Lila Hart's pulse wouldn't calm.
The shredded contract lay scattered across the study floor, the torn pages like ghosts of her defiance. Each ripped clause whispered the same truth—she was trapped. Those hidden lines she'd found, granting Alexander Knight control over her choices, her voice, her freedom, had turned her life into something she no longer recognized.
His obsession burned through her mind. That night two years ago—pulling him from the wreckage, the smell of smoke and gasoline—had been the moment everything changed. Her courage had saved him. His gratitude had become possession.
"I own you."
The echo of his voice crawled down her spine, making her shiver. The words had cut deep, colder than the penthouse marble beneath her feet.
Then the intercom buzzed, sharp and sudden.
"Mr. Knight, Ethan Caldwell is here. He's demanding to see Miss Hart."
Ethan.
Her breath hitched. Her father's old friend. The rival CEO. The man whose calm eyes and quiet strength felt like safety.
Before she could move, Alexander's jaw locked, the muscle ticking with fury. His gaze snapped to her, blue eyes flashing like ice before fire. For one breath, she thought he'd stop her. But he didn't.
Lila didn't wait for permission. She slipped past him, her heart thundering, desperate for air—desperate to be anywhere he wasn't.
The penthouse lobby was a world apart—silver light spilling across marble, the city skyline gleaming behind glass. Ethan stood near the elevator, tall, composed, his presence steady in a way that calmed her trembling hands.
"Lila."
Her name left his lips in a tone that almost undid her. There was warmth there. Concern. Something she hadn't felt in a long time.
"You don't belong here," he said, stepping closer. His voice was low, urgent, protective. "I've seen the contract. My lawyers found a copy—it's predatory. I can get you out."
Her throat tightened. Hope flickered, fragile and bright.
"How?" she whispered, glancing over her shoulder, terrified of the shadows that might be following.
Ethan's hand brushed her arm, the lightest touch, and yet it felt like freedom. "Come work for me at Caldwell Enterprises," he said softly. "I'll protect you—legally, financially. Your family's debts? I'll cover them. You don't have to live like this."
His eyes held hers, steady and sincere, a promise shining there. A way out. A chance to breathe again.
Lila's heart raced, torn between disbelief and desperate hope. "He'll destroy you," she breathed. "He owns everything—my home, my sister's care, everything I love. He won't let me go."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "I'm not afraid of him," he said. "I know what he's done, Lila. I have proof—documents showing he manipulated your family's debts to trap you. Let me help you fight him."
Her lips parted. For a heartbeat, she could see it—the end of the nightmare. The life she'd lost waiting just beyond his reach.
She wanted to say yes.
Ethan's hand lingered on her arm, grounding her. His warmth felt real. His steadiness made her believe she could still choose her own life.
Then—
"Step away from her, Caldwell."
The voice cut through the air like a blade.
Alexander's silhouette filled the entrance, the soft light turning his sharp features into something carved and dangerous. His gaze was fixed on Ethan, eyes burning with a fury that made the room feel smaller.
Lila froze.
Every instinct screamed to move, to hide, but her body wouldn't listen.
Alexander crossed the lobby in long, measured strides. "You think you can walk into my building and take what's mine?" His tone was quiet, deadly.
Ethan didn't move. "She's not your property, Knight," he said evenly. "I'm offering her a way out. You can't stop her."
A slow, humorless laugh escaped Alexander's lips. He reached for Lila, yanking her behind him with a force that made her stumble. His grip tightened around her wrist until pain shot up her arm.
Then he turned on Ethan, eyes blazing.
"Touch her again," Alexander growled, grabbing Ethan by the collar, pulling him close enough to smell the tension between them, "and I'll destroy you."
Every word dripped with power, with the kind of fury that could ruin empires.
"She's mine," he hissed, "by contract. By choice. By fate."
Lila's breath caught. His hand burned against her skin, possessive and merciless.
Ethan's eyes flicked to her, silently asking if she wanted to fight—if she was ready.
She didn't know.
Her heart slammed against her ribs, caught between the promise of freedom in Ethan's voice and the suffocating pull of Alexander's claim. His fingers dug deeper into her wrist, his body close, heat radiating through her skin as he glared at his rival.
The air thickened, heavy with tension.
And in that moment, Lila understood—whatever happened next, someone was going to burn.