Page 72 of Bound By Crimson

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Her phone rang.

She grabbed it quickly, expecting Rowan—or Velora.

“Hi, beautiful,” Kai’s voice was warm and bright. “I’ll be home late tonight. I need to finish arranging a few things.”

“Arranging?”

“The boutique.”

“I’ve rented a storefront. Fifth Avenue. Renovations are starting. I’ve got a team already. Tomorrow morning, you’ll meet with them and visit the fabric district. And I’ve hired you an assistant—her name’s Callie. She’ll meet you first thing.”

Lyric froze.

“You... you really did it?”

“Of course I did.”

“I told you. I can make anything happen in this city.”

The excitement hit her like a spark catching dry tinder.

She wanted to jump. To laugh. To throw her arms in the air like a child.

Instead, she pressed a hand to her chest, forcing herself to breathe slowly.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Kai teased. “Tomorrow’s only the beginning.”

As the call ended, Lyric set the phone down gently.

The hollow ache she’d woken with melted away, replaced by something new.

Hope.

Maybe this was real after all.

Maybe this was her chance to become herself again.

Chapter Twenty

Making Things Happen

Lyric woke before the sun.

For once, it wasn’t because of a noise or a bad dream—it was because she wanted to.

She slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to disturb Kai. His arm was stretched across the other side of the mattress, and for the first time in weeks, she didn’t curl up underneath it. She pulled on a robe and padded barefoot into the kitchen, making her own coffee.

That small act felt like a rebellion.

The sketchbook was already waiting on the counter, her favorite design open to a page with sharp shoulders and cascading fabric. She sipped her coffee slowly, studying it. Imagining the way the collar would fall. Wondering how the silk would move.

She didn’t hear Kai come in.

“You’re up early,” he said, his voice rough from sleep.

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