Bound to the cursed Billionaire

AERIS “Not all monsters hide under your bed, some sit right across from you, staring at daggers, watching and quietly waiting”. I have never been the type to get into trouble. I prefer to live my life predictable. Taking one task at a time. Matter of fact, I’m supposed to go for a stand in at a social event. So why, in the name of all things holy, am I following a stranger? The Trans-Pod hummed softly beneath my feet, the low vibration a stark contrast to the hammering of my heart. My fingers curled tighter around the strap of my bag as my eyes trailed the man sitting three rows ahead of me. He was dressed in black from head to toe, his long coat pooling around him like shadows. This man looked like trouble. His face, though—I swallowed hard—from what I could see, it was mesmerizing. A strong jaw, high cheekbones, and a mouth set in a perpetually cold line. But it wasn’t his sharp features that sent warning bells shrieking in my mind. It was his eyes. Glowing silver. And why can’t I hear him? I wondered. Tilting my head slightly. My gift or curse, depending on who you ask, has always been reliable. No matter how guarded someone was, their inner voice always hummed in the background, giving me an edge. But this man was silent. As the Trans-Pod made its final stop, the man stood, his long coat swaying as he moved toward the exit. I wasn’t thinking. My legs carried me forward, one hand pressing against my chest to calm my erratic pulse.The door hissed open. He stepped out. So did I. **Ten Minutes Later ** “What in the fresh hell am I doing?” I whispered under her breath, ducking behind a lamppost. What kind of man walked the streets with eyes like that, unhidden and unafraid? What kind of man could silence my gift without even trying? I stayed close but inconspicuous, pretending to browse market stalls when he paused near a vendor, feigning interest in a street magician’s trick when he slowed near the fountain square. But every time he moved, it was as though he knew exactly where I was. At a point, I swore his silver eyes locked onto mine. He knows I’m following him. Then he vanished. One moment he was right there, his black coat cutting through the crowd, and the next, he was gone. I froze, my heart pounding even louder as I scanned the bustling square. A flicker of annoyance crept in. How did I lose him so easily? “i***t. I’m an i***t” I hissed irritably, turning on my heel to leave. But my escape was short-lived. I felt it before I saw him. A presence—dark, heavy, and suddenly too close. “You’ve been following me.” The voice gave me an instant shock. He was there, standing directly in front of her, his gaze sharp as steel. Up close, his aura was suffocating, like staring into a storm about to break. “W-What? No, I wasn’t!” I stammered, taking a step back. My body was screaming at me to run, but my legs were rooted to the ground. He tilted his head slowly, a deliberate movement that made me feel like a prey. “Lying doesn’t suit you.” My grip tightened around my bag as I forced myself to look him in the eye. “Look, mister, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I—” My eyes flickered shut. Cutting the words right out of my mouth. He knocked me out. The blindfold across my eyes was tight, blocking out all light, leaving me in a flood of darkness. “Who are you?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I actually felt. “What do you want?” I added, struggling against the bindings on my wrists. Silence. It was the silence that unnerved me the most. I was used to hearing everything. ‘I should be asking you that; you followed me.’ That voice. Deep, calm, and laced with authority. I recognized it. It’s him. “You’ve got the wrong idea.” I snapped, yanking at the bindings, my mind racing for an answer that wouldn’t get me killed. I can’t say “I wanted to know why your thoughts were blank” because that sounded insane. “I… I thought you looked familiar,” I blurted out. Lame. So lame. What is wrong with me? My pulse pounded in my ears as I felt his gaze sweep over me, assessing, calculating. Then, without warning, he moved. Too fast. He yanked off the blindfold and I blinked against the sudden light, my vision adjusting to reveal a dimly lit room. Stone walls loomed around me, bare except for the faint glow of magical runes etched into their surfaces. Across the room stood the man I’d tailed, his piercing silver eyes glowing faintly in the shadows. “You wanted to follow me, right?,” he said, his voice low and threatening. “Fine. Now you’ll see where I’m going.” “Hey! I didn’t mean to follow you!!” I twisted in the chair, but his hold was unrelenting as he dragged me and the chair across the room. “You’re insane!” “No, you’re the insane one for following a stranger,” he shot back darkly. “And now you’ll deal with the consequences.” “And you resorted to k********g me? Really? You know that’s illegal, right?” I snapped, wincing as I shifted in the chair. “You’re insane. A lunatic. A—” “Be quiet,” he interrupted sharply, His silver eyes glinting in the dark, and I could feel the temperature drop. “What do you want from me?” I demanded, my voice cracking a bit. He stared at me for a long moment before speaking. “Who sent you?” “Send me? What are you talking about?” I shrieked. “No one sent me! I was just—” “You just… what?” he asked, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. He was even more striking up close, his sharp features carved like marble, the faint glow of his eyes unnerving yet hypnotic. “I thought you might be dangerous,” I lied again, my voice steadier now. A dark eyebrow arched. “No longer familiar? Wait.. So you decided to follow me? Alone?” I bit my lip, averting my gaze. This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening. I felt a heat of embarrassment rise to my cheeks. It honestly sounded ridiculous when he put it that way. “You didn’t look dangerous,” I shot back, lifting my chin defiantly. “You looked… suspicious.” His lips twitched into the faintest smirk. “Suspicious, huh?” “Yes,” I said firmly. “And now I’m starting to think I was right.” “You don’t lie very well woman,” he stated flatly, his fingers brushing through his dark hair as he loomed over me. “What I don’t understand is why you were so interested in me. What were you hoping to find?” he asked, his voice softer now, I felt the weight of his gaze, sharp and unrelenting, and I hesitated. How do I explain to this man that his silence in my mind had been deafeningly irresistible? Telling the truth was out of the question. “I wasn’t hoping to find anything,” I said carefully. “I just… wanted to be sure you weren’t a threat.” “And are you?” he asked, his silver eyes narrowing. “What?” “A threat.” The question caught me off guard. I scoffed, shaking my head. “Do I look like a threat to you?” He took a step closer, and I instinctively leaned back. There was something about the way he moved—graceful yet deliberate, like a predator circling its prey. “No,” he admitted. “But appearances can be deceiving.” “Why can’t I hear you?