The private brunch was set for Sunday at a secluded garden restaurant Aiden owned. Heavy security, a private room, and a carefully controlled guest list, everything on his terms.I was nervous the entire morning. Aiden dressed me carefully, a soft grey button-up shirt left open at the collar to prominently display the titanium band, dark trousers, and polished shoes that made me look respectable but still unmistakably his. He fastened the collar himself, fingers lingering on the silver ring as he adjusted it.“Remember,” he said quietly, meeting my eyes in the mirror. “You belong to me. That’s the only truth that matters today.”I nodded, but my stomach was in knots.My mother, Lily, and her husband arrived first. The moment they saw me, the emotions spilled over. Mom hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe. Lily’s eyes immediately locked onto the titanium collar, her expression a mix of shock and heartbreak.“Kai…” Mom pulled back, holding my face in her hands, searching my eyes.
続きを読む