Page 63 of Bound By Crimson
“I wouldn’t want to,” Lyric whispered. His eyes burned into hers. “You’re everything I ever wanted.”
As the song ended, applause rippled around them. For a moment, Lyric stood perfectly still at the center of the crowd. Not as a girl from Pennsylvania. Not as someone to pity. Not as a mystery. But as Kai Thorn’s partner. Respected. Admired. Envied. And, for the first time in a long time—powerful.
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Later, as they stepped out of the ballroom, Kai’s hand never left hers.
Outside, the air was crisp and laced with the distant hum of traffic. A valet passed by with a nod. Kai glanced at his phone, then leaned close.
“I’m going to call Thomas to bring the car around,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Be right back.”
Lyric nodded, watching as he stepped away toward a quieter corner of the entrance.
She stood near the grand doors alone, bathed in the soft halo of the exterior lights. Guests filtered out in pairs and clusters, voices low, laughter echoing faintly across the steps.
Then, a figure moved into her peripheral vision.
The woman in the ice-blue gown.
Up close, she was even taller than Lyric remembered, with high cheekbones and hair so flawlessly styled it didn’t dare move in the breeze. Her heels clicked with precision as she approached—then her shoulder grazed Lyric’s with just enough force to make it clear it wasn’t a mistake.
“Oops,” the woman said, tone flat. Her perfume was sharp—something expensive and calculated.
Lyric turned slightly, unsure whether to confront or ignore.
The woman’s mouth curled, not quite a smile. Her voice dropped low, just between them.
“You must think he’s yours. How cute.”
She leaned in, gaze razor-sharp. “But just so you know… it’s not forever, you’re just a phase.”
Then she turned and walked away, hips swaying, not sparing another glance.
Lyric didn’t move. Her heart thudded once—then again, slower. A flush crept across her chest, though she couldn’t tell if it was anger, confusion, or something colder.
Kai returned moments later, hand reaching for hers. “Car’s pulling around now.”
Lyric offered a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Kai pulled her close, brushing a kiss to her cheek as the Bentley rounded the drive. They climbed in together, the door closing with a quiet click.
They rode in silence, the city glowing beyond the tinted windows.
For a moment, that woman’s words echoed faintly in her mind—sharp, smug, possessive.
You’re just a phase.
Who was she? How did she know Kai?
And why did her voice sound like she owned him?
Unease stirred beneath Lyric’s skin, coiling low and tight.
But she buried it deep.
She leaned into Kai, breathing in his scent, letting the quiet rhythm of his presence drown out every dark thought.
Tonight was hers.
