Chapter 1: The collision

I should have never taken that shortcut through the hotel.

The gala crowd spilling onto the sidewalk was a nightmare: paparazzi flashing their cameras, socialites in gowns that cost more than my entire bookstore, and security guards keeping the chaos barely contained. I clutched my bag tighter, kept my head down, and tried to weave through the madness without attention.

Almost there. Just a few more steps, and I’d be past the flashing cameras and the suffocating wealth on display—

Then someone slammed into me.

The impact sent me stumbling backward. My balance tipped precariously, and for one terrifying moment, I thought I was going to crash onto the pavement. But before I could fall, my fingers curled around something solid—broad shoulders, expensive fabric, firm muscle.

Strong hands curled around my waist, steadying me. A low, gravelly voice murmured, “Easy.”

I looked up—and the world disappeared.

Caspian Grey.

That name was like a shockwave. He was impossibly close, so that I could see each angle of his face, the jut of his jaw, the way his mouth was pressed into that unyielding line. And those eyes-all ice, all piercing blue-arctic cold, yet beneath the frost, something else was simmering. Something dangerous.

My heart seemed to batter at my ribs as I swallowed hard.

The cameras went wild.

“Mr. Grey! Who is she?”

“Caspian, are you officially off the market?”

“How long have you been seeing her?”

Panic clawed at my chest. Oh no. No, no, no. This was bad. Very bad. I tried to pull away, but Caspian didn’t let go. His grip was firm, his fingers pressing into my waist just enough to send a strange, electric heat rushing through me.

I should have been paying attention to the reporters, to dozens of cameras snapping every second of this disaster. Yet all I could focus on was him, the way he towered over me with his scent-a nice perfume of expensive cologne and something more, something darker, intoxicatingly sweet.

Then, as if sensing my panic, he leaned in. His breath brushed against my ear, sending an unexpected shiver down my spine. “Play along,” he murmured, his voice low and commanding. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

I barely had time to process that before he straightened, his expression shifting into something smooth, controlled. His lips parted, and his next words sent the entire world spinning.

“This is my girlfriend.”

The reporters went nuts, suddenly yelling questions across the table at us.

I sputtered. “What?”

Caspian didn’t bat an eye. He turned slightly, shifting to tuck me into him as though this wasn’t absolutely insane. The pad of his thumb stroked against my side-just a whisper, really-but the result was electric as fire ran wild beneath my skin.

I had to get out of there.

I twisted my head to hiss that he was crazy, but one second into our renewed stare, my words faltered. There was something sinister about his gaze—not cold so much as calculating. He was ahead of me three steps and waiting, as though this whole night had been about getting me into this moment for a fight.

I should’ve walked away. I should’ve ripped myself from his grip, called him a liar, and disappeared into the night.

But then I’d thought about cameras. About how denying this-denying him-would only make a bigger scene, one which I didn’t want anything to do with.

So instead, I nodded.

The second I did, a shift came into Caspian’s expression. It was quick, hardly even there-a flutter of something darkly satisfied.

The questions flowed on and on.

“When did you meet?”

“Why haven’t we seen her before?”

“Lily, are you in love with him?”

Lily. Someone must have dug up my name in record time. The sheer power of Caspian Grey’s presence was terrifying. One moment I was a nobody, the next I was being scrutinized by the entire world.

Before I could formulate a reply, Caspian’s hold on me tightened. “That’s enough for tonight,” he said coolly. And just like that, the energy around us shifted. The security team stepped in, forming a barrier between us and the reporters. Caspian’s hand moved from my waist to my wrist, his fingers wrapping around it as he turned and started walking.

Dragging me with him.

“Hey,” I hissed under my breath, trying to keep up. “Where are we going?”

He didn’t answer.

I tugged at my wrist, but his grip only tightened. It wasn’t painful, but it was firm. Possessive. As if he owned this moment, this decision—me.

Heat curled in my stomach. I hated that part of me wasn’t entirely opposed to it.

We entered the grand hotel, past crystal chandeliers and marble floors. People turned, whispering, recognizing him, but no one dared approach.

The elevator doors slid open. Caspian pulled me inside, pressed a button, and the doors closed, sealing us in.

Silence.

Finally, I yanked my wrist free and glared up at him. “Are you insane?

His face didn’t move. He just leaned against the wall, entirely too calm, as if this wasn’t the most absurdity in the universe. “No.”

“No?” I echoed. “You just-you just claimed me in front of the whole media like some-some object that belongs to you.”

His lips twitched. Not a smile. Closer to mockery. Pissing me off.

“You didn’t say anything against it,” he said.

My hands fisted. “I was in shock.

He cocked his head to one side, observing me. It was unnerving-he was dissecting me, peeling the layers back that I didn’t want him to.

“You handled it better than expected,” he murmured.

I snorted. “Oh, I’m so glad I met your expectations.”

Caspian pushed off the wall and closed the distance between us in two measured steps. My breath caught.

I refused to back away.

He reached out, his fingers brushing against a stray curl that had fallen over my shoulder. It was barely a touch, but it sent my pulse into overdrive.

“Don’t look so panicked, Lily,” he said, his voice smooth, almost teasing. “I told you—I’ll make it worth your while.”

I swallowed hard. “And what exactly does that mean?”

His lips curved—not quite a smile, more like a challenge. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

The elevator chimed. The doors slid open.

Caspian stepped out first, his presence commanding, effortless. He looked back, waited.

Dared me.

And against all reason, against every screaming instinct, I followed him.

Because something told me that walking away from Caspian Grey wasn’t just hard.

It was impossible.