Novels by Grytonna

HIROTO'S POV I woke up before my alarm the next morning, which was a rare sight. My body was stiff and aching in ways that made every movement a reminder of the library shelves. My throat was dry and my neck… I didn't even need to look in the mirror to know the collar had left a mark.I dressed up lazily, pulling on a thick, high-collared turtleneck despite the mild weather. I had to hide the red ring, the bite marks, and the sheer, vibrating panic that hadn't left my chest since I’d scurried out of the library like a rat."Morning," Kenji mumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. He looked exhausted, his hair a mess, but something about him felt off."Morning," I said, my voice sounding slightly worriedl. I kept my back to him, busying myself with my bag. "You're up later than usual.”"Couldn't sleep early enough. Also, it's just as surprising to see you up early," he said, his voice dropping. "Man, I have to tell you something. I tried to find you last night, but… I saw something.

HIROTO'S POV The thin leather cord of the collar was a constant, searing presence against my throat. Every time I reached for a book or turned my head to answer a question in my afternoon seminars, the cool silver ring pressed into my skin. Even under my thickest wool sweater, I felt like I was walking around the university naked, a leash invisible to everyone but the man who owned it.By the time the final bell rang at 5:00 PM, my nerves were frayed. I got a text from Kenji asking if I wanted to grab ramen at a new Japanese restaurant that opened nearby, but before I could reply, a notification from an unknown number popped up.The library. Third floor, North Wing. 5:30 PM. Don't be late, Cinder.My heart skipped a beat. The North Wing was the old section of the library—dimly lit, filled with towering shelves of rare law texts, and usually deserted after hours. I sent a quick lie to Kenji: Got stuck at the lab. Don’t wait up.The library was eerily quiet as I climbed the stairs. The

HIROTO'S POV The silence in the lecture hall was suffocating. The last few students had trickled out, their chatter fading down the hallway, leaving me alone with the man who had bought my body for a hundred thousand dollars.Neven didn't move. He stayed leaned against his desk, his massive arms crossed, his blue eyes tracking every frantic breath I took. The sunlight hitting the whiteboard behind him made his blonde hair glow, but there was nothing angelic about him. He looked like he was dissecting me."Professor," I started, my voice trembling. "I... I can explain.""Explain what, Hiroto?" He stood up, his height making the room feel small. "Explain that the top student of the department spent the weekend arched under me in a hotel suite? Or explain why you thought a piece of silver wire over your eyes was enough to hide the fact that you’re a high-end whore?"The word whore hit me like a slap. My face burned with shame. "I do what I have to do for my scholarship. For my life here

HIROTO'S POV The weekend felt like a fever dream I’d survived rather than lived. By the time I crawled into my dorm room at four in the morning on Monday, my body ached beyond repair. I could still smell his expensive sandalwood scent off me.I didn't even bother showering. I just collapsed onto my twin XL mattress, the rough cotton of my sheets feeling like sandpaper against my oversensitized skin."Hiroto? You back?" Kenji’s voice mumbled from the darkness of the other side of the room."Yeah," I croaked. My throat felt tight, a lingering reminder of the sounds I’d made in that high-end hotel suite. "Go back to sleep, Kenji.""You’re a ghost, man. You just come and go at random, you had me worried for nothing," he grunted, rolling over.I didn't answer. I just closed my eyes and saw those beautiful blue eyes again. The man hadn't told me his name, and I hadn't asked. I’d kept my silver filigree mask on the entire time, tucked safely behind the barrier I’d built over two years at Le

HIROTO’S POVI could hear the Dean’s voice in the background as I drifted back to sleep again. As sleep began to weigh down on me, even the table in front of me started to look like a very comfortable pillow.Thwack.A sharp elbow jabbed into my ribs, and I jolted upright, my pen skidding across my notebook and leaving a jagged ink trail."Hiroto, wake up before the old man uses the next thirty minutes to rim you in front of the class," a hushed voice hissed next to me.I blinked, my vision clearing to see Kenji—my roommate and the only person who could tolerate my erratic sleep schedule—staring at me with wide eyes. He was already scribbling notes, his brow furrowed."I’m up, I’m up," I whispered back, rubbing my face. My skin felt tight. I’d only managed three hours of sleep after getting home at 4:00 AM."You look like shit, Hiroto," Kenji muttered, not looking away from the whiteboard. "Seriously. Are you sick? You’re always nodding off in the 8:00 AMs lately.""Just... studying,"