Semua Bab Tales Of His Obsession : Bab 71 - Bab 73

The silence he left in his wake was absolute, broken only by the rising howl of the wind and the first fat drops of rain hitting the glass. Minutes ticked by. No one moved. They stared at their objects, at the storm, at their own hands. Chloe was the first to break. A soft sob escaped her. She looked at the collar, gleaming dully on the dark velvet. She saw every moment of pretended pleasure, every hungry, secret glance, every time she’d molded herself to fit a fantasy. She reached down. Her fingers closed around the cool platinum. Without ceremony, she lifted it, brought it to her throat, and fastened the clasp. It clicked shut with a final, soft snick. She let out a shaking breath. It didn’t feel like a leash. It felt like a spine. Julian watched her from the corner of his eye. He looked at the cane. He remembered the bite of it, the humiliation, and then the strange, clean clarity that followed. The freedom in surrender. He thought of his gyms, his empire built on rigid control.