nothing to soothe my suffering. If my friends found out my part in this…

For some, being here would be like heaven on earth. For me it was suffocating, because Cole wanted to talk about my past, and one of the most famous women in the world. The one who’d both saved and wrecked me at the same time. Until now, I’d kept the pain of my stolen childhood locked away, a promise I had sworn to keep. But staying under his roof made me vulnerable to the gentle, yet brilliant, way he’d ease the truth from me with his piercing questions.

No doubt he’d be against me returning to the sinister club that had no right to exist anymore. We’d maintained our membership with the intention of taking over the club—until that plan had fallen apart.

There was a photo on the side table of Cameron surfing. The guy was good at everything, whether it be fencing or managing a billion-dollar business.

We’d been friends for decades—before that, we’d bonded over our mutual passion for architecture.

He’d been a fan of my work long before we’d met.

Designing Cole Tower for his family in L.A. was more than a prestigious commission, it was an honor. It wasn’t about a structure; it was about shaping a space that reflected their history. They were renowned tea magnates celebrated for their distinguished brand.

I’d been entrusted with a project deeply tied to their legacy. It had been an opportunity to weave my creativity into something meaningful for them .

And I fucking loved tea.

This mansion reflected Cole in all its complex and yet welcoming ways.

Before his wife Mia had left for a weekend trip, I’d overheard their laughter echoing through the halls, warm and inviting. I wondered if Cameron had sent her away because of me.

Their home was made up of everything right in the world. Yet here I stood, staring at my reflection in the long mirror—a phantom who couldn’t be touched by its vitality, feeling more alone than ever.

Ironically, I was the man filled with places where light could never reach.

No escaping me.

Only the darkness lingered.

I can’t stay.

I must rescue the woman who had destroyed me and somehow, someway, persuade her to recognize her betrayal was a mistake she had never meant to make. The other things—the unforgivable things—where numerous lives had been destroyed, I needed more time to process. I needed to hear her side, hear how she was equally a victim.

We all knew that.

Didn’t we?

My chest ached from the dread I was feeling, the fear that I’d never be able to bring her back from the brink. I had let her in, let her close, and she’d ruined what was left of the good in me. Her actions at Pendulum haunted me.

Still, I’d convinced myself that Amelia was just as much a victim of Pendulum as everyone else.

I stepped out of the bedroom into the hall and closed the door. Peering over the balcony, I was grateful to see a clear path to the front door, and I descended the staircase toward the foyer as quietly as possible.

As I reached the bottom of the staircase, my heart flinched. There he was—the only man who might be able to talk me out of leaving.

Cameron stepped in front of me wearing Armani PJs and a charismatic grin—the kind that could suck your soul out of your body and leave nothing but a shell.

Everyone came to him for solace, for his legendary mindfucks that could lead a man to freedom. But you had to let him in for it to work.

Feeling my throat tighten, I loosened my bowtie.

He met my gaze. “Nice tuxedo.”

This is what happens when you’re thrown into the limelight in front of one of the world’s most proficient psychiatrists—think Freud meshed with Jung and some sketchy philosophy and you have Dr. Cole.

I pretended I had no idea I was wearing his black-tie suit.

His smile faded. “You’re not going back to Pendulum.”

I stepped around him, heading for the door.

“Greyson,” he said, his tone severe.

I looked back at him. “Grabbing some fresh air.”

“It’s a mistake.”

I refused to meet his gaze. I wasn’t in the mood for his scrutiny.

He gestured towards his office. “It’s just chess.”

“It’s never just chess.”

“It’s over.”

“You know it’s not,” I said. “Jewel Hadley is scheming. She must be stopped.”

“You helped her victims escape. You’ve done enough.”

After Atticus had brought me here, I vaguely recalled dismantling Cameron’s bookcase. I looked that way.

“What were you searching for in those books?” He’d read my mind.

“Not sure.”

“Answers,” he suggested.

“I guess.”

“I can help.”

“You inside my head is the last thing I need.”

“This is what I do.”

I couldn’t keep the pain from reflecting in my eyes; it was impossible to hide anything from him.

“Let Atticus deal with her.”

I blinked at him, hating my transparency. “I have to make sure Amelia’s safe.”

“Call her. Tell her not to go back.”

“She’s blocked my phone number.”

“Use my phone.”

I shook my head. “You don’t know her.”

“You’re concerned Jewel will seduce her back to Pendulum?”

“Amelia gave away the location of where the trafficked women were hiding. She was bribed with a priceless diamond.”

“She’ll have trouble selling it.”

“She played both sides.”

“Greyson, after you help her, what then?”

“I’ll send her back to Ohio.”

“Why would you want to be around her?” he asked softly. “Amelia’s toxic.”

“I know,” I whispered.

Cameron stepped closer. “I’m concerned.”

I wanted answers.

I had to know the motivation behind her betrayal, the deeper story. I needed to know if what we’d shared was genuine—if there was any shred of truth to the person she had made me believe she was.

Cameron rested his hand on my shoulder. “You’re having an existential crisis.”

“I’m redefining the meaning of life.”

“ Your life,” Cameron said with volition. “And it’s a good life, Grantchester.”

I looked away.

My breath caught at the sight of a woman standing motionless, bathed in shadows in the dimly lit hallway. How long had the stunning brunette been there, listening to our conversation?

She was in her early twenties, her presence commanding effortless attention, her see-through nightdress highlighted by the shining chandelier above, revealing her tall, lithe figure.

She was perfection.

Cameron turned to look at her. “Go back to bed,” he ordered.

She hesitated, her refusal a surprise considering his tone. His gaze found me again, only this time as a stark warning. She was out of bounds. His reaction stirred fascination.

The woman rebelled, continuing to hold my stare, and whatever this moment was, it wasn’t natural. It was the epitome of being spellbound. I was captivated by her delicate features, her grace an undeniable allure. Brunette locks cascaded around her shoulders, making her look as though she’d stepped out of a painting.

She was so breathtakingly beautiful I might have fallen for her if I wasn’t an empty shell of a man.

Amelia needs me.

I tore my gaze away, forcing myself to focus on anything but the mesmerizing pull of that woman.

The way Cameron’s gaze shifted from her to me was disquieting, as if we were two volatile forces of nature—colliding stars—that if allowed to converge, might unravel reality.

I couldn’t resist the urge to glance in her direction once again. She had moved closer.

Then I saw it, the same chestnut hue of Cole’s eyes—a striking resemblance, proving that Cameron was her brother.

“Now!” he snapped at her, as though I was an escaped wild creature.

She scurried away, out of the chandelier’s light, and I lost sight of her.

He turned back to me. “Greyson, go to bed. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“I don’t think I will.” I headed toward the front door.

“Amelia is not good for you.”

An understatement—she’d almost destroyed my mind. No telling what harm might happen if I spent one more second with her.

Still, I said, “If anything happens to her it’s on me.”

“Let the others deal with her.”

Deal. The word made my stomach churn.

On a side table lay a BMW’s fob. “Can I borrow your car?”

He watched me pick up his keys, rubbing his brow in frustration.

“I’ll buy you a new one,” I jested.

Cameron glanced back down the hallway where the beauty had once stood before vanishing, as though wondering if she had witnessed our conversation.

“I know, I know,” I said. “Stay away from your sister.”

“She doesn’t move in your circles,” he said flatly.

“Good to know.”

“None of us are going back to Pendulum.” Cameron stalked toward me. “Not until we know more.”

I paused in the doorway. “You think they’ll kill me?”

“We’ve awakened a sleeping lion.”

“Jewel? Is that why you sent Mia away?”

Cameron shook his head.

“What could possibly go wrong?” I said, grinning.

“Stepping back in is a grave mistake.”

“I have to put this right.” I walked out without waiting for an answer. The night air hit me in the face, cold and unforgiving.

I climbed into the BMW and started the engine, pulling away from the house.

At last, the ornate iron gate creaked open. I let the engine idle for a moment, clinging to the foreign sense of peace I’d felt when I’d first laid eyes on his sister.

A surge of adrenaline made me hit the gas. I tore off into the night towards a place that didn’t exist.