I thought I knew what I was agreeing to when I said I’d stay. The words had left my lips, trembling and soft, but I’d meant them. At least, I thought I had. But as Branson’s gaze lingered on me, calm and unshaken, the weight of my choice began to settle like chains I hadn’t realized I’d asked for.
“Come here,” he said.
His voice wasn’t loud. It wasn’t sharp. Yet it reached into me like a hook pulling at something soft and vulnerable. My legs moved before I’d consciously decided to obey. My heels clicked softly against the gleaming floor as I crossed the space between us, each step punctuated by the sound of my pulse in my ears.
When I stopped in front of him, he didn’t immediately reach for me. He just… looked. His eyes were dark, searching, seeing everything. It felt like he could see
