I dreamed of him again.
Not in fire this time, but in chains. Chains that didn’t hold him back—chains that wrapped around me instead, binding tighter every time I tried to pull away.
When I woke, my skin was damp, heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to break free. But there was no escape. Not from him. Not from what I’d agreed to.
By the time I walked back into the facility, my throat was dry and raw from the silent argument I’d been having with myself for hours.
But Asher was waiting. Of course he was.
The therapy room felt smaller today, like the walls had shifted inwards overnight. He sat there like he owned the place, shackled but lounging, eyes half-lidded as he watched me step inside.
“Ava,” he murmured, voice a velvet drag over my nerves. “Back so soon. I though
