Prologue
The rich smell of iron and expensive scotch always signaled Christian Vance’s presence before he even made a sound. Rain lashed violently against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse, mirroring the dark tempest brewing inside the grand room. Elena Vane stood rigid in the center of the mahogany-paneled space, her arms tightly bound behind her back, the coarse ropes biting painfully into her delicate wrists. Despite the terror racing through her veins, she kept her chin held high, refusing to let him see her crumble.
Footsteps echoed against the polished marble floor. Christian emerged slowly from the shadows, his towering silhouette radiating absolute control. Dressed in a tailored black suit, his sharp features looked as if they had been sculpted from cold granite. Cold, obsidian eyes locked onto hers with predatory focus.
He closed the distance between them with slow, deliberate grace, stopping just inches away. He reached out a hand gloved in black leather, his fingers tracing the contour of her jawline with a terrifyingly soft touch.
"You truly believed you could outrun me, little bird," he whispered, his voice a gravelly, low register that sent an involuntary shiver straight down her spine. "Look at you now. Your cage is forged of pure gold, and I hold the key."
Elena glared up into his dark gaze, her pulse hammering wildly against her ribs. "You can chain me, lock me away, and try to break me, Christian," she spat, her voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through her. "But I will never bow to a monster like you."
A dark, cruel smile curved the corner of his lips. "We shall see about that, wife."
