All Chapters of His Holiday Prohibition : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

THE MEET UP~MAYA'S POV~I stood in the executive suite bathroom, naked except for my underwear, staring at my reflection.My collarbone was red and angry. The skin was tight and burning where I had scrubbed.That rough soap felt like sandpaper. It was really strong, like the kind used to clean metal, not your skin.But I had used it anyway, on my neck, my collarbone, my wrists, anywhere Liam had touched. I had scrubbed until I bled, until every trace of his laundry detergent was gone, until my skin was raw and screaming.The clean smell of citrus cleaner had replaced him completely.I had followed orders. The choker sat on the marble counter, next to the sink, cold and twinkling under the lights. I had carried it in my bag all day, not wearing it.But standing here, looking at my scraped, obedient skin, I knew the truth. There was no rebellion, there was no escape.I picked up the choker, my hands were shaking. The metal was cold against my fingers, the diamonds catching the light.

THE TRIP~MAYA'S POV~I hadn't called Liam yet.I was supposed to. Two days ago, in Silas's office, I had promised. "I will end it." But then I had gone home, stared at my phone, and chickened out.Liam had texted me three times. Normal stuff. Asking about my day, sending me a meme about library science majors. I couldn't do it over text. I couldn't do it over the phone either.So I just... didn't.Which meant I was still technically Liam's girlfriend, while wearing Silas's collar under my clothes, while walking into his office every morning like I belonged to him.I was going to hell.*********************"Cancel my two o'clock."I froze. My hand was suspended over the stack of files on his desk."What?""Cancel the two o'clock," Silas repeated. He didn't look up from his monitor. "And the three. Tell aviation to have the jet ready by noon.""We have a board meeting at three.""Reschedule it.""To when?""I don't care. Next week. Do it." I stood there, staring at the top of his hea

THE BREAKUP~MAYA'S POV~Liam slid into the booth across from me, and he looked worried even before he sat down. He didn't take off his jacket, like he was ready to leave at any moment."Hi," I said, and my voice felt hollow even to my own ears."You sounded weird on the phone," he said, leaning forward with that concerned look that made my chest ache. "Is everything okay? Did something happen at work?""No. Work is fine.""Then what is it? You look exhausted, Maya. Like you haven't slept in days."I stared at him for a long moment, taking in everything that made him so incredibly normal. He was a good guy who wanted to be an aerospace engineer, who wanted to build planes and design spacecraft, who had no idea that his entire future was currently resting in my hands like a fragile thing that Silas King was perfectly happy to crush.My hand went to my throat, touching the high collar of my turtleneck. The choker was underneath, cold and heavy against my skin. I was about to break Liam

THE PARTY~MAYA'S POV~The dress was beautiful, which meant it was a trap.Floor-length grey silk with a high neckline and long sleeves that covered every inch of skin, making me look like I was auditioning for the role of "untouchable professional" when really I was just another expensive thing Silas had dressed up and put on display. He had picked it out himself, told me it made me look "appropriate for the venue," which was code for "no one gets to look at what's mine."I stood near the bar of the Metropolitan Museum's Great Hall with a tablet full of seating charts and donor lists, playing my part as the diligent executive liaison while internally screaming at the mere nonsense of my life. To everyone else in this room, I was staff. To Silas, I was property. The difference was becoming harder to distinguish."You're doing the thing again."I turned to find Chloe standing there in a champagne slip dress that probably cost more than my previous life, holding a martini and looking

SUSPICIOUS 1~CHLOE'S POV~"This apartment is insane," I said, flopping onto Maya's new velvet sofa and immediately sinking into cushions that probably cost more than my dorm room. "I mean, I knew Dad took care of his employees, but this is basically Penthouse Lite. Do I get a place like this if I drop out of FIT and become his calendar organizer?"Maya laughed from across the room, but it was that weird laugh she had been doing lately—the one that sounded real but didn't quite make it to her eyes."It's just logistics, Chloe. The Chicago merger has me working crazy hours, so Mr. King thought it made sense for me to be closer to the office instead of commuting from Queens at three in the morning.""Mr. King," I repeated, grabbing a handful of the fancy popcorn she'd put out. "You're so formal with him now. It's weird. You used to just call him Silas when it was the three of us.""Well, I work for him now. It's different.""I guess," I said, looking around at the floor-to-ceiling wind