This… this felt surrel. To the point I couldn’t believ my eyes. Why would he send me this? As I pulled out the red dress from the paper bag, my fingers brushed over the luxurious fabric. The tag—a name that screamed wealth—hung from the sleeve. My breath caught. It was something the younger me would’ve died to wear. Now? It felt like a noose tightening around my neck. A box sat beside the dress, the lid slightly open. Cherry red heels, delicate and fierce, just like the man who’d chosen them. Next to that, a small box with diamond studs and a ribbon. The bow? Red, of course. It was all a message. My hands trembled as I placed the dress back. But the thought of refusing him wasn’t an option. I knew what he was capable of, what lines he wouldn’t hesitate to cross. Wearing this dress—it w

