Chapter 10 - The Choice
I looked down at the black business card still clutched in my hand, then back at the dossier containing the dark, painful chapters of my past that I had tried so desperately to outrun.
For eight months, I had believed that safety meant hiding in the shadows, keeping my head down, and hoping nobody noticed me. But tonight had proven that shadows couldn't protect me when the wolves knew where to look.
“And if I say no?” I asked quietly, testing the boundaries of his control.
Arthur’s gray eyes narrowed slightly, reflecting the amber lights of the empty room with the depth of a freezing sea.
“You can walk out those front doors right now, go back to your third-floor apartment, and bolt your three locks,” he said, his voice dangerously soft. “And tomorrow morning, when Derek’s friends come looking for what he owes them, you can hope they’re as patient as I am.”
I didn't flinch. I let out a long, slow breath, feeling the last remaining shreds of fear burn away into something colder and much more resolute. I had spent my entire life letting men like Derek dictate my survival. It was time to choose a different kind of monster.
May you like
I reached out, picked up the manila folder, and tucked it securely beneath my arm.
“When do I start?”
