Bound by Fire

Episode 2: A Dangerous Proposition

Seraphina should have walked away.

She should have turned on her heel, ignored the way Kieran’s voice sent a thrill down her spine, and disappeared before he got too close.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she met his gaze—dark, unreadable, yet completely consuming.

“I don’t play games, Kieran,” she said coolly, her fingers tightening around the glass of whiskey she had barely touched.

Kieran smirked, stepping closer. Too close. He smelled like expensive cologne and something inherently sinful.

“Everyone plays games, sweetheart.” His voice was low, smooth, a weapon wrapped in silk. “The difference is, I always win.”

Seraphina forced herself to breathe. She had spent years studying this man, learning his weaknesses, preparing for this moment. But nothing had prepared her for the way he looked at her—like he could see right through her.

“I don’t have time for your ego,” she shot back. “Why don’t you tell me what you want so I can tell you no and walk away?”

Kieran chuckled, a deep, rich sound that sent an unwanted shiver down her spine.

“I want you.”

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

“For business,” he clarified, though the flicker of amusement in his gaze told her he knew exactly what he was doing.

Seraphina crossed her arms, masking her reaction. “You don’t even know me.”

“Oh, but I do,” Kieran murmured, his fingers brushing against the rim of her glass—just enough to make her aware of his touch. “Seraphina Knight. Daughter of William Knight, the man who tried to take me down. Brilliant, ambitious… and reckless enough to step into my world thinking you could win.”

Her stomach tightened. So he knew.

But if he was onto her, why hadn’t he exposed her yet?

She narrowed her eyes. “If you think I’m a threat, why offer me a deal?”

Kieran leaned in, his lips just inches from her ear. “Because threats excite me.”

Heat coiled in her core, anger mixing with something far more dangerous.

“I need a partner for a six-month business deal,” Kieran continued, his voice laced with something darker. “I want you by my side. In exchange, I’ll give you something no one else can.”

Seraphina’s pulse pounded. “And what’s that?”

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a sleek black envelope. He slid it across the bar toward her, his fingers grazing hers for just a second—long enough to make her breath hitch.

“Open it.”

She hesitated before picking it up, carefully unfolding the contents.

Her entire body went rigid.

Inside was a detailed report. Names. Bank transactions. Secrets buried so deep no one should have been able to dig them up.

Secrets about the man who had betrayed her father. The man she had been chasing for years.

Kieran Blackwell had everything she needed for revenge.

She swallowed hard, lifting her gaze to meet his.

His smirk was slow, knowing. “Work with me, Seraphina. And when this is over, you can destroy whoever you want.”

The air between them crackled, the weight of his proposition settling like a storm.

Seraphina had walked in tonight with a plan. But this? This was something she hadn’t seen coming.

And Kieran Blackwell knew it.

“What’s it going to be, sweetheart?”