Novels by Lira Hart

‎The air inside the office turned suffocating.‎Elias instinctively stepped back, slipping the document behind his back. The folded paper clung to his damp palm. ‎ Alessio’s dark eyes landed on Elias. ‎Not on his face but lower. At the angle of his elbow. The unnatural way his shoulder was drawn back.‎Did he see it?‎Elias steadied his breathing. He kept his left hand loose at his side. Normal. Nothing to hide.‎Alessio strode towards him with slow, deliberate steps.‎Each one seemed to echo through the room.‎ "Elias."‎His deep voice cut through the silence.‎Elias nearly jumped.‎"Yes, sir?"‎"Come here."‎Alessio extended a hand.‎Not requesting. ‎Cold sweat trickled down Elias's spine.‎His fingers tightened around the document hidden behind him.‎If Alessio discovered what he was holding...‎The distance between them shrank.‎One more step.‎Then another.‎Alessio's gaze dropped. Not quite behind Elias's back. At his waist. At the way his jacket pulled wrong.‎His eyes na

‎For the first time since signing the contract, Elias was alone ‎The silence inside the penthouse felt unusually quiet. No orders. No threats. No dark eyes following his every movement. Alessio had left nearly an hour ago, and the absence of his presence should have been comforting. Instead, it felt wrong. Dangerous. Like the calm before a storm. Elias sat at the desk staring at the note folded between his fingers. The words hadn't changed no matter how many times he reread them. ‎The message wasn't what unsettled him. It was the fact that someone had slipped the note into his pocket without him noticing. Between Roman's messages, Alessio's secrets, and the mysterious name that kept resurfacing, Elias felt like he was trapped in a game where everyone knew the rules except him. ‎His gaze drifted toward the hallway. He thought about the address he had found. About L. Gray. About the way Alessio's expression had shifted whenever that name was mentioned. Every instinct told him to leav

‎Elias POV ‎My blood ran cold at the words written on the paper. ‎WE'RE WATCHING YOU. ‎For several seconds, I just stare at the note. Confused if this was some sick joke cause it didn't look funny. ‎"What is this.“ I muttered low against my breath. ‎The note trembled slightly between my fingers. ‎It wasn't the message that unsettled me. ‎It was the fact that someone had slipped it into my pocket without me noticing. ‎Slowly, I looked around the bedroom. ‎The floor-to-ceiling windows. ‎The black marble walls. Expensive furniture. ‎Everything looked untouched. ‎ ‎Perfect. Like a showroom. ‎Nothing out of ordinary. ‎I folded the note and slipped it into my pocket. My eyes landed on the new phone resting on the nightstand. ‎A leash disguised as a gift. I picked it up and unlocked it. ‎Nothing. just deleted messages and Alessio's number staring back at me. ‎A bitter laugh escaped my throat. ‎Of course. ‎Even my phone belonged to him. ‎I set it do

‎Elias POV ‎——— ‎"Elias,“ he said, his voice low with a hint of danger in his tone. ‎"Who texted you.“ ‎I didn't move. My footsteps frozen in fright. ‎My wrists still burned from the cuffs. Red bruises marred my wrists. The phone in my hand with unknown R's text glowing on the screen. ‎Alessio stood in the door way. He turned back to look at me, he had a dark grin on his face which made my lips move in hesitant fear. His smile drooped in anger at my actions. Alessio's jaw ticked. A muscle twitched there. ‎He strode towards me. His hand gripped my chin. Fingers digging into my cheeks. ‎ ‎"When I talk, I expect you to answer me,“ Alessio whispered low into my ear. ‎I turned my chin to escape his grip. which I immediately regretted because his fingers only dug in more, hurting my cheeks. ‎He pushed my chin away roughly. ‎My neck snapped slightly due to the force. ‎A black velvet box rolled into my sight. I glanced up at him confusion written over my face.

‎Elias POV ‎——— ‎Alessio was on top of me. ‎One knee on either side of my hips. His hands on either side of my head. His arms formed a cage with muscles. ‎The mattress dipped under his weight. I couldn't move. There wasn't anywhere that wasn't directly under him. ‎"Last chance, Elias,“ a threat laced in his voice. "Sleep. Or I show you what happens when you don't obey me.“ ‎My heart hammering against my ribs. His weight pressed me into the mattress. ‎"I don't sleep on command,“ I said. My voice came out steadier than I thought. Surprising me. Alessio's mouth twitched. Not quite a smile. Anticipation maybe. "No? Then I'll help you. “ ‎He moved. Fast. Before I could even react, he had my wrist pinned above my head. One hand held both of mine like they were nothing. His other hand reached over to the nightstand. ‎Metals clicked. Cold. A hand cuff. Steel. ‎"Alessio—“ ‎"The first rule,“ his voice came out in a rough grunt, clicking the first cuff around my

‎Chapter 3: Rule One ‎Elias (POV) ‎The door to Alessio's room stayed closed. ‎My phone buzzed again in my hands.I looked down at the screen. ‎You made the wrong choice. I collect what's mine too. – R ‎I deleted it. Hands still shaking from the gun fire downstairs.The smell of gunpowder still clung throat. I had never seen blood on marble floors before tonight. ‎"Stop hiding your phone." ‎I spun around so fast I nearly dropped it. Alessio was back in the room. He had not made a sound when he came in. He was just there. Standing in the doorway. ‎Black shirt now instead of the white one from earlier. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. The gun was gone from his hand and now I could see the outline of his forearms, a tattoo drawn with dark ink on the inside of his left wrist. I couldn't quite make out what it was from a distance. ‎He walked to me across the room. He didn't ask for my phone. He just took it out of my hands. His fingers brushed against mine.