HIS PET, HIS RULES

The knock at the door was sharp, cruel, and unrelenting. Daisy flinched, her hands tightening around the chipped mug of lukewarm tea. The walls of the tiny apartment seemed to echo with the sound, reminding her that nothing in her life was hers anymore not even this fading space. She had been bracing for this moment for weeks. The landlord’s warnings had gone from polite notes to slammed fists. Debt collectors called at every hour. The world was circling, ready to devour what her father had left behind; nothing but empty promises and unpaid bills. Her heart thudded against her ribs as the knocking continued. She rose slowly, barefoot on the cold wooden floor, and opened the door. A tall man in a black suit stood there, his frame filling the doorway like a shadow. His face was unreadable, but his voice cut through her like ice. “Miss Carter. Mr. Reed will see you now.” Daisy blinked. She didn’t remember agreeing to see anyone, let alone him. But the name alone was enough to coil dread through her stomach. Xander Reed. She’d heard it whispered like a curse billionaire, shark, destroyer of companies, collector of debts. The man who now owned hers. “I—I can’t—” she started, but the man’s hand pressed a business card into hers. “Tonight. Nine o’clock. The penthouse.” And then he was gone, leaving her clutching the card like it was both a death sentence and a lifeline. The city glittered beneath her feet hours later, when Daisy found herself stepping into the glass-and-steel tower that bore his name " REED ENTERPRISES." The lobby was sleek, silent, every inch designed to intimidate. She almost turned back until she remembered the eviction notice waiting on her kitchen table. The elevator carried her to the top, her reflection in the mirror walls pale and nervous. When the doors slid open, she was greeted by dim lighting and the low hum of music. A single set of glass doors parted to reveal him. Xander Reed. He stood by the window, a glass of dark liquor in hand, the city lights painting him in gold and shadow. His suit was midnight black, his tie loosened as though rules bent around him instead of the other way around. And when his eyes, sharp, gray, unyielding lifted to meet hers, Daisy felt her breath catch. “Miss Carter,” he said, his voice smooth but laced with danger. “You kept me waiting.” “I—I didn’t ask to come here,” she whispered, though her feet carried her forward. “You didn’t have to.” He turned fully now, and the weight of his gaze pinned her in place. “Your father owed me. His debts are mine to collect. But you have nothing to give.” Her lips parted. “Then why am I here?” The corner of his mouth curved too cruel to be called a smile. He reached to the table beside him and slid a document across its polished surface. “You’re here because I’m offering you a choice.” She stepped closer, her eyes skimming the paper. A contract. She didn’t need to read it all to understand. “You want me to work for you,” she said, her voice trembling. “I want you to be mine,” he corrected softly. “By day, my housekeeper. In my office, my assistant. And by night…” His eyes darkened, the words unspoken yet crystal clear. “You’ll be my pet.” Her throat tightened, heat rising up her neck despite the chill in the room. “That’s insane,” she whispered. “It’s survival,” he countered. “No rent. No debts. No more collectors at your door. Everything you need, in exchange for everything I want.” Daisy’s pulse thundered. She should run. She should tear the contract in two and never come back. Yet something in his tone commanding, dangerous, magnetic rooted her to the spot. Xander stepped closer, close enough that she could smell the faint spice of his cologne. His fingers brushed hers, deliberately slow, when he handed her the pen. The touch was light, but it sent a shiver racing down her arm. “You don’t have to sign tonight,” he murmured. “But I think you will.” His gaze swept over her like a brand. “You’re already imagining what it would feel like, aren’t you? To let someone else take control. To surrender, so you don’t have to fight anymore.” Her lips parted, and she hated that he was right that the thought sparked something dangerous inside her. His hand lingered at her wrist, firm but not forceful. He tilted his head, studying her like prey. Then, slowly, he lifted her hand to his mouth. His lips brushed the inside of her wrist, barely a kiss, more like a claim and her knees weakened. “Think about it, Daisy,” he whispered against her skin. “No love. No attachments. Just my rules. And in return… I’ll take care of everything.” The pen slid from her fingers, clattering softly onto the table. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, trapped between dread and a heat that curled low in her belly. Xander smiled then, slow and knowing. He didn’t need her answer yet. He could already see it in her eyes. And Daisy realized, with a mix of terror and desire, that the cage was already closing around her.