Be my mistress

The city’s heart was colder than I remembered, its streets still wore the same names, but the warmth I once clung to had long since faded into shadows.

I was longer the girl with stars in her eyes. No longer the fool who thought love would save her.

Now I walked with a ghost inside me and I needed to stop something.

I kept my hood up as the car drove , the faint hum of the engine and the soft buzz of the GPS filling the quiet air. The city passed in slow motion outside the window, the glowing streetlights casting fractured reflections on the glass. I wasn’t sure how much time I had before they realized I was gone, but I wouldn’t be caught off guard again. Not this time.

"We’re almost there." The uber driver spoke. I nodded, my throat tight

I was going to him.

VLADIMIR REYNOLDS

The man my husband-to-be feared most. Well kmown mafia boss, ruthless, cunning and impossibly wealthy. He ran his empire from behind velvet curtains and whispered scandals. Where my fiancé relied on charm and legacy, Vladimir dealt in secrets and steel. They were once partners. Then rivals. Then enemies.

Vladimir Reynolds didn't trust anyone. But he hated my husband.

That would be enough.

The car stopped before a towering black-bricked estate draped in iron and shadow. I stepped out alone, walking past the guards with my chin lifted and fury beneath my skin.

The doorman hesitated. “Miss, do you have an appointment—?”

“Tell Vladimir Reynolds that the bride of Liam Hartford is here. And she’s ready to talk.”

The doorman froze, uncertainty flickering across his face. He studied me , my too-thin frame, the haunted determination in my eyes, the defiance barely concealed beneath my trembling hands.

Without a word, he stepped inside, disappearing into the gloom of the entryway. I stood alone, heart hammering in my chest. For a moment, I thought Vladimir would turn me away but when the guard walked back and nodded his head , I knew it that everything was well.

Two men led immediately through marble halls, past chandeliers shaped like twisted roses, until I stood before his office. One of them opened it.

And there he was.

Vladimir Reynolds sat behind a sprawling mahogany desk, a glass of dark liquor in one hand, the other casually resting on a silver letter opener that looked far too sharp for comfort. His dark hair was swept back with effortless arrogance, and his cold blue eyes locked onto mine the moment I entered.

He didn’t smile.

“You’re either brave,” he said slowly, “or very stupid.”

“Maybe both,” I replied. He raised a brow. “Sit. Before I decide which.”

I stepped forward, the door shutting behind me with a thud that echoed in my spine. My fingers itched to flinch, but I didn’t. I sat.

“I assume this isn’t a wedding invitation,” he said dryly, swirling his drink. He already knew me.

Not just by name. Not just as Liam Hartford’s fiancée.

He knew who I was before all this.

And that was dangerous.

“I need your help,” I said, my voice low, steady. It surprised even me.

His gaze didn’t flicker. He simply took a sip, then set the glass down with a soft click. “That’s a bold opening line.”

“I don’t have time for anything else. Help me call off this wedding,” I said, my voice colder now, but my heart still racing. “And I’ll work with you.”

Vladimir's smile didn’t reach his eyes. It was a shark’s grin predatory. He stood up slowly, leaning across the desk as if the air between us had suddenly thickened.

“Of course I can,” he replied, his voice smooth but edged with something darker. “But what are you willing to offer in return?”

I took a breath, pushing back the sharp sting of fear that tried to crawl up my throat. “I’ll give you everything I know about Liam’s dealings. The information, the contracts, the connections.”

Vladimir's eyes flickered with interest, but the gleam in them was dangerous. “Information is a fine thing,” he mused, circling around the desk, his steps slow and deliberate. “But I think I’ll need something more than just facts.”

“What are you asking for?”, I stiffened in the seat.

He stopped just in front of me, his gaze running over me like he was inspecting a prize he’d just claimed. “I want you.”

I blinked, disbelief momentarily seizing me. “What do you mean?”

Vladimir's smirk deepened, and he stepped closer. “You’ll be mine. Not just an ally, not just a source of information. I want you as my mistress, at my side whenever I need you, however I need you fulfill all my desires",

I blinked, disbelief momentarily seizing me. Mistress?

My stomach churned. I didn’t move. Couldn’t think anymore. Being Vladimir's sex slave was honestly too much.

"I'm going to stop your wedding and also help you destroy your best friend Tessa together with your fiancée Liam. No more games, no more lies. Just you and me.”

I took a step back, my heart thudding in my chest. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, but I am.” His voice was low, dangerous. “You want your freedom, don’t you? This is the price. You’ll work with me, and I’ll give you everything you want. But you’ll be mine, in every sense.”

I stared at him, trying to ignore the rising tension that seemed to wrap around me like a noose. The power in his gaze, the way he stood so unyielding, it made my stomach twist in a way I couldn’t name.

“This is a bargain, sweetheart,” Vladimir said, his voice dark and steady. “You give me what I want, and I’ll help you break free. If you refuse... well, I don’t have time for weakness.”

My pulse hammered in my ears, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. “And if I agree?”

“Then you’ll have your freedom,” he said, his eyes gleaming with triumph. “But you’ll belong to me, be my mistress starting from now",