The threat from Victor Lang hung over us like a storm cloud that refused to break, dark and heavy on the horizon. In the days that followed, Aiden grew more protective, almost feral in his need to keep me close. He rarely let me out of his sight even inside the penthouse. His touches became more possessive, a large hand wrapped around the back of my neck, thick fingers constantly tracing the titanium collar, or a strong arm locked around my waist whenever we were near others. The collar itself never came off anymore, even when we were alone. It was a constant, cool weight against my throat, a reminder of exactly who I belonged to. I felt the weight of it constantly, and I craved it. One afternoon, while Aiden was locked in a tense video call in his home office, I sat curled up on the wide leather couch in the living room, trying to process everything. The city stretched out endlessly beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, beautiful and indifferent under the grey sky. My camera lay on
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