Mairee_

I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask to be the janitor who found out secrets that could destroy lives—his life. Tate Mercer: the man with power, control, and darkness buried so deep I could barely breathe around him. I hate him. I should hate him. But somehow, he’s pulling me closer, binding me tighter. And no matter how hard I fight, I can’t seem to escape.

He’s got me on a leash, throwing money at me like I’m worth nothing, but I see through it now. He’s obsessed.

And me? I’m trapped. Between the man who tore my life apart and the messed-up feelings I can’t make sense of anymore. How do you escape a monster when the chains start feeling like home?

I Only Have Ten Fingers, Sir! is a dark, twisted billionaire romance that will push you to the edge of heartbreak, revenge, and redemption—when love feels like a trap, and you don't know if you’ll survive it.

I Only Have Ten Fingers, Sir!

I can't breathe. My throat's so tight, like there's this invisible rope squeezing the life out of me, knotting tighter with every second. It's suffocating. The walls of this dark room are closing in, and the weight of his stare pins me to the spot.

Tate Mercer. My boss, my captor, my goddamn nightmare.

His eyes—dark, calculating—trace over me, the corners of his lips curling into that smug, wicked smile that makes my skin crawl. I hate him. Hate how he makes me feel. Like I'm nothing. Like I'm just a pawn in his twisted game of chess.

"Sparky," he drawls condescendingly, "you thought you could run from me?"

I did. God, I did. I thought I could break free, leave this nightmare behind. But I was wrong. So, so wrong.

His hand reaches out, brushing his fingers against my cheek, and I flinch. But there's no escape. Not anymore. He's everywhere—under my skin, in my head, in the very air I breathe.

"You're mine," he whispers, and it's not a promise. It's a curse.

I swallow hard, the taste of defeat bitter on my tongue. I can't fight him. Not like this. Not when he's stripped me down to nothing, exposed every flaw, every weakness.

He steps closer, his breath warm against my ear. "There's no way out, Sparky. Not for you."

My heart pounds in my chest, so wildly and desperately it echoes in the silence. I don't want to believe him, but deep down, I know he's right. I'm trapped in this hell, chained to him by the darkest of secrets, by the sins we share.

And as his hand slips around my neck, tightening just enough to remind me of his power, I realize that escape is just a dream—a dream I'll never wake from.

This is my life now. Bound in shadows. And there's no way out.

Epilogue: Bound in Shadows (And There's No Way Out)