The saleswoman's eyes lit up with the unmistakable draw of commission.
"Ah, excellent choice. Right this way."
She glided toward a locked display case in the corner.
Kane followed reluctantly, dread pooling in his stomach as the woman unlocked a case filled with chokers and necklaces that looked more like instruments of submission than jewelry.
"Our premium collection," she announced proudly. "Each piece is handcrafted with the finest materials."
Cyrus surveyed the display. His gaze settled on a particularly extravagant piece.
It was a wide diamond-studded collar that caught the boutique's lighting and threw rainbows across the case.
The thing was gorgeous. It was also unmistakably a collar.
"Would these make a sufficient statement?" asked the saleslady.
Kane's brain short-circuited. Images flashed through his mind—himself wearing that glittering collar, the weight of diamonds against his throat.
"I—what—no—absolutely not!"
