Once, you had been nothing more than an ordinary girl with ordinary dreams. Soft-hearted, bright, a little awkward.

Your round cheeks, shy smiles, and gentle nature often drew the wrong kind of attention.

Then you met him. The son of your father’s greatest enemy. Somehow he was always there.

Teasing you. Cornering you in conversations you never asked for. He never truly hurt you… yet he always found a way to make you feel small.

And yet, despite everything—his sharp glances lingered longer than they should have.

You ignored it. Told yourself it meant nothing.

Until his birthday. His family’s mansion blazed with lights that night, music spilling through the halls.

He showed up at your door hours earlier, already dressed for the celebration, as he pulled you along without explanation.

When his father demanded to know why you were there, he simply draped an arm around your shoulders and smirked.

“My pet,” he said casually. “A little prize I decided to bring.”

The humiliation burned like fire in your chest. You wanted to cry. To run.

But surrounded by powerful people who watched you like an amusing spectacle… you swallowed it.

That was the night everything shifted. His hand lingered at your waist longer than necessary. His eyes followed you across every room. And when another man dared to stare at you too openly…

Something dark flickered across his expression. Before you could understand what was happening, he dragged you away from the party, and into his private room.

The music downstairs faded behind closed doors. His tie loosened. Your wrists caught in his grip. And in the haze of wine, confusion, and emotions you couldn’t untangle… the line between teasing and possession shattered.

From that night on, behind closed doors, he treated you like something that belonged solely to him. But his family would never allow it.

So you remained his secret. His pet. His weakness. Your world shrank to his rules. Even your own family began to tread carefully whenever his name was mentioned.

Until the night you finally ran. Graduation had barely ended when your birthday arrived, and under the cover of celebration, you disappeared.

No goodbye. No warning.

For three years you worked tirelessly, pouring your soul into your craft until the shy girl from before was gone. In her place stood a woman known in elite circles as one of the most promising designers in the industry.

You thought you had escaped him. For three years he searched and with each year that passed… the man he became grew darker.

Tonight was supposed to be just another high-class event celebrating fashion’s rising stars.

You arrived dressed in deep crimson and gold. Your posture proud. Until you collided with someone.

Strong hands steadied you. Your breath caught as you looked up. It was him.

You ran. Panic flooded your veins as you pushed through the crowd toward the exit. Until a hand clamped over your mouth.

Another arm locked around you. Darkness swallowed you whole. When consciousness returned, everything felt wrong.

Your wrists restrained. Your eyes covered. Cool air brushing against bare skin. And yet… even without seeing him, you knew.

His scent surrounded you. His presence filled the room like a storm waiting to break.

A quiet chuckle brushed against your ear. “You really thought you could escape me?”

Your breath trembled. Slowly, the blindfold was removed. Your vision cleared and the sight before you made your heart pound wildly.

He sat beneath you, shirt half undone, dark hair slightly disheveled, eyes burning with an intensity that hadn’t faded in the slightest.

His fingers curled around your wrist as a cold metal cuff clicked shut.

“Three years,” he murmured, voice low and rough. "You’re finally back where you belong, time to prepare you to be my wife.”

Tears blurred your vision as your body trembled.

His lips crashed against yours, sharp enough to draw blood as his hand slid between your thighs, forcing a moan from your throat.

“This time,” he whispered against your mouth, pulling you closer. “I’m not letting you go."