Chase Sterling always felt like furniture. The kind you don't notice, the kind that's easy to shove in a corner and forget. He was used to it: people looked right through him, brushed him off like lint. But it only takes one phone call to erase a lifetime of being overlooked. When his estranged family meets a tragic end, Chase suddenly finds himself in charge of the sprawling Sterling fortune. Turns out, riches aren't the only thing the family left him. There's a curse running through his blood, warping love into something hungry and dangerous, impossible to escape.

Vivian Ashford never set out to blow Chase's life to smithereens. Just one decision (a sharp, ruthless move at graduation) was all it took to set their worlds spinning out of control. While Vivian soaks up the Hollywood limelight and collects red-carpet headlines, Chase slips into his new role as Manhattan's most intimidating heir. But no matter how far they run, something keeps yanking them back together, like a stitch in an old wound that refuses to heal.

I walk into Marcus's office building at exactly 9 AM, three hours after finishing the ritual that broke his spell, running on fury instead of sleep. The receptionist recognizes me, waves me through security without question. Everyone here knows I'm Marcus Webb's star client, his prized investment, the actress he's grooming for Oscar glory.


They have no idea he's been magically enslaving me for weeks.


Marcus's office is on the top floor, all glass and chrome and the kind of expensive minimalism that screams power without needing to say it aloud. His assistant starts to stand when I approach, probably to announce me or delay me, but I walk past her like she doesn't exist.


I push through Marcus's door without knocking. He's in a meeting, three producers sitting across from his desk, mid-presentation about some project they're pitching. They all turn when I enter, surprise registering on their faces.


Chapter 95 - Vivian's Rage