CRIMSON CONFESSION

Whispers In The Dark

Selene’s breath came shallow as she stood frozen in the study, Kai Voss’s words still echoing in the air like a dark promise. *I want you.*

She had faced difficult patients before — violent veterans, broken survivors, even a few who had crossed ethical lines. But none had ever looked at her with such raw, unfiltered possession. None had made her feel stripped bare with just a few sentences.

“Mr. Voss,” she said, forcing steel into her voice, “this session is over if you continue to make inappropriate comments. I am your therapist, not your plaything.”

Kai didn’t step back. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, that dangerous half-smile still playing on his lips. The firelight danced across his sharp features, making him look both beautiful and terrifying.

“Plaything?” he repeated softly, almost amused. “No, Dr. Hart. You misunderstand me completely. I don’t play with things I want. I **claim** them.”

Selene’s skin prickled with a mixture of fear and something far more treacherous — intrigue. She hated how her body reacted to his proximity, the way her pulse quickened and heat pooled low in her stomach. This was exactly why she had built such strict professional boundaries over the years. Men like Kai Voss were predators. Charming. Intelligent. Deadly.

She moved away from him, circling back to her chair and sitting down with deliberate calmness. “If you truly want this therapy to work, we need to establish ground rules. First, you will address me as Dr. Hart. Second, you will respect professional boundaries. Third, you will actually engage with the process instead of trying to unnerve me.”

Kai watched her for a long moment before finally returning to his seat across from her. He stretched his long legs out casually, looking far too comfortable in the power dynamic.

“Very well, Dr. Hart,” he said, the mockery in his tone barely hidden. “Let’s play by your rules. For now.”

Selene opened her notebook, trying to regain control of the session. “Tell me about the incident that led to your current… situation. The Voss Dynamics scandal.”

Kai’s expression darkened slightly. For the first time, genuine emotion flickered across his face — not fear, but cold anger. “The board thought they could remove me. They leaked false information to the press, painted me as unstable. They had no idea who they were dealing with.”

“And the missing executives?” Selene pressed carefully.

A low chuckle escaped him. “You’ve done your research. Good. I like intelligent women.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Some people disappear because they choose to. Others disappear because they become… inconvenient. Which category do you think you fall into, Dr. Hart?”

Selene’s pen stilled on the paper. “Are you threatening me?”

“No,” he replied smoothly. “I’m warning you. This estate has a way of changing people. The isolation. The silence. The truth that surfaces when there’s nowhere left to hide.”

The session continued for nearly two hours. Kai answered some questions with surprising candor — speaking about his difficult childhood with an emotionally distant father who built the first version of Voss Dynamics, the pressure of maintaining a billion-dollar empire, the paranoia that came with success. But every time Selene tried to dig deeper into his alleged crimes, he deflected with questions about *her*.

“How does it feel knowing your last patient killed himself six months after you cleared him for release?” he asked suddenly, his voice silky.

Selene’s blood ran cold. That case was supposed to be sealed. How the hell did he know?

“That is none of your concern,” she snapped, her professional mask cracking for the first time.

Kai smiled like he had just won a point. “Everything about you concerns me now, Selene.”

The use of her first name again made her stand up abruptly. “Session over. We’ll continue tomorrow morning at nine.”

She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her at the door.

“Margaret will bring dinner to your room. Try the wine. It’s from my private cellar. And Dr. Hart?” He paused. “Sweet dreams.”

Selene didn’t respond. She walked out with her head high, but her hands were trembling by the time she reached her suite.

The rest of the evening passed in uneasy silence. Dinner arrived — perfectly cooked steak, roasted vegetables, and a bottle of rich red wine. She ate mechanically, her mind replaying every moment of the session. The way Kai had looked at her. The things he knew. The magnetic pull she felt despite every instinct screaming at her to run.

By 11 PM, the storm outside had intensified. Wind howled against the windows like a living thing trying to break in. Selene changed into silk pajamas and tried to read one of the books from her suitcase, but the words blurred together. Her mind kept drifting back to him.

At midnight, she gave up on sleep and decided to explore the estate. Maybe finding the layout would help her feel less trapped.

The hallways were dimly lit, silent except for the occasional creak of the old mansion bones beneath the modern renovations. She passed several closed doors before one at the end of the east wing caught her attention — it was slightly ajar, warm light spilling out.

Curiosity won over caution. She pushed the door open.

It was a massive library and office combined. Books from floor to ceiling, multiple computer monitors on a large desk, and in the center of the room — a wall of screens showing live feeds from cameras all over the estate.

Including her bedroom.

Selene’s stomach dropped as she saw her own empty suite on one of the monitors. The camera angle was from above the bed. Another showed the bathroom. Another the sitting area.

He had been watching her undress. Watching her sleep.

Rage and fear surged through her. She stepped closer, looking for a way to turn the system off, when a deep voice spoke from behind her.

“Find something interesting, Doctor?”

Selene spun around. Kai stood in the doorway, wearing only black sweatpants, his muscular chest and arms on full display. His hair was tousled like he had just woken up — or never gone to sleep.

“You have cameras in my room,” she accused, her voice shaking with anger. “That is a massive violation of privacy and ethics.”

Kai walked into the room slowly, closing the door behind him with a soft click. “The NDA you signed gives me certain… liberties. Besides,” he stopped a few feet away, “I needed to make sure you were safe.”

“Safe?” Selene laughed bitterly. “You’re the biggest threat here.”

He moved closer until she was backed against the desk. The heat from his body radiated toward her. Up close, she could see the faint scars on his chest — old wounds that told stories he hadn’t shared.

“Maybe I am,” he murmured, reaching up to tuck a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered on her cheek. “But I’m also the only one who can protect you from what’s coming.”

Selene’s heart pounded so hard she was sure he could hear it. “What’s coming?”

Kai’s eyes darkened. “The world outside these walls wants me destroyed. And now that you’re here with me, they’ll want you too. But here…” His hand slid down to her waist, pulling her closer. “Here, you’re mine to protect. Mine to keep.”

For one dangerous second, Selene didn’t pull away. His touch burned through the thin silk of her pajamas. His scent — dark spice and something uniquely him — clouded her thoughts. She could feel the hard planes of his body against hers, the undeniable evidence of his desire pressing against her stomach.

This was madness.

She shoved him back with both hands. “Don’t touch me again.”

Kai released her immediately, but the satisfied smile on his face said he had already gotten what he wanted — a reaction.

“Run back to your room, Dr. Hart,” he said softly. “But we both know you’ll be thinking about me when you touch yourself tonight.”

Selene’s face burned with humiliation and unwanted arousal. She stormed past him without another word, practically running back to her suite.

Once inside, she locked the door and leaned against it, breathing hard. Her body was on fire. Her mind was screaming.

She hated how right he was.

Hours later, as the storm continued its assault outside, Selene lay in the massive bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep refused to come. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Kai’s intense gaze, felt his hand on her waist.

She didn’t touch herself.

But God, she wanted to.

And somewhere in the mansion, Kai Voss sat in front of his screens, watching her toss and turn with a dark, possessive smile on his face.

The game had only just begun.