Chapter 2

Vivienne's POV

The scarred man swallowed hard, his face turning pale as he stepped away from me. The air in the room went cold as everyone bowed their heads, their bodies visibly trembling.

"D-Don... Boss..." the scarred man stammered, bowing his head so low that sweat dripped onto the carpet. "We didn't know. She was just being difficult, Boss. We were only teaching her a lesson…"

"Quiet," the man said, voice cold. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the room like a blade, silencing the murmurs.

He stepped over the money on the floor, bent down, and slid his arm under my knees. In a swift motion, he lifted me into his arms as I gasped softly, my head falling onto his shoulder as the drug pulled me deeper into a haze. The familiar scent of sandalwood, rain, and leather filled my nostrils.

I knew that scent, even better than my own name.

His eyes swept around the room before settling on mine. Without saying a word, he turned towards his door, giving a knowing nod to the man by the door.

“D… Don… We apologise!” The scarred man cried, falling to his knees as he wrapped his hands around the man's leg.

“Break their hands,” the man said, his deep voice calm as he pulled his leg away from the scarred man's grip. “All of them.”

Just as he carried me towards the door, pained screams echoed behind us as the door slammed shut, dispelling the cries. His grip around me tightened as he made his way to a private elevator.

The private elevator glided up in absolute silence, the smooth metallic walls reflecting his sharp, unreadable expression. My head rolled against his chest, the heavy thrum of his heartbeat vibrating against my cheek. I was burning up from the inside out, my pulse racing as my body twisted in his arms.

The elevator doors slid open with a ding as he carried me straight into an enormous penthouse suite. The space was dimly lit and quiet. Moving swiftly across the dark marble floor, he laid me down gently on the center of a massive king-sized bed.

The moment my back hit the mattress, the room spun out of control. I groaned, thrashing my head side to side as a wave of intense heat washed over my skin. From the corner of my eyes, I watched him move towards what I considered the bathroom, and emerge with a bowl and towel in hand.

He sat beside me, dipping the towel into the bowl and squeezing. "Stay still, Vivienne," he said softly.

Through my heavy eyelids, I saw him lean over me, pressing the cold towel against my forehead. Broad shoulders. A towering frame, and those sharp, silver eyes stared down at me through the dark as he cleaned my face. Five years of hiding, running, and surviving melted away under the overwhelming heat burning through my body, and the sight of the only man I had ever loved.

"Draven..." I whimpered, my voice cracking.

I reached up with shaking hands, grabbing his silk tie as I pulled him toward me. He froze instantly, his broad chest tensing beneath my fingers as he tried to pull back. "Vivienne, stop. You're drugged."

"Please," I begged, tears of desperate heat escaping the corners of my eyes. I couldn't think, nor could I control myself. All I wanted was him. "Don't leave me... Draven, please..."

Before he could respond, I jerked my torso up, forcing my lips against his. His lips remained frozen as mine moved against his desperately, my hands pulling him flush against my chest. I bit his lower lip, letting a soft gasp escape my lips as I breathed against his lips, “Draven… Take me…”

His hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest as he whispered against my ear, “Vivienne, are you sure about this?”

I gave a reassuring nod, pressing my lips against his cheek. “Yes.”

“Remember your choice,” he whispered, pulling away from my ear as he pressed his lips against mine in a bruising kiss. I wrapped my hands around his neck, our lips moving rhythmically as his grip around my waist tightened. He pulled away, kissing my cheek and sliding his lips down my neck, sucking my skin hungrily as he laid me down against the bed. The buried passion of five lost years exploded into the night as our fingers interlocked.

After that, everything blurred. The heat. His voice against my skin. The room spinning until I couldn't tell up from down anymore. I remember his hands on me. I remember begging, though I couldn't say what I was begging for. I remember the way his voice moaned my name.

Then nothing.

When I opened my eyes again, sunlight was streaming through tall glass windows. My head throbbed violently as a bitter chemical taste lingered on the back of my tongue. The drug haze was gone, but my memories hadn't come back with it. Just pieces. Broken ones that refused to fit together.

What did I do? What did we do?

Five years ago, I was madly in love with Draven, completely unaware that he was the ruthless heir to the city's most dangerous mafia family. But everything shattered on that night of bloodshed. Horrified by the violence and discovering I was pregnant with his child, I knew I couldn't let my baby be raised in that world of blood. I knew his family would take my son the moment he was born and turn him into another ruthless soldier. So, brokenhearted, I faked my disappearance and fled to another city to protect Theo.

And now, I was back in his trap.

The nightclub. The poisoned drink. Spending the night in his arms.

Oh God!

I gasped, pulling the sheet up to my chest. My bunny outfit was gone, replaced by an oversized black shirt. Beside me, the bed was empty, but the deep dent in the pillow showed he had been there. Panic hit my chest like a sudden strike.

Theo.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I had been gone all night! My five-year-old son was lying in a hospital bed, waiting for me, depending on me to keep him alive. I had to get back to him before Draven ever found out he existed.

I scrambled out of bed, my legs shaking as my feet hit the cold floor. Spotting a pair of sweatpants and a shirt resting on a chair, I pulled them on with frantic hands. I grabbed my shoes and made a desperate run for the door. Just as I grabbed the handle and pushed down, a horrible realisation hit me.

It was locked tight. I pushed the handle repeatedly, the door shaking under my frantic movements, but nothing. It didn't budge. As I parted my lips to scream for help, a familiar deep voice echoed behind me.

"Going somewhere, Little Bunny?"

I spun around, my back slamming against the locked door as my breath caught in my throat.

Draven stepped into the light, wearing a black shirt with the top buttons undone, and a glass of whiskey held loosely in his hand. His dark hair was slightly messy, and his sharp silver eyes locked onto mine.

"Draven... unlock the door," I begged, my voice shaking with raw panic. "I have to leave right now!"

"Leave?" He chuckled, taking slow steps toward me. "You stay in my arms all night, scream my name until dawn, and now you want to run away? Again?"

"I was drugged!" I yelled, cursing my foolishness quietly. "I didn't know what I was doing. Last night meant nothing!"

Draven stopped right in front of me, his tall body completely blocking out the sun as his scent wrapped around me, sending a sudden shiver down my spine.

He leaned down, his cold silver eyes burning straight into mine. "You can pretend last night meant nothing, Vivienne," Draven whispered, his voice dark and smooth. "You can pretend you didn't call my name. But I bought that club this morning, I paid off your boss, and I bought all your debt,” he said, raising his hand as his thumb pressed firmly against my bottom lip. “Starting today, I own you.”