Page 1 of Chandelier Enthralled
Ihad no choice but to go back—even if it meant self-destruction.
No matter how much I prolonged this agony, it wasn’t going away on its own. Still, it was unthinkable that I’d willingly return to Pendulum after last night—after everything that had happened over the last month.
That place tarnished everything I admired about “the scene.” The darkness there had finally been exposed. It was my problem now, my mess to clean up. It was my job to tear it down.
Tear them all down.
The ones who craved pleasure through another’s suffering. The same place where I used to forget,found refuge from the chaos. In the wrong hands, it had turned into a nightmare.
Atticus had brought me to Cameron Cole’s home last night, the man who consoled those who’d gone over the edge.
Apparently, those like me.
And here I stood, in a private bedroom in his sprawling Beverly Hills mansion, grateful for it, yet unable to shake the grip of this nightmare.
A few hours had slipped by since I’d walked through his front door, but I couldn’t stay—not with knowing everything I had to do to find peace.
There was no doubt I felt safe here, surrounded by the finest décor.
Cameron Cole’s home was a marvel of light and intellect, each room reflecting his genius. The décor breathed history, art and wisdom into every corner.
I got dressed again, after taking a nap on the bed. This majestic bespoke tuxedo I had found in the closet had Italian tailoring that fit me well. My own wrinkled tuxedo was a lost cause—there was no saving it after I had slept in it for a few hours. My Brioni shoes reflected the darkness of my soul.
I finished securing my cufflinks, a gift from Cameron long ago, that memory pulling me gently from the haze. I wanted back those better days. The time before Pendulum.
It wasn’t perfect.
But it wasn’tthis.
An hour away from midnight and the stillness did nothing to soothe my suffering. If my friends found out my part in this…
For some, being here would be like heaven on earth. For me it was suffocating, because Cole wanted to talk about my past, and one of the most famous women in the world. The one who’d both saved and wrecked me at the same time. Until now, I’d kept the pain of my stolen childhood locked away, a promise I had sworn to keep. But staying under his roof made me vulnerable to the gentle, yet brilliant, way he’d ease the truth from me with his piercing questions.
No doubt he’d be against me returning to the sinister club that had no right to exist anymore. We’d maintained our membership with the intention of taking over the club—until that plan had fallen apart.
There was a photo on the side table of Cameron surfing. The guy was good at everything, whether it be fencing or managing a billion-dollar business.
We’d been friends for decades—before that, we’d bonded over our mutual passion for architecture.
He’d been a fan of my work long before we’d met.
Designing Cole Tower for his family in L.A. was more than a prestigious commission, it was an honor. It wasn’t about a structure; it was about shaping a space that reflected their history. They were renowned tea magnates celebrated for their distinguished brand.
I’d been entrusted with a project deeply tied to their legacy. It had been an opportunity to weave my creativity into something meaningful forthem.
And I fucking loved tea.
This mansion reflected Cole in all its complex and yet welcoming ways.
Before his wife Mia had left for a weekend trip, I’d overheard their laughter echoing through the halls, warm and inviting. I wondered if Cameron had sent her away because of me.
Their home was made up of everything right in the world. Yet here I stood, staring at my reflection in the long mirror—a phantom who couldn’t be touched by its vitality, feeling more alone than ever.
Ironically, I was the man filled with places where light could never reach.
No escapingme.
Only the darkness lingered.
