"Sign the warrant, Ava, or I swear to God I’ll strip every piece of pride you have left."
Ethan’s voice dragged against my ear, heavy and laced with a terrifying quiet authority. He pinned my wrists above my head with a thick leather tether, binding me securely to the vault's central bed. Before I could scream, his broad frame came down hard over mine, straddling my thighs with a weight that utterly paralyzed me. The silver ring on his thumb dug painfully into the delicate skin right above my heart, branding me with his overwhelming presence.
A heavy, mechanical hiss echoed through the chamber as the vault’s reinforced air lock sealed completely shut. The bright overhead lights died, plunging us into a suffocating, dim red emergency glow. The crimson light washed over Ethan’s bare chest
