23. Lily
Lily
“Wake up, sunshine.”
The voice sends ice through my veins. My eyes flutter open to a familiar setup: a luxury penthouse bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, though these are tinted so dark they might as well be walls. My wrist is secured to a headboard with a padded leather cuff.
Damian sits on the edge of the bed, immaculate in his tailored suit.
Those steel-gray eyes watch me with the same possessive gleam I remember, his perfectly styled dark hair and sharp jawline unchanged.
He still looks every bit the powerful Alpha who took advantage of me when I was too young to know better—and spent years ensuring I stayed under his control.
“You son of a bitch,” I spit out, yanking at the restraint. “Let me go!”
His lips curl into that familiar condescending smile.
“Now, now. Is that any way to greet me after our last… conversation?” He says, adjusting his platinum cufflinks.
“You stormed out so dramatically. Didn’t even take half your things.
” His voice hardens. “Though I suppose you thought you were making some kind of statement.”
“You were hurting me!” The memory crashes back.
“I was upset,” he says, like he’s explaining to a child. “You were being unreasonable. If you had just listened—”
“Because you were trying to control every single thing I did! Who I talked to, where I went, what I wore—”
“I was taking care of you,” he corrects softly. “Everything I did was for your own good.” Your only job was to be beautiful and enjoy being pampered. Was that really so terrible?”
“And now? Are you taking care of me? What are you even planning to do?” I swallow hard. “Are you going to—” I can’t finish the sentence.
He looks genuinely offended. “What, do you think I’d… kill you?” He scoffs, shaking his head. “God no, Lily. I’m not a murderer.” His hand reaches out to stroke my cheek. I jerk away, but there’s nowhere to go. “I’m just taking back what’s mine.”
“I was never yours.”
“No?” His smile turns cruel. “You didn’t seem to mind being mine when I was paying your bills.
When you were living in luxury, sleeping until noon, being showered with gifts.
” His fingers trail down my neck, making my skin crawl.
“When I took you from that pathetic paralegal job and made you my perfect little ornament. All you had to do was look pretty and spread your legs.”
“I was lost,” I snap, heat flooding my cheeks. “And you took advantage of that. I was never happy with you.” My voice strengthens. “If it’s about the money, I can—”
His laugh cuts me off. “You couldn’t pay me back in two lifetimes, sweetheart. But that’s not what this is about.” He stands, adjusting his cuffs. “You’re mine. You’ve always been mine. You just forgot your place for a while.”
A knock makes me tense as Damian’s smile widens.
“Ah, that’ll be Sophia.” He moves to the door. “She’s very excited to meet you. I told her all about your… particular interests.”
My stomach drops. “What?”
“About how you like to watch,” he says casually. “How being restrained while I entertain other women gets you off. She was quite intrigued.”
“That’s not—I never—”
“Shhh.” He presses a finger to my lips. “Don’t worry, precious. You’ll remember how to behave soon enough. And if you’re very good…” His hand slides down my arm. “Maybe you can join in eventually.”
Revulsion makes me shiver as my eyes dart to the door, hoping this woman might realize something’s wrong. But Damian just chuckles.
“Don’t waste your energy, sweetheart. I already told her how much you love these games.” His thumb traces my collarbone, making bile rise in my throat. “How being my dirty little captive gets you so wet. She finds the idea deliciously kinky.”
I turn my face away, but not before I see his satisfied smirk.
“Everything in this room is worth more than most people make in a year,” he says conversationally, moving toward the door. “The bedsheets alone cost five figures. You should be grateful. Most sluts don’t live in such luxury.”
The word makes my blood boil. “My Alphas will find me,” I snarl, clinging to the thought of them like a lifeline.
His scent shifts, taking on a sharp, mocking edge. “Your Alphas?” He stops in his tracks. “Those pathetic excuses for Alphas at that insignificant little Haven?”
His soft, venomous laugh makes my skin crawl. “Oh, sweetheart. They couldn’t even protect you under their own roof. Didn’t even notice when I had someone right under their noses. Speaking of which…” He pauses, gray eyes glittering. “How was your time with Mari yesterday?”
The memory of her gentle smile as she raised her glass flashes through my mind. Then reality crashes back in. My stomach knots, and I lower my eyes, my expression darkening.
“Yes.” Damian’s satisfaction rolls off him in waves. “Amazing what people will do for the right price, isn’t it? Though I must say, she did seem to genuinely enjoy your company. Right up until she slipped you that little something extra.”
Each word lands like a punch. “How did she even get me to you?” I ask, my voice hoarse.
“Oh, she didn’t have to.” Damian reaches into his pocket. What he pulls out makes my heart skip a beat. “Remember this?”
Between his fingers dangles a delicate silver bracelet, identical to the one I’d pawned weeks ago.
“That’s—” I exhale.
“Yes.” His smile widens, triumphant. “I had several made, just for you. Never know when you might lose one, after all.” He turns it, letting it catch the light of the chandelier. “GPS tracker, built right in. Quite clever, really. I’ve always known exactly where you were.”
My eyes widen as he continues, rolling the bracelet between his fingers. “And even when you got rid of yours, it didn’t matter. I already had eyes on you. A few men, a few well-placed calls… you were never really out of my reach.”
The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. “The store alarms…”
“Ah, yes.” He actually chuckles. “A small design flaw, I suppose.”
“With your money, you could have at least fixed it,” I snap, trying to mask my horror with anger.
His eyes dance with cruel amusement. “But where would the fun be in that? It became quite entertaining, actually. Watching you get flustered every time you walked into a store, never once suspecting the real reason.” He pockets the bracelet with a satisfied smirk. “Let’s call it a feature, not a bug.”
My throat tightens as everything clicks into place. All this time, thinking I was free…
His smile widens as he sees in my face. “Don’t worry, precious. You won’t have to see Mari again. After all…”
A second knock echoes through the room.
“You’re home now.”
He opens the door and I hear a woman’s sultry laugh.