Page 86 of Bound By Crimson
She trusted Kai. Shehadto trust him.
But for the first time since she met him… A crack split open inside her chest.
Small.
Silent.
And a cold whisper slipped through it:
You might not be enough.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The Scent of Change
The morning light slid across the marble floors, catching the delicate sparkle of the tennis bracelet Kai gave her, resting on the nightstand.
Lyric sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair slowly. Kai moved behind her, slipping on his watch, his shirt already pressed and buttoned.
“You know,” she said softly, watching him through the mirror, “maybe I could come by your office today.”
He paused.
Just for a second.
Then smiled. “You’ve got a boutique to run, baby. That’s your empire now. You’re killing it.”
Something about the way he said it pulled at her. A few days ago he’d begged her not to leave him, told her the boutique could wait. Now it was her empire?
“I know, I just…” She trailed off. “I’ve never seen what you do. I thought it might be nice.”
He leaned down and kissed her neck. “Trust me, it’s not exciting. Meetings, contracts, people haggling over square footage and interest rates. Finance is even less exciting—just a blur of spreadsheets, market trends, and people pretending to know the future.”
She forced a smile. “Okay.”
“You’ve got your own world to lead now,” he added, adjusting his cuffs. “Focus on that. I’m proud of you.”
Her stomach fluttered—but not in a good way.
“I’ll be home early,” he added. “Maybe we’ll order in. Watch a movie.”
“Sounds good.”
He kissed her again—this time, her forehead. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
He left a minute later.
And she barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting.
---
She stood over the sink, hands braced on the porcelain, breathing slowly.
It was just nerves.
That’s all it was.
