You Will Never Escape Me

"...But fret not…our business relationship has barely begun," Asher said as the corners of his lips curved to form an unsettling smile.

Upon hearing his words, Esther's emotions were a whirlwind, a maelstorm of anxiety, determination, and an unbidden flush of embarrassment that painted her cheeks a rosy hue, "I...I want to renegotiate the terms and make a new contract with more favors from my House towards you. But I want to destroy the present one," she declared, her voice a mix of defiance and desperation, a gambit laid bare in the hopes of regaining some semblance of control.

Asher's laughter, rich and unfettered, filled the space between them, a sound that made Esther's resolve waver and her brows knit together in cold frustration.