Bound by Lust

Esme stood frozen in front of the full-length mirror inside the boutique's fitting room. She had tried on three dresses already, but none of them felt right. She tugged at the fabric of the last one, a sleek, silver gown that shimmered under the lights. It clung to her curves, making her look as if she were stepping into a world she didn't belong to. The material was too expensive, too flashy, too… not her.

Her mind raced as she thought about Kael's sudden attention to her appearance. Why now? Why this sudden push to make her look like the perfect fiancée? She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel grateful or suffocated.

The door to the fitting room creaked open, and there he was—Kael, standing in the doorway, his eyes scanning her every inch. His gaze lingered on her, studying her with a coldness that almost made her shiver.

"Well?" he asked, his voice sharp, yet there was a hint of something darker beneath it. "Is that what you'll wear?"

Esme swallowed, feeling an uncomfortable knot twist in her stomach. "I don't know. None of these feel… right."

Kael stepped into the room, his presence filling the small space. His eyes didn't leave her as he walked closer. "You're not here to feel comfortable. You're here to look good," he said, his voice low. He reached out, adjusting the neckline of the dress slightly, his fingers brushing against her skin in a way that made her heart race.

Esme instinctively took a step back, but Kael was too fast. He caught her wrist again, his grip firm but not painful.

"You think I don't see the way you look at me?" Kael said, his voice hushed, a dangerous edge to it. "You think I don't feel that tension between us?"

Her breath hitched, her words caught in her throat. She hadn't expected him to call her out like that, but something about the way he said it made her heart flutter and her body tense with both fear and something else—something she couldn't quite define.

"I don't want this," she whispered, pulling her wrist free, but his eyes remained fixed on her.

"You don't have a choice," he said with a smirk, though there was a coldness in his gaze that made her stomach turn. "You never did."

Esme looked at herself in the mirror, the image of her in this expensive dress staring back at her. A perfect woman in the arms of a man who could destroy her. Her reflection seemed so distant, so far from the girl she used to be.

Kael took a step back, his eyes still on her, studying her like she was some sort of prize he was evaluating. "Pick something," he ordered, his voice now tinged with impatience. "We have places to be."

Esme nodded silently, feeling her pulse race. She grabbed a simple, elegant black dress that was both classic and understated, hoping it would please him. She didn't care anymore—she just wanted to be done with this.

As she stepped out of the fitting room, she met Kael's eyes, his gaze still cold but lingering on her with something that felt possessive. He didn't say anything as he nodded in approval, but his silence spoke volumes.

The drive back to the mansion was uneventful, but the air between them was thick, suffocating. Kael's silence gnawed at her, and she couldn't help but feel like she was drowning in his unspoken expectations.

When they arrived, Kael was the first to get out, holding the door open for her. She stepped out of the car, her heart pounding, but she didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say. Kael didn't give her the chance to speak anyway.

He led her inside, his hand resting on her back, guiding her with an unspoken command. His touch wasn't gentle, but it wasn't aggressive either. It was a reminder that she was under his control, whether she liked it or not.

Inside, the mansion was quiet, almost unnervingly so. Esme could feel the weight of his presence behind her, his footsteps following hers as she walked through the long corridor. It was like a silent game, each move calculated, each moment stretching out longer than the last.

Kael's voice broke the silence. "Stay here," he ordered, his tone as cold as ever. "I'll be back."

Esme nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She couldn't seem to think straight, her mind muddled by the tension that seemed to hang between them. She was caught in his web—there was no escaping it now.

As Kael left the room, Esme felt the weight of the silence press down on her like an invisible force. She didn't know what to do, where to go, or what her place in this world was anymore. She was no longer just Esme Luna, a girl trying to survive. Now, she was a part of something far darker, something that left her questioning her own choices.

And deep down, she feared the worst—that she was already too far gone to ever escape.

****. ****. ****.