Daisy could barely focus in the office.
Xander hadn't spoken much all morning. He didn't need to. His silence was louder than words the kind that wrapped around her neck like an invisible leash. She felt his gaze every time she moved, crossed her legs, bit her lip. It was as if her body had become a trigger and she didn't know how to turn it off.
The worst part?
She didn't want to.
Later that day, after everyone else had left the office floor, Daisy was reviewing files when the intercom on her desk buzzed.
Xander's voice poured through it, deep and steady.
"Close the blinds. Lock the door. And come to me."
Her stomach flipped.
Heat rushed between her thighs.
She stood slowly, nerves tingling as she obeyed. When she opened his door, she expected to find him behind his desk.
She didn't.
He was lounging on the couch in the corner of the room, sleeves rolled up, eyes lazy but hungry.
"Take off your blouse," he said. "Then sit on my lap."
Her breath caught.
She unbuttoned the silk slowly, letting it slide off her shoulders. Xander's gaze dropped to her curves unapologetic. Possessive.
She sat on him, straddling his lap. The moment she did, his hands gripped her hips and pulled her closer until she could feel every inch of him beneath her.
"This position," he whispered, "is one of my favorites. You ride me. I control the pace."
He guided her with his hands, grinding her slowly against him, fully clothed, their breath tangled, his lips grazing her collarbone. It wasn't just physical anymore.
It was psychological warfare.
He kissed her neck, her shoulder, her chest slow, intentional kisses that felt like promises and punishments all at once. She rocked against him, gasping softly as the friction built.
Suddenly, he flipped her onto her back on the couch.
Then he stood.
Unbuckled his belt.
"On your knees," he ordered. "I want your mouth again."
She obeyed.
And when he guided her, he whispered, "You're becoming my addiction."
Back in the penthouse later that evening, Daisy was still catching her breath.
But Xander wasn't done.
He dragged her to the bedroom, stripped her with practiced ease, and told her to get on the bed face down.
"Tonight, it's about control," he murmured. "You want fantasies? I'll give you one you'll never forget."
He tied her hands to the headboard with one of his silk ties. The restraint wasn't cruel, it was calculated.
He explored her body like a man mapping territory. The blindfold came next.
Then, the feather. A touch here. A lick there.
She writhed beneath him, body shaking from anticipation alone.
And when he finally claimed her hard, slow, deep she lost her sense of time. He shifted positions effortlessly, teasing and testing her limits. From behind. On top. Sideways. Against the window with the city lights watching.
Each time he whispered a different fantasy in her ear.
"You like being my toy?" "You know I could make you beg in five seconds?" "Tell me who owns this body."
"You do, Xander."
It wasn't just physical anymore.
It was madness.
When she served him wine afterward, trembling, dazed, and still naked under his robe, she turned to leave.
But he pulled her onto his lap at the dining table.
"You're not done," he said.
He placed her on the table, spreading her gently, then leaned forward to taste her like dessert. A slow, sensual act of dominance.
He didn't stop until she was crying his name.
And when she reached for him again he pulled her head down gently, guiding her mouth once more.
They didn't stop for hours.
And yet in the middle of the night, when Xander slept soundly beside her, Daisy lay awake.
Something wasn't right.
The message from the anonymous number still haunted her.
"He created your father's debt."
Could it be true? Could Xander have orchestrated her suffering just to own her?
She slipped out of bed and walked barefoot to the study.
Carefully, quietly, she opened a locked cabinet Xander had left slightly ajar earlier that day.
Inside:
A folder labeled "Harlan Dane: Financial History."
Her father's name.
Her blood ran cold.
She flipped it open and her eyes widened.
Inside were documents showing Xander's company freezing her father's assets six months before the supposed debt collectors showed up.
And something else…
A confidential file stamped with red ink:
PROJECT: PET INITIATIVE
Subject: Daisy Dane
Status: Acquired. Controlled. In progress.
She stumbled back, clutching the folder to her chest, heart racing.
Was this all a game to him?
Had he planned everything?
Her father's downfall?
Her contract?
Even the way he "found" her?
Behind her, a shadow moved.
Daisy turned around slowly.
Xander stood in the doorway. Fully awake. Watching her.
Not angry.
Not surprised.
Just calm.
Too calm.
"I told you not to go through my things," he said softly.
And then, smiling darkly.
"Now you've seen the truth. what are you going to do, pet?"