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Control

Author: Bea Baum
last update Last Updated: 2025-09-19 00:51:10

VEX POV

I stand outside Brynn’s door, the hallway light throwing long, patient shadows across the carpet. I pace—one, two, three steps—turn, repeat. Her being alone with Kade sets a slow burn under my skin, a heat that starts behind my ribs and crawls upward until my jaw clenches.

I gave my rules; she broke them. It would have been easier if it were a business betrayal, something I could answer with orders and numbers. This isn’t. This is her. And that makes it worse.

I tell myself to breathe. I tell myself that rage is pointless. I’ve killed people for less, a fact that should make this easier to dismiss, but it doesn’t.

Not with her in my head. Not with the thought of someone else touching her, laughing with her, her name on their lips. The idea of it pins me like a boulder on my chest.

I stop by the door and let my knuckles rest against the wood, half-expecting it to be warm from her body heat on the other side. I listen—small sounds: a drawer sliding, the soft scuff of fabric, pe
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  • Cage to Cage   Touch

    KADE POVI hit the ground in the Tang Garden with barely a sound, knees bent to absorb the drop. The scent of cherry blossoms mixes with the burn of adrenaline in my chest. My lips are still wet from her kiss, her taste lingering like sin and salvation all at once.Damn her.I press a hand to my mouth, trying to ground myself, but the memory of her whisper—wait—claws at me. I should’ve walked away. I told myself I would. Instead, I let her pull me in, and for a moment, I didn’t care about consequences.The rustle of petals in the wind pulls my gaze upward. Her balcony glows faintly under the lanterns. She’s still up there. I want to look, to see her silhouette against the night, but I force myself to turn away.Then my stomach knots.Another balcony. Another figure.Vex.Even from down here, I feel the weight of his stare. Still. Silent. Watching. My chest tightens, because I know what he saw. He’s too damn smart not to.For years, I’ve bled beside him, carried out orders, earned his

  • Cage to Cage   Three Minutes.

    BRYNN POVI pull myself off the floor, my emotions betraying me. My chest aches, my hands trembling as I steady myself against the wall. I need to pull myself together. I can’t afford to let weakness show, not here, not now. Vex and I are forbidden. If I ever had him fully, I could never be free. Never have peace. His world would consume me whole.Crossing the room, I head to the bar tucked in the corner. My fingers close around the neck of the tequila bottle, the glass cool against my palm. I don’t bother with a glass. I take it straight to the balcony, pushing open the doors to the Tang Garden below.It’s breathtaking—the same sprawling garden from my childhood, painted in soft moonlight. The cherry blossoms dance in the wind, petals spiraling down like pale whispers. I can still see myself here as a little girl, running beneath those trees, chasing petals while my father watched, pride in his eyes, his laughter echoing across the stone paths.I take a long swig from the bottle. The

  • Cage to Cage   Engagement party

    BRYNN POVDawn breaks with a soft knock at my door. When I open it, no one is there—just a large box wrapped in black paper with a jade ribbon.Inside lies a dress, vibrant red silk, clearly custom-made. A note rests on top:For appearances. Be ready by noon. – VThe jade pendant feels heavier this morning as I lift it from the nightstand, its weight a reminder of what today brings—the formal announcement of my engagement to Vex Maddock.Another knock sounds, sharper this time.“Miss? I’m Malory. Mr. Maddock sent me to help you prepare for the engagement announcement party.”When I open the door, a petite woman with sharp eyes stands there, several assistants behind her carrying cases of makeup, hair tools, and accessories.“Mr. Maddock has specific instructions for today’s appearance. The announcement will take place in the central courtyard at precisely noon. Your brother has invited the heads of the five remaining families to witness. Mr. Maddock wants you… perfect.”She opens one

  • Cage to Cage   Control

    VEX POVI stand outside Brynn’s door, the hallway light throwing long, patient shadows across the carpet. I pace—one, two, three steps—turn, repeat. Her being alone with Kade sets a slow burn under my skin, a heat that starts behind my ribs and crawls upward until my jaw clenches. I gave my rules; she broke them. It would have been easier if it were a business betrayal, something I could answer with orders and numbers. This isn’t. This is her. And that makes it worse.I tell myself to breathe. I tell myself that rage is pointless. I’ve killed people for less, a fact that should make this easier to dismiss, but it doesn’t.Not with her in my head. Not with the thought of someone else touching her, laughing with her, her name on their lips. The idea of it pins me like a boulder on my chest.I stop by the door and let my knuckles rest against the wood, half-expecting it to be warm from her body heat on the other side. I listen—small sounds: a drawer sliding, the soft scuff of fabric, pe

  • Cage to Cage   Remember the Rules.

    BRYNN POVVex’s body pins me against the wall, one hand braced beside my head, the other gripping my waist. His face is inches from mine, half-shrouded in shadow. Every line of him radiates power, control, and something dangerously personal.“Eavesdropping, Brynn?” His voice is low, soft, almost a purr, yet every syllable carries a warning. The scent of his cologne mixed with lingering cigarette smoke fills my senses, dizzying and intoxicating.His fingers tighten slightly on my waist, his thumb brushing against the sliver of exposed skin where my shirt has ridden up. A shiver runs through me, both from fear and desire.“Kade doesn’t know what I promised you. What I’m capable of.” His lips hover near my ear, the heat from his breath grazing my skin. “But you’re about to find out.”I can feel the tension in him, the predatory hunger, and it makes my pulse spike. His eyes flick between mine and my lips, reading every reaction, every involuntary shiver. My body betrays me—arousal pools i

  • Cage to Cage   Loyalty

    KADE POVThe night air is sharp against my skin, carrying the scent of cherry blossoms from the gardens below. The Tang estate sleeps under a blanket of quiet, but my mind is anything but still. Every shadow could hide a threat. Every sound could be a warning.I lean against the balcony railing, eyes tracing the contours of the estate, imagining her there, small and careful beneath the lantern light. Brynn. She’s moving through this world of predators, not fully aware of the danger surrounding her—or the danger that lingers closer than she knows.Then she appears. Quiet, precise, and suddenly near. Her hand touches my shoulder—soft, deliberate, fleeting—and I stiffen. My chest tightens, and a low ache settles in my bones. Her presence is fire against ice, and for a moment, I can’t breathe.“Goodnight, Kade,” she whispers, her voice soft and steady, almost casual—but there’s weight behind it, an acknowledgment that I can’t ignore.The light pressure of her fingers lingers just long eno

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