The weight of the USB flash drive in my pocket felt heavier than any diamond Lyrien had ever bought me. It was a secret, a dangerous weapon, and the key to my freedom. I was a woman on a tightrope, and with each stolen moment I spent with Damian, I was getting closer to falling. Lyrien, with his cold, calculating gaze, was always watching, always waiting for me to make a mistake. He was a monster, but I had to stay strong.
I spent the next few days playing the part of the devoted wife, a role I had perfected with a sickening ease. I smiled at him at breakfast, kissed him before he left for work, and waited for him with a fake longing in the evenings. The reality was a cold and constant dread. He was a man who wanted to control everything, and he was determined to make me his perfect wife
