006

~YVONNE’S POV~

The car was way nicer than anything I had ever been in. Leather seats, windows so dark you could barely see outside. The ride was so quiet and smooth, it barely felt real.

I sat there, stiff as a board, hands clamped in my lap, doing my best to focus on the road ahead and not freak out. Meanwhile, Liam drove like he was totally in control, looking like the car was made just for him, like the whole road was his.

"Where are we going?" I tried to sound normal, but my voice sounded smaller than I meant.

"Somewhere private." He didn't look at me. Just kept his eyes ahead. "Arthur can't find out about this, right?" My stomach twisted. What was I thinking?

Seriously, how did I get here - sitting in a stranger's car, letting him take me who-knows-where, all because he said he would show me how to hold onto my cheating boyfriend? When did things get so embarrassing?

"Relax," Liam said, like he knew I was about to panic. "I am not going to hurt you."

I didn't respond. Honestly? I wasn't sure I bought it.

We pulled up to a building I had never noticed before. Outside, it was nothing special - just a plain black door. No sign, no windows, nothing that gave away what it was. Liam hopped out and came around to open my door before I even reached for the handle.

I hesitated.

He held out his hand. "Coming?"

I stared at his hand. In my head: ‘You could still walk away. This is probably your last shot.’ But I didn't move. Didn't run. I let him take my hand.

Inside, the place was straight-up fancy. Dark wood everywhere, soft lights, quiet jazz humming in the background. The air smelled like cigars and had an expensive taste.

A guy in a suit gave Liam a nod. "Mr. Klein. Your usual room's ready."

"Thanks." Liam kept hold of my hand as he led me down a long hallway. We stopped at a door at the end. He pushed it open and nodded for me to head in first.

I stepped inside.

The room was small but looked like something out of a magazine - soft couches, a little bar tucked away in the corner, lighting so low it almost felt secret. Honestly? It was a little too cozy for comfort.

I hugged myself.

Liam shut the door and walked straight to the bar. "What do you drink?"

"I.. I don't really…"

"Wine? Whiskey? Vodka?"

"Wine," I said fast. "Red, if there's any." He poured two glasses and handed one to me. I took it, but I couldn't bring myself to take a sip. Liam sank into the couch and pointed to the seat across from him.

"Sit.” He wasn't asking.

So I sat.

For a long moment, neither of us said anything. He just watched me. Sipping his whiskey. Eyes intense and unreadable. I shifted uncomfortably.

"So... what now?"

"Now," Liam said slowly, "we set some ground rules."

I nodded. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Rule number one: You do exactly what I say. No questions. No arguments. If I tell you to do something, you do it."

My throat tightened. "What kind of things?"

"Whatever I think will help you." His gaze didn't waver. "This only works if you trust me, Yvonne. Can you do that?" I didn't know. But I nodded anyway.

"Good." He took another sip. "Rule number two: This stays between us. You don't tell Arthur. You don't tell your friends. You don't tell anyone. Understood?"

"Understood."

"Rule number three…." His eyes locked onto mine, and something in his expression shifted. Darker. Serious. "Once we start, we finish all fourteen days. You don't get to quit halfway through just because it gets hard. You don't get to run back to him crying. You commit. Or we don't do this at all."

I swallowed hard. "Okay."

"Say it."

"I commit." He studied me for a long moment, like he was deciding whether or not to believe me. Then he nodded. "Rule number four: No emotions."

I blinked. "What?"

"This isn't about feelings, Yvonne. This is a transaction. I teach you. You learn. That's it. Don't start thinking this means something more than it is."

His words hurt. I didn't know why, but it did.

"I won't," I said quietly.

"Good." He stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the city below. "Because here's the thing you need to understand. Arthur doesn't care about you. Not really. He cares about what you give him. Your time. Your attention. Your worship. But the second you stop being useful? He'll throw you away."

My chest tightened. "That's not true."

Liam turned to look at me. "Isn't it?"

I opened my mouth to argue. But the words wouldn't come. Because deep down, I knew he was right.

"You want to keep him?" Liam asked. "Fine. I will teach you how. But don't expect me to hold your hand and tell you it's going to be okay. Because it's not. Arthur's a selfish bastard. And the only way to keep a man like that is to become someone he can't live without."

He walked back over and sat down across from me again.

"So here's what we're going to do," he said. "Over the next fourteen days, I'm going to teach you everything. How to dress. How to talk. How to touch him. How to make him need you."

My face burned. "You mean... sex?"

"I mean seduction." His voice was low. Steady. "Sex is only part of it. The real trick is making him think he's the one in control when really, you're the one pulling the strings." I stared at him.

He made it sound so simple. So... cold. "Can you really teach me that?" I asked.

Liam smiled. Not the dangerous smile from before. This one was softer. Almost sad.

"I can teach you," he said. "But whether or not you're willing to learn? That's up to you." He stood up and walked to the door.

"First lesson starts tomorrow," he said. "Eight PM. I will text you the address."

"Wait…." I stood up too. "That's it?"

"That's it." He opened the door and looked back at me. "Oh, and Yvonne?"

"Yeah?"

"Wear something you wouldn't normally wear. Something that makes you feel uncomfortable."

I frowned. "Why?"

His smile returned. Sharp. Knowing.

"Because comfort is what got you here in the first place."