The air in Kianna's Brooklyn studio usually smelled of charcoal, fresh-cut wood, and brewing coffee. It was her sanctuary. Today, it felt like a cage. She stared at a blank drafting board, her mind a chaotic storm of legal clauses and Julian's cold, mocking voice.

Her phone lit up. A text from Julian. No greeting, no preamble. Just a command.

"Harrison Estate, the Hamptons. 7 PM. Family dinner. Don't be late."

A muscle in her jaw twitched. He was pulling her strings. She had no choice but to comply. For now.

She grabbed her keys. The drive out to Long Island was long, the city traffic giving way to manicured suburbs and finally the sprawling estates of the ultra-rich. Her Honda looked like a dinghy in a sea of yachts as she turned onto the private road leading to the Harrison manor.

The house was a monument to generational wealth, a sprawling stone edifice overlooking the Atlantic. A valet took her keys, his expression carefully neutral. She took a deep breath, straightened her simple black dress, and pushed open the massive front doors.

The foyer was cavernous, dripping with crystal chandeliers and ancestral portraits. She had barely taken three steps inside when a voice cut through the low hum of conversation.

"Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in."

Julian's cousin, Alea Harrison, stood before her, a flute of champagne in her hand. Her designer dress probably cost more than Kianna's car. Her smile was pure venom.

"Alea."

Alea circled her, eyes raking over Kianna's dress with open disdain. "Still trying so hard, aren't you? You can put a sparrow in a designer cage, but it's still just a sparrow." She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "You should know, Julian doesn't do love. He does obligation. And his heart has been obligated to someone else for a very, very long time."

Kianna's heart gave a painful lurch. She kept her face a mask of indifference. "I'm not interested in your family gossip."

"Oh, this isn't gossip, darling." Alea purred, enjoying herself. "It's a fact. You're just a placeholder. A temporary solution to a permanent problem." She took a delicate sip of her champagne. "Enjoy the dinner."

Alea swept away, leaving Kianna standing in the foyer, her fists clenched. A placeholder. The word burrowed into her chest like a splinter.

She turned to find the powder room, needing a moment to compose herself. As she rounded a corner into a dimly lit hallway, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

Julian.

He pulled her hard into a recessed alcove hidden behind a heavy tapestry. He slammed her back against the cold stone wall, his body caging hers.

"What was that with Alea?" he demanded, his voice a low growl.

"Ask your charming cousin yourself," Kianna shot back, trying to ignore the heat of his body so close to hers.

"Listen to me." His fingers dug into her arms. "My grandmother is here. As far as she knows, we are deeply in love. You will smile. You will make pleasant conversation. You will look at me like I am the center of your universe. Do you understand?"

She met his furious gaze with one of her own. "And if I don't?"

His eyes narrowed. "The lease on your studio is up for renewal next month. The building was recently acquired by a subsidiary of the Harrison Group. It would be a shame if the new owners decided to double the rent."

The threat hung in the air, suffocating her. He had her cornered from every possible angle.

Suddenly, a soft, familiar voice drifted down the hall. "Julian? Kianna, dear? Is that you?"

Evelyn.

Julian's entire demeanor shifted in an instant. The fury vanished, replaced by a mask of warm affection. He released her arms, his hand sliding to her waist, pulling her flush against him. The move was so fluid, so practiced, it made Kianna's stomach turn.

She tried to pull away, but his arm was a band of steel.

Evelyn appeared at the end of the hall, seated in her wheelchair, a gentle smile on her face. "There you are, you two. Hiding in the shadows."

"Just stealing a moment with my beautiful wife, Grandma," Julian said, his voice impossibly smooth. He looked down at Kianna, his eyes glittering with a warning. Play along.

And then, to seal the performance, he lowered his head.

Kianna had a split second to react, to turn away, but she was frozen. His lips crashed down on hers. It wasn't a kiss. It was an invasion. A punishment. A brutal assertion of ownership. The scent of him—expensive cologne and whiskey—filled her senses, choking her.

For one traitorous heartbeat, her body responded to the heat of him, the solid press of his chest, the way his hand splayed across her lower back. She had dreamed of his lips on hers since the moment she saw him at the altar. The dream tasted like ashes now.

Rage, pure and primal, surged through her.

In the shadows of the alcove, where Evelyn couldn't see the details, Kianna bit down. Hard.

Julian let out a muffled grunt of pain and jerked back. His eyes were blazing. A tiny bead of blood welled up on his lower lip.

He smiled down at her, a perfect, loving smile for the benefit of his grandmother. "We'll be right there, Grandma," he said.

As Evelyn's wheelchair disappeared around the corner, his smile vanished. He released Kianna as if she were on fire, taking a step back. He touched his thumb to his lip, smearing the drop of blood.

Kianna wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her lips tingling from the impact. She met his murderous glare without flinching.

Then she turned and walked toward the dining room, her head held high, leaving him alone in the shadows with the taste of his own blood.