The morning after the rooftop gala was colder than usual—not because of the weather, but because Ava woke up in Kai's penthouse wrapped in his silk sheets, alone.
The scent of him still clung to her skin: cedar, musk, dominance. She touched her lips, remembering how he'd kissed her like she was oxygen. Then taken her like she was his last breath.
She sat up slowly, her body sore in the most satisfying ways. But her mind? It was sharper than ever. Last night hadn't been surrender—it had been a declaration. A claim. A threat. They were both walking the edge, and the fall was getting closer.
She rose from the bed, wrapped herself in one of Kai's tailored shirts, and wandered into the living room. A single envelope rested on the grand piano.
Ava,
Your world is about to change. Wear red.
–K
Red? Ava stared at the note, then at the skyline stretching beyond the glass walls. Something was coming. She could feel it. And whatever it was, Kai wasn't asking. He was commanding.
---
The car that picked her up an hour later was black, unmarked, and driverless. Of course it was.
It took her to the docks.
There, Kai stood beside a sleek yacht the size of a small island, wearing his signature black suit and mask. But he wasn't alone.
She spotted a woman—tall, blonde, model-perfect—laughing beside him. Her hand rested far too comfortably on Kai's chest.
Ava's blood turned to ice.
He saw her. Smirked.
Game on.
Ava stepped off the car like a goddess summoned by vengeance. She wore a deep red dress, every curve poured into silk, a neckline that taunted and a slit that promised war.
"You're late," Kai said, eyes raking over her.
"You're surrounded," she replied.
The blonde narrowed her eyes.
"Ava, this is Celeste," Kai said casually. "She'll be staying with us for a few days."
Us?
Celeste offered a hand. Ava didn't take it.
---
The yacht was luxurious—five stories of sin, power, and secrets.
As the yacht set sail, Ava felt the tension coil tighter. Celeste clung to Kai, laughing too hard. Touching too much.
Ava smiled through her rage. She wasn't just jealous. She was dangerous.
When Kai disappeared below deck with Celeste, Ava followed silently.
She heard them.
Moaning.
Her nails dug into her palm. She turned to leave—but froze.
Kai stepped out. Alone. Shirtless. Smirking.
"You needed to hear it," he said. "To understand what it feels like."
Ava's eyes glistened with fury. "You think this proves anything?"
"It proves you're mine. Because it drove you mad."
He stepped closer. She didn't back down.
"One day," she whispered, "you'll beg for my attention, and I'll be gone."
He grabbed her wrist, pulled her to him.
"Then make me beg."
---
They kissed like enemies.
And when they fell into the nearest room, tore each other's clothes off, and made love on a glass table beneath the stars, Ava didn't just surrender—she took control.
She rode him until he cursed her name, until the glass fogged from heat, until Celeste's laughter faded into silence.
And when it was over, she whispered, "