The First Mistake
Aria never intended to catch his eye. She was just another face in the crowd, another woman trying to survive in a world where power dictated fate. But when she walked into The Black Lotus, the most exclusive club in the city, she unknowingly stepped into the path of Damien Wolfeâa man who took what he wanted without question. Their eyes met across the room, and in that moment, she felt it. The pull. The suffocating intensity of a predator locking onto his prey. He was devastatingly handsomeâsharp jawline, piercing dark eyes, and a presence that made the air feel too thick to breathe. She should have looked away, should have turned and run. Instead, she let herself be drawn in, let him take her hand, let him lead her into the darkness. And that was her first mistake.
The Contract of Sin
Damien never let anyone close. Women came and went, temporary distractions, bodies to warm his bedânothing more. But Aria was different. She was fire and defiance wrapped in soft curves, and from the moment he touched her, he knew one night wouldnât be enough. When she tried to leave, he stopped her. A contract was placed before herâpleasure, protection, no strings attached. It was simple: she belonged to him, and he would ruin her completely. Aria should have walked away. But the thought of never feeling his hands on her again, never tasting the sinful temptation of his lips, made her hesitate. And when she signed her name on the dotted line, she knewâshe had just sold her soul to the devil.
Ruined by Desire
The first time Damien touched her, she understood what it meant to be possessed. He wasnât gentle. He wasnât kind. He was raw hunger, insatiable and unforgiving. His touch left scorching marks on her skin, his lips left bruises that refused to fade. He took her apart, piece by piece, until she was nothing but a shaking mess beneath him, begging for more. But it wasnât just the way he claimed her body that terrified her. It was the way he claimed her mind. The way he stripped her of her walls, pulled secrets from her lips, made her crave him even in the moments she should have hated him. Every time she tried to pull away, he would drag her back, whispering in her ear, âYou are mine, Aria. And I do not share.â
His Possession, Her Escape
Damien controlled everything. What she wore, where she went, who she spoke to. He wrapped her in his world, drowning her in pleasure so consuming she couldnât think straight. But the deeper she fell, the more she realizedâthis wasnât just lust. This was obsession. He didnât just want her body. He wanted her soul. The possessiveness in his touch, the way he whispered her name like a vow, the way he looked at her as if she were his oxygen, his religion, his addiction. It should have scared her. But what terrified her more was that she was starting to crave it too.
One night, when he was deep in sleep, Aria packed her bags. She told herself it was just sex, just a game, just a contract. But the moment she reached the door, a cold voice stopped her.
âGoing somewhere, sweetheart?â
She turned, heart hammering. Damien stood in the doorway, bare-chested, his dark eyes unreadable. Slowly, he walked toward her, and with each step, her body betrayed her.
âYou think you can leave?â His fingers traced her jaw, tilting her chin up until their lips were a breath apart. âYou signed a contract, baby. And I donât let whatâs mine walk away.â
Her pulse stuttered. He wasnât going to let her go.
And the worst part?
She wasnât sure she wanted him to.
Trapped in His Web
Ariaâs breath hitched as Damienâs fingers skimmed her jaw, his touch deceptively gentle, but the look in his eyes told another story. He was lividânot because she tried to leave, but because she actually thought she could. His grip on her wrist tightened as he pulled her bag from her hands, tossing it aside like it was nothing.
âI donât like repeating myself, sweetheart,â he murmured, tilting her chin up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. âYou are mine. And running away isnât an option.â
Her body was betraying herâher heart pounding too fast, her skin burning from his touch, her stomach twisting with something far more dangerous than fear. She should have screamed, should have fought harder, but deep down, a part of her wanted to be caught.
Damien must have sensed it. His lips curled in amusement before his mouth crashed against hers, punishing and demanding, stealing the very breath from her lungs. He was angry, and she could feel it in the way his fingers tangled in her hair, the way he devoured her like he was trying to teach her a lesson.
She wasnât going anywhere.
And she wasnât sure she wanted to anymore.
The Edge of Madness
Aria should have hated him. Should have resented the way he kept her caged, the way he wrapped his darkness around her like a noose. But every time she tried to resist, he shattered her with pleasure, making her forget why she ever wanted to leave in the first place.
The next morning, she woke up tangled in silk sheets, his scent still clinging to her skin. Her body ached in ways that made her blush, and the memory of his hands on her, the way he whispered sinful promises against her ear, sent heat curling in her belly.
But reality hit her when she saw the phone on the nightstand.
It had no signal. No way to call for help.
She was trapped.
The door creaked open, and Damien stepped inside, freshly showered, a towel slung around his waist. His sharp eyes darkened when he saw her staring at the phone. âLooking for something?â
Her fingers curled into the sheets. âI want to go home.â
A slow smirk tugged at his lips. âYou are home.â
Her stomach twisted, but not in fear. In want.
God, what was wrong with her?
She should have been terrified. But when Damien walked toward her, when he leaned down and brushed his lips against her throat, she shiveredânot from fear, but from the raw hunger surging through her veins.
She hated him. She wanted him.
And that was the most dangerous part.
Giving In to the Darkness
Days turned into weeks. The more Aria tried to fight him, the deeper she sank into his world. He wasnât just claiming her body anymoreâhe was invading her mind, her heart, her very soul.
He fed her the finest meals, dressed her in silks, worshipped her body until she was a trembling mess beneath him. And each time he touched her, each time he whispered, âMine,â she felt herself slipping further.
One night, as she lay in his arms, his fingers tracing lazy circles on her bare skin, he murmured, âTell me, Aria. Do you still want to leave?â
Her breath hitched. The answer should have been yes.
But it wasnât.
Because deep down, she knew the truth.
She belonged to him now.
And there was no turning back.