Page 38 of Bound By Crimson
She told herself she was used to being alone now.
Sometimes she almost believed it.
When the knock came, it was so soft she almost missed it.
A whisper against the doorframe.
By the time she opened it, no one was there—only a box.
Black.
Tied with a crimson ribbon.
A sharp inhale curled in her chest.
Her fingers trembled as she lifted it, the weight pressing down into her palms like a secret already written.
Tucked between the crimson ribbon: a single card.
The same heavy cardstock.
The same gold embossing.
She didn’t need to open it to know who it was from.
A fragile smile ghosted across her lips as she peeled away the seal.
No words.
Just a location.
And a time.
Gravemoor Castle
Midnight.
Her pulse kicked hard against her ribs.
She untied the ribbon, lifted the lid—
—and froze.
It wasn’t a dress.
It was something darker.
Velvet and lace, blacker than midnight sins, with a slit that licked dangerously high along the thigh.
The corset bodice promised to mold to her curves, pulling her tight, forcing her to stand proud or not stand at all.
Attached garter straps winked like secrets meant only for those brave enough to reach for them.
It was daring.
It was beautiful.
It was terrifying.
