Chapter Two

I could not move.

My body still trembled against the sheets, sticky with sweat and cum, every muscle loose and aching in the best and worst ways. The blindfold was gone. Light burned my eyes, but nothing compared to the sight in front of me.

Silas Vane sat on the edge of the bed like he owned the air itself. His black shirt was open at the collar, his chest rose and fell from the force of what we had just done. That lethal smile curved his lips slowly. His thumb, still smeared with a thin streak of blood, brushed my cheek one last time before he pulled away.

My mouth opened, but no words came out. I was speechless, like completely. Fucking. Speechless.

Silas reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a thick envelope. He tossed it onto the bed beside me. It landed with a heavy thud. The cash spilled out in neat stacks. More money than I had seen in months.

"Payment," he said, voice low and calm, like he had not just ruined me. "Take it, little prince. You earned every penny."

Shame burned hot in my chest, but my hand moved anyway. I grabbed the envelope, my fingers closed around the crisp bills. I did not even count it. I just clutched it like a lifeline. My pride screamed at me to throw it back in his face. My survival told it to shut the hell up.

Silas watched me with dark eyes. "This will not be the last time you see me, Kai. I promise you that."

The words sent ice down my spine. I finally found my voice, cracked and raw. "Get out."

He laughed softly, the sound curling around me like smoke. Then he stood, buttoned his shirt with deliberate care, and walked out without another word. The door clicked shut behind him.

I stayed on the bed for a long minute, staring at the money in my hands. Then I moved. Fast. I pulled on my clothes with shaking fingers. I shoved the silk robe and lace briefs into a bag like evidence I wanted to burn. I slipped out the back exit of The Gilded Cage before anyone could stop me.

Rafe waited for me in the small office near the staff entrance. He took one look at my face and raised an eyebrow.

"Rough night?" he asked.

I shoved half the cash at him without speaking. He counted it quickly, whistled low, and handed me back my share. It was enough. More than enough to cover the first big payment for Theo's legal fees and start the process to get him out on bail.

"Damn," Rafe muttered. "Whoever that client was, he paid like a king."

I did not answer. I just took my money and left.

The night air hit me cold as I walked the streets back to my tiny apartment. My body still ached with every step. I could still feel Silas inside me. I could still feel the stretch, the force and the way my own moans had betrayed me. His voice had sounded so familiar in the dark. Now I knew why.

I slammed the apartment door behind me and leaned against it, breathing hard. Silas Vane. The scholarship kid I had tormented for fun. The dog I had made bark in front of everyone. The boy whose journal I had ripped apart and laughed at. He was supposed to be nothing. A memory I had buried.

Instead he had grown into something terrifying. He has grown into a rich, feared and powerful man who's hungry for revenge.

"I never want to see him again," I whispered to the empty room. "Ever. Never again."

The words felt like a prayer. I repeated them in my head as I showered, scrubbing my skin raw trying to wash away his touch. They echoed while I counted the money again and wired the first payment to Theo's lawyers the next morning. They stayed with me as I watched the confirmation that bail proceedings had started.

Theo would get out. That was what mattered. Not the way my body had reacted to Silas or the way his voice had made me beg.

I could not go back to the club. Not after that. Pride and fear mixed together pushed me to do the only thing left. Find a real job. Something steady. Something far away from underground auctions and dangerous men with familiar voices.

I spent the next three days applying everywhere that paid well. Most places took one look at my last name and either laughed or shut the door. Sterling was poison now. The empire had collapsed too publicly. An empire of embezzlement, bribes and links to organized crime. No one wanted to touch us.

Then I found the listing. Vane Capital. A massive finance firm. Excellent pay and benefits. They were hiring for an executive assistant position in their main headquarters. The requirements were tough, but I had the education from the academy. I could type, organize, and charm when I needed to. I sent in my application with a fake last name and hoped.

Two days later, they called me in for an interview.

The building was a glass tower that stabbed into the sky. I straightened my only decent suit and walked inside, chin high even though my stomach twisted. The lobby alone screamed money. I saw marble floors and sleek modern art, the people here moved with purpose in tailored clothes.

They led me to a waiting area on the twentieth floor. I sat there for twenty minutes. I studied the environment for a while before a sharp-looking woman in a pencil skirt called my name.

"The owner of this company built it from nothing," she told me as we walked to the interview room. "His name is Silas Vane. He's brilliant. Ruthless in business. You will not see him often. He stays in the top floors. But if you get this job, you represent him. Understand?"

I froze then nodded, my throat went dry. Silas Vane? Of course it was his company. The universe had a sick sense of humor.

Inside the interview room, three people sat behind a long table. They asked standard questions. They asked about experience, strengths and how I handled pressure. I answered on autopilot, flashing the charming smile that used to open every door for me. Pride kept my back straight. I wanted to run. Every instinct screamed to get out of this building and never look back.

But where would I go? Theo still needed more money for the full legal fight. My mother had made it clear I owed the family. Running again would not fix anything.

I sat on the sidewalk after the interview ended, phone in hand, staring at the acceptance email. They had chosen me. They wanted me to start immediately. The salary was enough to keep Theo safe for months. Enough to breathe without selling my body every night.

But it came from Silas.

I hated him. I hated what he represented. The reminder of my worst mistakes. The man who had looked at me with cold hunger while he fucked me. Working for him felt like walking straight back into the cage I had just escaped. What if he saw me? What if he used this job to torment me more? I could delete the email right now. Walk away and find something else. Anything else.

Yet the money stared back at me. Theo's face flashed in my mind. His desperate voice notes from prison. My mother's cold words about family duty. Pride had already cost me everything once. If I turned this down, I would be back at the club within a week. Back on my knees for strangers while Silas probably laughed from his glass tower.

I closed my eyes and whispered the same words again.

"I never want to see him again and I won't!"

I told myself I could stay invisible on the lower floors. I told myself I was stronger now. I typed a quick reply accepting the offer before I could change my mind.

The message sent. There was no going back.