"The Garner Foundation Gala is tonight," he said, his eyes lingering where her hand held the silk closed. "Marissa will be here at ten with your dress. I expect you to be perfect."

Ice flooded her veins. One week. That's all he'd given her. Tonight marked the end of her reprieve.

He closed the distance between them, his lips brushing her ear. "And after tonight, you'll be wearing much less than that." His fingers pried her hand away, exposing her breast. He licked his lips, "I wouldn't rush this."

"I'll be ready," she managed, hating how her voice shook.

"See that you are." He stepped back, adjusting his platinum cufflinks. "The car will be waiting at seven. Don't disappoint me."

❧

"You look... stunning."

For once, Sebastian sounded like he meant it. Olivia stepped out in the midnight blue silk gown Marissa had chosen-a dress that hugged every curve with its plunging back leaving her feeling both powerful and naked.

"I feel like I'm wearing your brand," she said, the diamonds at her throat-another Blackwood "gift"-catching the light.

"You are." His eyes darkened as he approached, his hand claiming the small of her back. "And tonight, everyone will know it."

When they arrived, camera flashes exploded around them as Sebastian stepped out and offered his hand.

"Smile," he ordered, squeezing her fingers until it hurt. "Remember what's at stake."

Her smile felt like plastic as they climbed the steps. Reporters fired questions about their whirlwind romance, their private ceremony, how it felt to be Mrs. Blackwood. Sebastian charmed them effortlessly while she froze beside him.

Inside, the Great Hall had been transformed into a fantasy of crystal and white orchids. New York's elite clustered in groups-old money, new money, political power, and cultural influence-all orbiting around the financial gravity of men like Sebastian.

"Sebastian, darling!" A woman's voice sliced through the chatter, rich with familiarity.

Olivia felt Sebastian tense, the only indication that the approaching woman was significant. Tall, statuesque, with platinum blonde hair twisted into an architectural creation that defied gravity, the newcomer moved with the confidence of someone who had never been denied anything.

"Isadora." Sebastian's voice stayed neutral, but his fingers dug into Olivia's waist. "I wasn't aware you were in New York."

"Clearly." Ice-blue eyes dismissed Olivia before returning to Sebastian. "I've been away too long if you've had time to acquire... new interests."

"Meet my wife, Olivia," Sebastian said.

"Wife?" Isadora's perfect face froze for a heartbeat before rearranging themselves into something approximating delight. "Thought it was all rumor. How... impulsive of you, Sebastian. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Life is full of surprises," Sebastian replied smoothly, though Olivia noticed his jaw had tightened.

"Indeed it is."

Isadora's eyes traveled the length of Olivia's body without bothering to disguise her assessment. "So this is what finally tamed the shark." She laughed. "Or have you just found a prettier leash, darling? Someone you think could replace me?"

Before Sebastian could respond, a voice cut through the tension. "You'll have to forgive Isadora, Mrs. Blackwood. She's still bitter about being relegated to the past tense."

Olivia turned to find a distinguished older man with silver hair and sharp eyes that missed nothing. "Richard Garner," he introduced himself, taking her hand. "I've heard fascinating things about you."

"All lies, I'm sure," she replied, surprising herself with her steady voice.

Richard smiled. "On the contrary. Anyone who can make Sebastian Blackwood commit to something other than a hostile takeover deserves my attention."

Sebastian's arm snaked around her waist, warning her. Richard was among the few who dared challenge Sebastian in this city. But Sebastian didn't consider him a threat. Not yet.

"Richard is being modest. His foundation's work with children's education is unparalleled."

"Along with his ability to extract donations from even the most reluctant philanthropists," Isadora added with a predatory smile. "Speaking of which, Sebastian, I need to discuss the Axiom merger with you. In private."

Sebastian's jaw tightened. "Now is hardly the time-"

"Now is exactly the time," Isadora insisted, her hand already on his arm. "Unless you want Raphael Graves to know about the structural weaknesses in the Singapore proposal? That would certainly burn your chances of taking over! Adding to this..." Her finger pointed dismissively at Olivia.

❧

Something shifted in Sebastian's eyes, that familiar darkness she'd come to dread.

"Excuse us for a moment," he told Olivia, his voice making it clear she was to sit, stay, behave.

Olivia watched Isadora lead him away, her hand sliding down to grab his ass like she owned him. Olivia felt a rush of nausea. Richard Garner watched the exchange with knowing eyes.

"First rule of surviving here," he said quietly, "is figuring out who's an ally and who's a predator." He paused. "Sebastian's always been both." He offered Olivia a glass of champagne. "How are you holding up, truly?"

The unexpected kindness in his tone nearly broke her. "I'm fine," she lied.

"Honey, no one married to Sebastian Blackwood is 'fine,'" Richard replied. "Especially not someone with your... circumstances."

Her blood ran cold. "What circumstances?"

Richard's eyes softened. "Your father's legal troubles. Pearson Innovations' miraculous recovery. The timing of your marriage. He gestured around. "These people make it their business to know what they shouldn't."

Before she could respond, Richard glanced over her shoulder and frowned. "It seems Isadora is being particularly bold tonight. If you'll excuse me, there are others I should greet."

Olivia turned to see Isadora practically climbing Sebastian in a corner, her lips against his ear, her body pressing against his in a way that left no doubt about their history. Rather than push her away, Sebastian's hand rested on her hip, as she whispered something that made his eyes darken with what could only be desire.

Sick with humiliation, Olivia slipped away toward the ladies' room, desperate for a moment's escape. The bathroom was empty when she entered. She gripped the cool sink, breathing deeply to control the tears threatening to spill.

"You shouldn't be alone at your coming-out party," a familiar voice said from behind her.

Olivia looked up, meeting Ethan Blackwood's eyes in the mirror. "This is the ladies' room."

"And you're the lady my brother is parading around like his newest toy." Ethan approached slowly. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine," she said automatically.

"No, you're not." Ethan leaned against the counter beside her, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. "I saw what happened out there. Isadora Graves has been Sebastian's on-again, off-again plaything for years. She hates being replaced."

"I haven't replaced anyone," Olivia said bitterly. "I'm just another possession."

"Is that what he's convinced you?" Ethan's voice softened. "That you're nothing but a signature on paper?"

"Isn't that all I am?" Olivia laughed, hollow. "A business deal that breathes."

Ethan's hand came up to brush a strand of hair from her face, the gentle touch so unlike Sebastian's possessive grip that she nearly gasped. "You're more than what he's reduced you to."

"Don't," she whispered, but didn't move away when his fingers trailed along her jawline.

"I called you," he said quietly. "Every day this week. Don't ask how I got your number."

Heat bloomed in her chest. "My phone's cut off... Only calls inside his fancy penthouse."

"He controls everything else," Ethan murmured, his thumb tracing her lower lip. "Don't let him control this too."

The door to the bathroom swung open, then closed again as whoever had started to enter saw them and retreated. The sound snapped Olivia back to reality. She stepped back, her heart pounding.

"I should go back," she said shakily. "Before he notices I'm gone."

Ethan's eyes darkened. "And if I asked you to leave with me instead? Right now?"

For one wild moment, she wanted to say yes-to escape with this man who looked at her like salvation. Then reality crashed back.

"He'd destroy my father," she said quietly. "And probably you too."

"I can handle Sebastian," Ethan said, his voice hardening. "I've been handling him our entire lives."

"But I can't handle what he'd do to my father. We made a deal."

"Deals can be broken," he said, stepping closer again, his hand finding the small of her back. "Especially ones made under duress."

The feel of his touch-gentler than Sebastian's but no less electric-sent heat spiraling through her. "I can't," she whispered, even as she leaned into him.

"Can't?" His lips hovered inches from hers. "Or won't?"

The door burst open. Sebastian filled the doorway, his expression murderous as he took in the scene before him.

"Get your hands off my wife," he said, his voice so quiet it was more terrifying than a shout.

Ethan didn't move. "Your wife was upset. I was making sure she was alright."

"How touching," Sebastian sneered. "Always the hero, aren't you, little brother?"

The tension between them crackled like electricity. Olivia stepped away from Ethan, her heart pounding fast.

"I was just coming back," she said, trying to defuse the situation. "Felt sick for a moment."

"Sick," Sebastian repeated, eyes locked on Ethan. "Was that before or after my brother followed you into the ladies' room?"

"Does it matter?" Ethan challenged. "You were too busy with Isadora to notice your wife's distress."

Something dangerous flashed in Sebastian's eyes. "My relationship with Isadora is business."

"Is that what you call it?" Ethan laughed coldly. "Strange. She used to call it something else entirely."

Sebastian moved lightning-fast, grabbing Olivia's arm and pulling her to his side. "We're leaving," he announced. "Now."

"Sebastian-" she began.

The slap came without warning, cracking across her cheek with enough force to snap her head sideways. Silence fell like a guillotine.

"I said now," Sebastian repeated, deadly quiet.

Ethan lunged forward, fists clenched, ready to strike.

But Sebastian was already dragging Olivia toward the door. "This isn't over," Ethan called after them.

"It was over the day you betrayed the family," Sebastian replied without looking back. "Stay away from my wife."

The elevator ride lasted an eternity.

Sebastian's hand burned like a brand on Olivia's arm, his fingers digging deep enough to leave marks she'd feel tomorrow. He hadn't spoken since dragging her from the gala.

The slap still throbbed across her cheek.

The elevator doors opened to the penthouse. Sebastian released her suddenly, and she stumbled forward, catching herself on the back of the sofa. She turned to face him, touching her cheek where the heat still pulsed.

Sebastian stood motionless, watching her. His bow tie hung loose around his neck, his jacket discarded somewhere between the car and the elevator. In the dim light of the penthouse, he looked less like the polished businessman who'd escorted her to the gala and more like something feral that had finally been unleashed.

"What did he say to you?"

His voice came out quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that preceded earthquakes.

Olivia's throat closed. "Nothing. He was just-"

"Don't." Sebastian crossed the space between them in three strides. "Don't lie to me, Olivia. What promises did my brother make?"

She lifted her chin, defiance flaring through the fear. "He asked if I was okay. That's all."

"That's all?" The sound that left him wasn't a laugh so much as a wound tearing open. "He followed you into a bathroom, put his hands on you, and that's all?"

"You were too busy with Isadora to notice if I was breathing, let alone okay."

Sebastian's eyes went dark, that terrifying emptiness she'd learned meant danger.

"Isadora is business," he said, his voice dropping lower. "You are my wife."

"Your property, you mean." The anger felt good, burning away the humiliation of the evening. "Just another asset in your portfolio."

Sebastian moved closer, forcing her back against the sofa. "Did he tell you he could save you? That he'd rescue you from the monster?" His fingers caught her chin, tilting her face up. "That's always been Ethan's weakness. He thinks love conquers all, that being the hero makes him better than me."

"Maybe it does."

His grip tightened. "Love makes you weak. It makes you stupid. It makes you..." He trailed off, something flickering across his face before the mask slammed back into place. "It makes you vulnerable."

"And you're never vulnerable." It wasn't a question.

"Never." He released her chin, stepping back. "Strip."

Olivia's hands flew to her chest. "What?"

"You heard me." Sebastian loosened his cufflinks, the small sound impossibly loud in the silence. "Every inch of you belongs to me. I think it's time you remembered that."

Her pulse roared in her ears. "No."

"No?" He tilted his head. "Section 8, paragraph 3. Would you like me to read it to you?"

The contract. Always the contract. That piece of paper that had signed away more than her name.

"Please," she whispered, hating herself for begging. "Not like this."

"Then tell me what Ethan said. Word for word."

Her mind raced. If she told him about Ethan's offer to help her escape, about the way he'd touched her face like she was something precious instead of purchased, Sebastian would destroy him. But if she didn't...

"He said..." She swallowed hard. "He said I was more than what you'd reduced me to."

Sebastian went perfectly still. "And what did you say?"

"Nothing. You arrived before I could answer."

"Before you could agree to run away with him, you mean." His voice carried no inflection, which somehow made it worse. "Before you could break our contract and destroy everything."

"I didn't agree to anything! I told him about my father, about the deal. I told him I couldn't leave."

"Couldn't?" Sebastian stepped closer again. "Or wouldn't?"

Before she could answer, his hands found the zipper of her gown. The sound of it sliding down made her flinch, but he moved with brutal efficiency, peeling the silk away until it pooled at her feet. She stood in nothing but the diamond collar at her throat and her heels, exposed and trembling.

"Don't move," he commanded.

Sebastian circled her slowly, his gaze cataloging every inch of her skin. Olivia fought the urge to cover herself, to run, to scream. This was worse than if he'd touched her. This clinical assessment, this inventory of assets.

"My brother's hands were here." His finger traced her jaw without touching. "And here." Her waist. "What else did he touch, Olivia?"

"Nothing." Her voice cracked. "He didn't-we didn't-"

"But you wanted to." Sebastian stopped in front of her. "I saw how you looked at him. Like he was salvation and I'm damnation."

"You are damnation."

For a heartbeat, something raw flickered across Sebastian's face. Then it hardened into stone.

"On your knees."

"What?" she whispered, though she understood perfectly.

"I said," Sebastian repeated, his voice deadly quiet as he loosened his tie, "on your knees."

When she hesitated, his hand shot out, gripping her shoulder and forcing her down.

Horror and humiliation washed through her as he freed his penis, already hard.

"Open your mouth," he commanded.

Tears stung Olivia's eyes as she looked up at him. "I've never-"

"I know." His smile was cruel as he gripped her jaw. "Which makes this all the more satisfying."

His thumb pressed against the corner of her mouth, forcing it open. "Consider this your first lesson in obedience."

Sebastian guided himself to her lips, his other hand fisted in her hair. "Take it," he ordered. "Show me you understand who owns you."

Trembling, Olivia parted her lips. He pushed forward, filling her mouth, making her gag as he hit the back of her throat.

"Breathe through your nose," he instructed coldly. "And use your tongue."

Tears streamed down her face as Sebastian set a brutal pace, holding her head still as he thrust. His fingers tightened in her hair, pulling until it hurt.

"Look at me," he demanded. When she raised her tear-filled eyes, he smiled. "There. That's what I want to see. The moment you finally understand your place."

His movements grew more erratic, his breathing heavier. With a final thrust, he held her in place as he finished, forcing her to swallow his cum.

When he finally finished, he released her so suddenly she collapsed onto the cold marble.

"Your body's contaminated," Sebastian said, tucking his penis back into his trousers. "Ethan's filthy hands all over you. I can't fuck something that's been touched by him."

"Then let me go," she spat on the floor. "If I'm so contaminated, tear up the contract and release me."

A cruel smile ghosted over Sebastian's lips "And give you exactly what you want? Where's the fun in that?"

He stepped over her like she was debris, walking toward his bedroom without looking back.

"Clean yourself up. You look pathetic."