Orion opened the door for her. Her nervous eyes glanced at him with uncertainty, the atmosphere around them seized her in a past memory. She still recalled the dates she had been on with him. His possessiveness, his intimidation, his eyes the way he looked at her in public, the obsession he had of her.She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.But this was not her past and nor even Orion was him, at least that’s what she believed. This was just a friendly dinner that Orion insisted they should try this new restaurant down the street. Grace was reluctant at first but eventually gave in. A normal dinner wouldn’t hurt. And also, they’d get to know each other better.Right?“I heard they serve the best pasta in the whole city.” Grace glanced at him, raising her brow at his statement.“Well, that’s quiet a bold statement.” Orion chuckled, as they both entered the restaurant. The inner environment was a lot warmer than outside. Grace felt contempt upon hearing chittering of people around

The coldness seeped through her surroundings running to her head as all rushed memories flooded. She remembered every nook and cranny. Orion. Dinner date. Food. Confession. Masked men. Syringe.Vision blocked by darkness as her lashes fluttered and she tried to yank her hands when she felt something holding them. She was tied. Panic flooded through her and she let out a blood-curdling scream.“Help!” Her pleadings resonating in the empty basement when she heard footsteps. Heart stilled, palms trembled. She felt his presence even before his arrival.“Orion…” his name tasted like poison on her tongue. He felt the coldness in his heart. Fists clenched and dark eyes narrowing over her face. Tears soaked her soft skin, delicates wrists bound by sharp roughness of ropes, the yellow dress he thought looked angelic on her, looked tattered and dirty. Hairs a disheveled mess. His vision blocked as Arden stepped to her. Orion watched in anticipation as he ripped the blindfold off her.His heart

Cold breeze caressed her bare legs as she trembled. Her hold tightening over the shawl as she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She needed fresh air to think, to process everything. From being kidnapped in the middle of dinner, to know her sister was alive. It should not be this stressful, but it was not acceptable either. After Arden practically forcefully shoved the rules to her, she was anything but calm. The rules he made were outrageous. “What is this?” Arden inquired. His head aching the way Grace stood in front of him with a slip of paper between her fingers. A smile, which he’d definitely point as witty plastered over face yet he could not stop ogling at her. Leaning against the chair, he pressed his thumb over his temples and sighed.“Conditions, what else?” She sassed, letting the piece of paper dangle from her fingers. Arden took his time searching her face, and then grabbed it. Eyes soothed over every word written delicately with black ink. Line to line, word to wor

Her eyes followed Maverick as she walked to her seat. She watched as his hawk-like eyes watched her every single movement. She timidly took her sweet time. Her dark eyes moved to his stormy glare. If she had ever seen blue fire perhaps she had an idea of how danger transform into blue eyes.“I hope you’ve made your decision.” He tapped the edge of the pen on the table.Grace nodded. “I have.”She had spent hours pouring her possibility and thoughts into pondering all day. After breakfast, she confined herself to the room and skipped lunch and evening tea. She was startled when Arden said Maverick wanted to see her. He escorted her to Maverick before he gave her an assuring smile and walked away. Maverick leaned back, he crossed his arms across his chest. “Before you chose, I have some things you need to follow.”Grace frowned. “More rules?” Maverick blinked. “Yes, and they are not just some rules, they're restrictions.”She took a deep breath. He looked at her silently for a few sec

The conversation she had with Maverick didn’t exactly turn out to be like the one she had expected. A sigh left her mouth as she timidly walked to the dimly lit room. Last night she couldn’t get much sleep either, her thoughts were scattered and she was rethinking of what she did was right or not. Marriage wasn’t a thing to play with, but her life wasn’t anything but a game in itself. Not just her, but sheer fate also.Grace shook her head. Her fate must be laughing at her. She ran from Azrael only to land in the hands of a bunch of other sadistic psychos. One of them walked beside her with an unreadable look on his face. Hands rested in his pockets as he led her to Maverick’s office early in the morning. A dress that shows the best of her and left a little to the imagination was both cocoon and platform for her inner-butterfly. The dress sit upon her skin as soft petals, it was hue the many pinks of a rose garden. In the dress age was the blossomed flower, warmed in summer sun. Lace