Page 40 of Dangerous Beginnings

I close my eyes, but his image still lingers—his towering form, the heat of his breath against my ear, the predatory smile that wasn’t a smile at all. It was the smile of someone who knows they own you. They could break you, twist you into whatever they want, and you would beg for it.

I pull the covers tighter around me, but it doesn’t help. The cold in the room is nothing compared to the chill that has taken root in my soul. My limbs feel heavy, and sluggish, as if I’m moving through water. I know what he’s capable of, what he promised me.

I catch sight of a small package on the dresser, as I step closer my jaw nearly drops on the floor. It is a completely new phone, the newest there is. Curiosity mingled with apprehension as I approached it. My heart races as I realize he left me a direct line of contact. The realization both intrigues and frightens me. I hesitate for a moment, debating whether to throw the phone away or use it.

In the end, a strange curiosity gets the better of me, and Ireluctantly power it on. The phone springs to life, and a plain background appears. His contact details are saved, and not with anunknownnumber anymore, but with hisname.Aslanov.

As I navigate conflicting emotions within me, I can’t ignore the subtle allure that surrounds him. There is a dark magnetism pulling me in, and a part of me can’t deny the strange excitement that tings my fear. I drop the phone on the desk, letting it charge.

Throughout the day, I struggle to keep my mind on anything. My routine is a blur, my thoughts constantly drifting back to the encounter. His eyes, the way his breath had brushed against my ear, and how close he got to me. My skin tingles at the memory, and I find my fingers absently tracing the spots where his touch lingers, as if his fingers are still there, imprinting their mark. The reality of what happened crashes over me again and again, and I can’t seem to escape it.

This is my life now.

A shudder runs through me as the thought settles in my mind. I need something to drown out the noise. I need a drink, or two, or ten. Just as the thought crosses my mind, my phone buzzes. I glance down at the screen to see Alexia’s name lighting up, and for a split second, I hesitate. She’s the last person I want to talk to about this. But I know I need an escape, and if anyone can help me forget, it’s her. I swipe the screen and put the phone to my ear.

“Isa! What’s up, girl? What are you doing tonight?” Her voice is loud and excited, an instant contrast to the dark thoughts that have been swirling through my head all day.

I force myself to smile, the effort almost painful. “I don’t know, Lexi. Just feeling a bit off today,” I answer, my voice lacking the usual energy I usually put on for her.

“Oh, come on! You can’t be serious! You need a break, girl. You can’t stay in your head all night. Let’s hit the town, have some drinks, and dance our worries away! What do you say?”Her enthusiasm is infectious, and for a moment, I almost feel the pull of it—the warmth of forgetting everything that has been weighing on me.

I hesitate, my thoughts pulling me in a dozen directions at once, but then, the alcohol-filled haze of earlier creeps back into my mind. Maybe it’s exactly what I need. “Alright, let’s do it,” I agree, the hint of a smile tugging at the corners of my lips despite myself.

By the time night falls, we’re ready. Alexia practically drags me out of my apartment and into the world outside, her excitement palpable. She convinces me to wear the short dress, telling me it’ll boost my confidence. It feels like a challenge, but I don’t fight it.Why the fuck not? I think, pulling on the dress and slipping into heels that make me feel taller, and more confident—though I know it’s just a mask.

The club we decide on is the kind of place where the lights are low, and the music pounds through your chest like a heartbeat. It’s alive with energy, bodies pressed together in a collective pulse, the kind of energy I crave, the kind I can get lost in. We hit the dance floor immediately, the music vibrating through the soles of my feet, sweeping the tension from my body with every thumping beat. Alexia is in her element, throwing herself into the music, laughing, spinning in time with the flashing lights.

But I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong.

The music should be enough to block out everything else, but it’s not. I keep catching glimpses of him—his face flickering in the dim corners of the club, his eyes watching me from the shadows. I freeze for a moment, the blood in my veins turning cold. It’s a trick. I know it’s just my imagination.It has to be.

I shake my head, forcing the thoughts away as I throw myself back into the rhythm of the music. Alexia’s laughter fills my ears, her presence grounding me as I lose myself in the dance. The longer I stay on the floor, the more the anxiety slipsaway, replaced by something else. The alcohol, the music, the movement—they start to blend together, and for a while, I’m no longer thinking about him or the tight coil of fear and desire that he left in my chest.

Another shot. Another drink. Another moment of blissful, forgetful numbness.

The club feels like an escape, but it’s also a cage. It’s a place where I can pretend to be free, even though I’m not. As the night wears on, I’m drunker than I intended to be. The world blurs at the edges, the lights turn into streaks of color, and the bass vibrates through my entire body, my heart thumping in time with it.

My phone buzzes from my purse, the vibration sharp against my skin. I reach for it blindly, but my fingers are clumsy and uncoordinated, my vision hazy. The screen lights up with a message, but it’s too blurry for me to read. I squint, trying to focus, but the letters swim and blur together in a confusing mess. I try to steady my breath, but the world keeps tilting, spinning like a carousel gone out of control.

“Isa! Let’s do another shot!” Alexia shouts over the music, her eyes wild with excitement.

I nod, a crooked grin on my face, but just as I lift my hand to reach for the phone, Lexi bumps into me. The phone slips from my fingers and falls into my bag, but I don’t care. I don’t even glance at it again. The message is meaningless now, lost to the chaos around me. We’re both as far gone as the other. The music consumes us, the flashing lights painting us in neon hues, and I don’t think about the consequences. I don’t think about anything but the movement, the freedom, the pulse of the night. The rhythm of the music, the weight of the alcohol, the dizzying release of the moment,I’m free, but only for tonight.

I think I need another shot.

Aslanov

I have never done this.

It’s almost amusing—almost—to see how far I’m willing to break my own rules for her. Watching Isabella try to hold onto her little composure, I felt something stir that I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in a long time. It’s not just amusement, though that’s there too. It’s curiosity.

Curiosity is dangerous.

I don’t play, not with anyone, let alone women. I don’t have time for that. My world is built on control, precision, and discipline. There’s no room for indulgence, no patience for distractions. Everything I do has a purpose, every action a consequence. I don’t toy with people. I break them—or I don’t bother at all. But Isabella… she’s different.

She’s like a shiny, sharp-edged little toy that’s caught my eye. And I can’t seem to put her down.

My tailored suit, sharp and imposing, commands authority as I step out of the opulent New York City skyscraper. The sleek, modern lobby fades behind me, replaced by the shadowed streets below. The city’s heartbeat pulses in the distant hum of traffic and the occasional wail of sirens. The Porsche glides through the crowded avenues, a beast of precision cutting through the urban maze until I reach a discreet Italian restaurant nestled in a quiet corner of the city. The restaurant oozes exclusivity with its dimly lit, intimate interior, catering to a select few who understand the weight of discretion.

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