Aria's wrists burned under the silk tie, the soft bite of Damien's knots grounding her in a haze of heat and panic. The Miami skyline pulsed beyond the penthouse glass, but in here, the air was thick with something heavier, lust, power, and now, a new player. Lila stood in the doorway, her red dress clinging like a second skin, her smirk slicing through the dim violet light. She was all sharp cheekbones and feline grace, her green eyes locking onto Aria like a predator sizing up a rival.
"Who's this?" Lila repeated, her voice a low purr that sent a shiver down Aria's spine. She stepped closer, heels clicking on the marble floor, each sound deliberate, like a countdown.
Damien didn't move from his spot behind Aria's chair, his hand still resting on her thigh where the last smack had landed. "Lila, meet Aria. Our newest… guest." His tone was smooth, but the pause carried weight, like he was testing them both.
Aria's pulse raced, her mind scrambling. Guest? This wasn't some VIP list, this was a game, and she was the board. Her dress clung to her skin, damp with sweat, the memory of Damien's palm still tingling. She should've bolted, but her body betrayed her, rooted by the same reckless curiosity that had drawn her to this party.
Lila circled closer, her gaze flicking from Aria's bound wrists to Damien. "She's pretty," she said, almost to herself, then leaned in, her breath warm against Aria's ear. "But does she play?"
Aria stiffened, her voice catching. "Play what?" The words came out bolder than she felt, defiance masking the tremor in her chest.
Lila laughed, soft and cruel, like she'd already won. "Oh, you'll see." She straightened, tossing her dark hair, and glanced at Damien. "You didn't tell her the rules, did you?"
"There's only one," Damien said, his hand sliding up Aria's thigh, slow, deliberate, stopping just short of dangerous. "Surrender, and you get everything. Fight it, and…" He trailed off, his black eyes boring into hers, daring her to fill the blank.
Aria's breath hitched, heat flooding her core. She hated how much she wanted to know what "everything" meant. Hated how Lila's presence, her confidence, her edge made it worse, like gasoline on a spark. "I'm not scared," she lied, lifting her chin.
Lila's smirk widened. She reached out, her fingers grazing Aria's jaw, light but possessive. "You should be." Then, to Damien, "Let's test her."
Before Aria could process, Lila's hand found the silk tie, tugging it tighter, not painful, but enough to make her gasp. The room spun, the neon city outside blurring into streaks of pink and blue. Damien stepped back, watching, his silence louder than any command. Aria's heart pounded, caught between outrage and a hunger she couldn't name.
Lila knelt, her face inches from Aria's, close enough to see the flecks of gold in her eyes. "You're not here for likes anymore, sweetheart," she whispered. "You're here for us." Her fingers trailed down Aria's arm, slow, deliberate, stopping at the edge of her dress. Aria's skin prickled, every nerve screaming yes and no at once.
"Enough," Damien said, his voice cutting through like a blade. Lila froze, her hand hovering, then pulled back with a mock pout. He stepped forward, looming over Aria, his presence swallowing the room. "She's not ready. Not yet."
Aria's chest heaved, her mind a mess of want and warning. "Ready for what?" she demanded, voice shaky but sharp. She yanked at the silk, testing its give. It held firm.
Damien's smile was slow, dangerous. "For the truth about my parties." He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear, voice low enough to feel like a caress. "You think this is just a game, Aria? It's a door. Once you step through, there's no going back."
Lila stood, brushing her dress smooth, her eyes never leaving Aria. "She'll break," she said, almost cheerful. "They always do."
Aria's stomach twisted, but not just from fear. There was something electric in Lila's taunt, in Damien's control, in the way they played off each other like they'd done this before. She should've screamed, should've run, but the thought of leaving, of never knowing what came next, was worse.
Damien untied the silk with a single pull, the fabric sliding free like a promise undone. "Go," he said, stepping back. "Or stay. Your choice."
Aria rubbed her wrists, the skin warm where the tie had bitten. The door was right there, the elevator beyond it, freedom just steps away. But Lila's smirk, Damien's gaze, they held her tighter than any knot. And then there was the sound: a faint hum, like machinery waking up, coming from a shadowed hall she hadn't noticed before.
"What's that?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
Damien's eyes gleamed. "The real party."
Lila laughed, low and throaty, already moving toward the hall. "Come on, influencer girl," she called over her shoulder. "Unless you're scared of getting what you came for."
Aria stood, legs unsteady, the Miami night pulsing outside like a heartbeat. She took one step toward the hall, then another, her body deciding before her mind could catch up.
To be continued…