Chapter 25. Florian
"You checked your phone again," Luna said, her round glasses slipping down her nose as she leaned forward. She pushed them back up with her middle finger, as if she was flipping me off. "That's like the fifth time in fifteen minutes. He really has you on a short leash, doesn't he?"
"It's not like that," I muttered, turning my phone face-down on the sticky table. The pizza between us had grown cold, the cheese a rubbery sheet.
Luna snorted, taking a long pull from her cider. "You're a twenty-one-year-old man who needs permission to have a beer with a friend on a Friday night. You don't see anything wrong with that picture?"
I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "It's just house rules."
"House rules," she repeated, her voice flat.
"In a house that isn't yours, paid for by a man twice your age, who you met how?
On that sugar daddy app?" She leaned closer, her eyes softening with genuine concern.
"Look, I love you, and I'm glad you're not sleeping in that shelter anymore, but you have nothing of your own right now.
No money, no house. You know they'd take you back at the grocery store, but you said no jobs for you now.
You're very susceptible to being exploited. "
My fingers found the condensation on my glass, tracing nervous patterns. "Knox isn't exploiting me."
"And that age difference..." Luna continued as if I hadn't spoken. "He's what, forty-six? What could you possibly have in common?"
"Forty-eight isn't that old," I said defensively. "And we have plenty in common. He likes art and books, and he helps me with my studies, and…"
"And he puts you on an allowance and gives you a curfew like you're twelve," Luna finished. She sighed, tucking a strand of blue hair behind her ear. "I just worry. You went from one situation with your dad to another with this guy."
The comparison to Finn stung, and I felt heat rising to my cheeks.
"Knox is nothing like my father," I said, my voice sharper than I intended.
"Finn was a selfish drunk who took everything and gave nothing.
Knox..." I paused, searching for words that wouldn't sound pathetic.
"Knox takes care of me. Because I want to. And allow him."
"The power dynamic is so skewed. He has all the power, financial, experiential, everything. What happens if you disagree with him? What happens if you want to leave? Where will you even go?"
“I'll figure it out,” I said, shivering a little.
My phone vibrated against the table, the screen illuminating with a text. Daddy with two red hearts. My heart lurched as I read the message.
Where are you? You know the rules about curfew. This is unacceptable, Florian.
Something must have shown on my face because Luna reached across the table and grabbed my phone before I could stop her.
"'This is unacceptable, Florian'?" she read aloud, her eyebrows shooting up. "Is he your boyfriend or your boss? Jesus."
"Luna, give it back," I hissed, snatching the phone from her hand.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard. What could I say?
I'd already texted him hours ago that I was meeting Luna for a quick dinner, knowing full well I planned to stay out longer.
It was a half-truth at best, a deliberate test of boundaries at worst.
"See, this is exactly what I'm talking about," Luna said, gesturing at my obvious distress. "Look at you. You're terrified because you're having a drink with a friend. That's not normal, Flo."
"I'm not terrified," I lied, typing out a quick reply.
Sorry, lost track of time. Heading back soon.
Knox's response was immediate and tense:
We'll discuss this when you get home.
Five simple words that sent a shiver down my spine, equal parts dread and, embarrassingly, anticipation. I knew what ‘discuss’ meant in Knox's vocabulary. I knew what happened to boys who broke curfew. The thought made my face flush and my stomach tighten with a complicated knot of emotions.
"Why did you even come out tonight if you're this stressed about it?" Luna asked, her tone softening as she noticed my discomfort.
I looked up at her, at the genuine concern in her dark eyes.
"Because I missed you," I admitted. "We don't work together anymore, and you know...
I don't have many friends." There was another reason too, one I couldn't articulate even to myself: sometimes I needed to push against the boundaries, to make sure they would hold.
"I miss you too," Luna said, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. "But I don't want to get you in trouble with Daddy."
"It's not..." I started, then sighed. "Look, the rules, the structure, it's consensual, okay? It's what I want too." I lowered my voice. “It’s a dynamic. We discussed all of this. I can stop, renegotiate.”
Luna studied me, skepticism etched in the furrow of her brow. "If you say so. But consent gets muddy when one person holds all the cards."
I stood up, pulling on my jacket. "He doesn't hold all the cards. I could leave anytime I want." Even as I said it, the thought of walking away from Knox's house, from his steady presence, from the safety he'd built around me, made my chest tight with panic.
"Could you, though?" Luna asked quietly.
The question hung between us, unanswered because we both knew the truth. I had nowhere else to go.
"I've gotta go," I said, dropping some cash on the table, from Knox's allowance, of course, which didn't escape Luna's notice. "His driver's waiting."
"Of course he is," Luna muttered, but she stood up and gave me a tight hug. "Just... be careful, okay? And remember you always have a couch at my place if you need it. You aren’t going back to that shelter. I’ll make sure of that."
I nodded, grateful for the offer even though I knew I wouldn't take it.
As I walked out of the pub into the cool night air, I spotted the sleek black car waiting at the curb. My heart raced as I slid into the back seat, the leather cool against my palms.
"Home, please," I told Allan.
As the car pulled away from the curb, I leaned my head against the window and watched the campus lights recede. I was heading toward consequences, toward the discipline I'd deliberately invited by staying out late. And despite Luna's concerns, despite my own jumbled feelings, I wanted exactly that.
We got there. Allan opened my door without a word, and I stepped out, my legs unsteady with dread and anticipation.
I knew Knox would be waiting. I knew he'd be angry, or worse, disappointed.
The walk to the front door felt longer than usual, each step carrying me closer to consequences I'd deliberately chosen.
I felt sick. And hard, at the same time.
When I pressed my palm against the biometric lock and heard the soft click, I drew in a deep breath.
Knox was waiting, just as I'd expected. He stood at the base of the grand staircase, still.
His posture was military, straight, sleeves rolled up.
So. Fucking. Hot. He wore no tie, no jacket, just slacks and a crisp white button-down that made his grayish hair and defined features look even more striking.
His face was impassive, but his dark eyes made my skin prickle.
"You're late," he stated, his voice calm. He checked his expensive watch with deliberate slowness. "Two hours and twenty-one minutes late, to be precise."
I shrugged out of my jacket, aiming for nonchalance though my heart hammered against my ribs. "Lost track of time," I said, tossing the jacket over the antique hall table instead of hanging it properly. A small act of defiance. "Luna and I had a lot to catch up on."
Knox's gaze flicked to the discarded jacket, then back to my face. "You know the consequences for breaking curfew, Florian." His voice remained steady. Somehow, that was worse than if he'd yelled. I was visibly shivering now. Pathetic.
"It's just a couple of hours," I said, shoving my hands in my pockets to hide their trembling. "Not like I was out robbing banks or something. And I texted you."
"No," Knox agreed, taking a step toward me. "You were out deliberately breaking a rule we both agreed upon. A rule you understood and accepted. All to test the boundaries. I think you’ll find yourself wondering if this was worth it in a moment."
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. "So what now? You ground me? Take away my phone privileges?" The bratty words tumbled out automatically.
Knox didn't rise to the bait. He simply inclined his head toward the hallway. "Study. Now."
Two words. The study meant serious consequences. The study meant we were well beyond a hand spanking or corner time. I hesitated for just a second before moving past him, my shoulder brushing his chest as I walked toward it.
The study door stood open, the room lit by a desk lamp. It was my favorite room in the house during the day: walls lined with books, deep armchairs perfect for reading, the scent of old paper and Knox's cologne. At night, with punishment looming, it transformed into something far more intimidating.
Knox followed me in, closing the door with a soft click. I stood in the center of the room, trying to keep my breathing steady as he moved to his desk, a massive piece of mahogany that dominated the space. He turned to face me, leaning back against the edge of the desk, arms crossed over his chest.
"I want to be very clear about something, Florian," he said, his voice dropping to that quiet register that always made me stand straighter. "I'm not upset that you wanted to spend time with your friend. Socialization is important, and I never intend to isolate you from people you care about."
I blinked, caught off guard by this opening.
"I'm disappointed," he continued, "because you didn't ask permission to stay out past curfew. You sent a text saying you were having dinner with Luna, knowing full well you planned to stay out much later. You were doing this deliberately."
Heat crept up my neck. He saw through me so easily. It was infuriating.