Page 37 of Emperor of Lust

We sit in silence for a moment, the discreet hum of the train filling the tension-laden air. I keep my gaze focused on the view outside as we approach Mt. Fuji, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging his presence. But Damian, as always, is undeterred.

“You know,” he says quietly, “it’s customary to thank someone when they give you a gift.”

My eyes snap to his, incredulous. “Fingers?!” I hiss quietly. “Are you fucking deranged?!”

I mean what the fuck do you evendowith fingers? I ended up walking to the front gate of the estate last night holding that creepy fucking box and asking one of Kenzo’s guys to take it to a crematorium I know my brother has…utilized…before.

Damian shrugs casually, making my blood boil. “Probably. At least, most shrinks I’ve seen think so. But what do they know?” He smirks at me. “I thought you’d appreciate the gesture.”

“Why?” I snap, barely keeping my voice in check.

“He tried to hurt you,” Damian continues, his growl dark and unyielding. “He laid his hands on you. So I took his fingers…” He pauses, his eyes glinting with sinister mirth. “Amongst other things.”

I swallow, a chill running through me. “Other things? Like…?”

“Like every appendage he has,” he replies, his voice almost nonchalant. “Rather, had. Plus his life.”

The bluntness of his words hits me like a slap, my mind reeling as I process the full extent of what he’s saying. And that he did itforme, inmyname… It’s unsettling.

Yet deep down there’s a part of me that feels something else dark and twisted that I can’t admit, not even to myself.

“You’re a monster,” I whisper, hoping my words will mask the confusion swirling inside me.

Damian only smirks, his dark eyes never leaving mine. “You’re just going to have to get used to me,” he says, his tone at once mocking and possessive.

I feel a flare of anger, and I shift in my seat, determined to regain control. “Miyamoto knows this is all bullshit,” I tell him. “He’s not fooled by this engagement charade. He understands it’s just for show.”

Damian’s smirk fades slightly. “We both know what’s at stake here, Kitsune. So we’re going to play this completely by the book.”

I scoff, frustration building as I fight to maintain my composure. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means, Kitsune…” He leans closer, his presence overwhelming, suffocating. “That you’re going to be my fiancée, and you’re going to sell theshitout of the role.”

I roll my eyes. “In public, yeah,” I mutter, though even as I say it, I can feel my pulse quicken and my resolve falter under his intense gaze. “I’m going to play your fiancée inpublic.”

His lips curl into a dark smile and he reaches out to brush a finger along the edge of my chin. “And in private,” he murmurs, his voice sending a shiver through me.

A blush creeps up my cheeks and I inhale deeply, struggling to keep my composure. “What happened the other night,” I begin, my voice wavering despite my best efforts, “is never happening again.”

His smirk widens, dark amusement flashing in his eyes.

“Which time, though?” he asks, a mocking edge to his voice that makes my face heat even more. He leans back, his fingers tapping idly on the armrest, as if he has all the time in the world to sit here and torment me.

I grit my teeth, hating the way he’s clearly enjoying every second of this. “Any of the times,” I snap, with as much conviction into my voice as possible. “It’s never happening again.”

Even as I utter the words, a small part of me doubts them. The memory of his strong hands on my skin, the way he looked at me with such possessive hunger—it’s all too raw, too recent. I hate this effect he has on me, that he’s able to pull me in with a single look or touch.

Damian watches me for a moment, his gaze unwavering, and then he leans in, close enough that I can feel his breath againstmy skin, hot and unyielding. His voice, barely a whisper, cuts through the silence like a blade.

“We’ll see about that, Kitsune.”

12

DAMIAN

The King ExecutiveSuite at the Conrad Tokyo Hotel is nothing short of opulent. Modern, elegance personified, and, as the name suggests, fit for royalty, with panoramic views of Tokyo’s skyline.

It’s also home while we’re here laying the foundations for the Mori-Nikolayev expansion into Tokyo.

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