Bound By Contract, Claimed By Fate

THE ART OF CONTROL

ADRIAN

“He’s her past. He’s her prison. And she’s the battlefield between them.”

I know exactly what I’m doing.

Every move, every word, every glance — calculated, revised, and measured for effect.

This isn’t just about Katherine. It’s about breaking Dominic Beaufort piece by piece. And the best way to shatter a man like him is through the one thing he doesn’t believe anyone can touch — his control.

Still, I’d be lying if I said Katherine was only a pawn. She’s more than that. She always has been. Even when I tell myself this is all strategy, there’s something in her eyes — that quiet defiance, that fragile strength — that makes me hesitate for a split second longer than I should.

They’re alike, she and Dominic. Both guarded. Both pretending not to care. Both are masters of keeping people at arm’s length. But emotions — emotions are my battlefield, and I know how to use them.

That’s why I planned tonight so carefully.

I’d asked Katherine to dinner, knowing Dominic would demand the same. It wasn’t a coincidence — it was precision. Two men, one woman caught in the middle. The perfect storm to make her question herself, her heart, and the man she truly wanted to follow.

But I also knew Dominic. He’s possessive by nature, territorial to the bone. He wouldn’t let her slip from his grasp that easily. So I had a plan B — crash his dinner, stir the pot, and make him lose that iron composure he wears like armour.

If I could make him snap, Katherine would see who he really was. And I’d be there, calm and understanding, the opposite of everything Dominic isn’t.

It always works.

Or at least, it used to.

“I don’t think you have power over her, Dominic,” I said, keeping my voice steady, soft — just enough to sound reasonable. “Let her decide for herself.”

Dominic’s eyes flicked toward me, cold and sharp as glass. “You don’t tell me how to run my family,” he said, his tone clipped, every word soaked with fury.

“Family?” I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. “Come on, Dominic. Let’s not pretend. This isn’t a family — this isn’t even real.”

His jaw tightened instantly. The shift in his body was immediate — his shoulders squared, fists curling at his sides. I’d hit the nerve I wanted to. His wolf energy rolled off him like heat, vibrating through the air. One more word, and he’d lose it.

And I wanted that.

I wanted him to show Katherine the side of him he keeps buried — the one that doesn’t care who he hurts as long as he wins.

But then my gaze flicked to her.

Katherine stood between us, her chest rising and falling too fast, eyes darting from me to him. She looked torn, frightened even — not of us, but of what this was turning into.

For a second, guilt prickled under my skin. I hadn’t meant to scare her. I wanted to protect her, not pull her into a fight she didn’t deserve.

Dominic took a slow step toward me, his voice low and dangerous. “You always talk too much, Adrian. Still trying to prove you’re better than me?”

I met his glare, masking the tremor in my chest with a smirk. “I don’t need to prove anything. You’re doing that yourself.”

He was seconds away from losing it. I could see it in the way his breathing changed, the way his knuckles turned white. But I couldn’t push further — not here. Not with her watching.

Katherine doesn’t know what we are yet — not the truth about me and Dominic, not the blood that binds and divides us. And if she found out now, before I could make her trust me again, everything would fall apart.

So I stepped back, lifting my hands slightly in surrender. “I’m not here to fight,” I said, forcing calm into my tone. “I just wanted to talk to her. That’s all.”

Dominic’s nostrils flared. “You’ve done enough talking.”

His gaze flicked to Katherine, softer now, but still firm. “Go upstairs,” he told her quietly. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Her eyes widened, trembling with confusion. “Don’t do that, Dominic. Don’t make decisions for me.”

I almost smiled. She was finding her voice, and that made something warm stir in my chest.

“See?” I said gently. “She doesn’t belong in your shadow.”

Dominic turned his glare back on me, and for a moment, the air in the room was electric — two storms colliding, each daring the other to strike first.

“I think you should leave,” he said finally, his voice low but lethal.

I exhaled, pretending to give in, but inside, my mind was already spinning. This wasn’t over — it was just beginning.

I gave Katherine one last look. “You know where to find me,” I said softly. And I meant it — not just as a line, but as a promise.

Then I left, the door closing behind me with a quiet thud.

In the hallway, I paused, resting my hand against the wall as my heart steadied. My plan was working — but it didn’t feel like victory. Not when I could still see the conflict in Katherine’s eyes.

Dominic might have her body for now, but if I played this right, her heart… her heart would be mine again.

And that would be the beginning of his downfall.

Just as I reached for the car door, the faint sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind me. I turned, and there she was—Katherine.

Her hair was slightly messy, her cheeks flushed, her eyes full of something I couldn’t quite name—anger, confusion, maybe even guilt. But one thing was clear—she’d come after me.

“Adrian, wait,” she said, a little breathless.

I leaned against the car, suppressing the grin threatening to surface. Hook, line, sinker.

“Well, that didn’t take long,” I said lightly, opening the passenger door. “Get in. We can talk.”

She hesitated, glancing back toward the house like she was afraid Dominic might appear any second. Then, with a soft sigh, she slid into the seat beside me.

The air inside the car grew thick with silence. She looked out the window, avoiding my eyes. “You shouldn’t have said those things to him,” she muttered. “You’re just making everything worse.”

“Am I?” I asked, my voice low, careful. “Or am I just showing you what you refuse to see?”

Her lips parted, but no words came out. The way she stared at me—hurt, unsure—tugged at something deep inside me I didn’t want to feel.

I turned away before I could soften, gripping the steering wheel. “You deserve better than to be someone’s contract, Katherine.”

That made her look at me. Really look at me. For a moment, I saw the same spark I’d fallen for once—a dangerous mix of defiance and longing.

Then my phone buzzed, breaking the moment. A new message flashed on the screen.

Bianca: Play your game well. He’s watching.

I smirked.

Of course he was.

Everything was going exactly as planned.