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Author’s POV
The red room was a world of shadows and secrets, its crimson walls absorbing the dim light. Serene was laid on the silk-sheeted bed, her wrists bound above her head by cold metal handcuffs that bit into her skin with every tug.
A black satin blindfold covered her eyes, plunging her into darkness and amplifying her fear of what was to come.
Her chest heaved, each breath a shaky gasp, her heart pounding so fiercely she thought it might burst. The air felt heavy, charged with anticipation, and she sensed Nicholas’s presence before she heard him—a silent predator watching her from the foot of the bed.
Nicholas stood there, his gaze raking over her, lingering on her toned legs, bare and vulnerable beneath the hem of her skirt.
A smirk curled his lips, desire flickerin
