Chapter 3: A Dangerous Game

The grand ballroom pulsed with an air of indulgence, a world where power dripped from champagne glasses and wealth was measured in whispers. Laughter rang from different corners of the room, elegant women in shimmering designer gowns trailing their manicured fingers along the arms of men who could buy and sell small empires before breakfast.

Lily barely noticed any of it.

Not when Anthony Calloway stood before her, his very presence drowning out everything else.

"One year?" she repeated, barely above a whisper, her pulse hammering.

Anthony tilted his head slightly, his dark gaze locking onto hers like a man sizing up something he already considered his. "Yes, sweetheart." He leaned in just enough that the scent of his expensive cologne wrapped around her, a mixture of spice and something dangerously intoxicating. "One year. Be mine."

Lily's throat went dry.

All around them, people mingled, oblivious to the dangerous game unfolding in the heart of the ballroom. A group of investors stood near the marble staircase, murmuring about stock prices and mergers. At the far end of the room, a woman in a deep red gown let out a throaty laugh, throwing her head back as a man whispered something into her ear.

This was a world of negotiations, of deals made under dim lighting and power exchanged in unspoken contracts.

And now, Lily was standing in the middle of one.

She should have walked away. Should have laughed in his face and disappeared into the sea of silk and diamonds before this conversation could go any further.

But she didn't.

Because as dangerous as Anthony Calloway was… his offer tempted her.

"You're insane." The words left her lips before she could stop them.

Anthony's lips twitched, but his amusement didn't quite reach his eyes. "Possibly." He took a slow sip of his whiskey, his fingers gripping the glass with lazy confidence. "But I always get what I want."

A sharp stab of irritation shot through her. She lifted her chin, refusing to let his arrogance shake her. "And what happens after this 'one year' is over? You just let me go?"

A flicker of something unreadable passed through his gaze.

"Do you want me to?" His voice was soft, but there was an underlying edge to it. A challenge.

Lily's heart pounded in her chest.

What kind of question was that?

She swallowed hard. "I'm not the kind of woman who sells herself, Mr. Calloway."

His smirk faded, replaced with something far more intense. "And yet, you're considering it."

She hated that he was right.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides. "Why me?"

His gaze roamed her face, slow and deliberate, as if he were peeling back her layers one by one. "Because you're different."

She scoffed. "You don't even know me."

Anthony took a step closer, his presence pressing against her like a shadow she couldn't escape. "Not yet."

A waiter passed by, and Lily instinctively reached for a glass of champagne, needing something—anything—to distract her from the heat curling low in her stomach. But before she could bring it to her lips, Anthony plucked the glass effortlessly from her fingers and set it aside.

Lily's breath hitched. "Excuse me—"

"I need you clearheaded for this decision," he murmured.

Her pulse quickened.

Every interaction at this gala was a carefully played move—people toasting, flirting, forming alliances with smiles that didn't reach their eyes. And here she was, standing in the middle of it all, negotiating something far more personal than a business deal.

"I need time to think," she finally said, forcing steadiness into her voice.

His lips curved into a knowing smirk. "You have twenty-four hours."

Her stomach twisted.

"That's not enough—"

"It's more than enough," he interrupted smoothly. "You already know what you want to do, Lily. You're just afraid to admit it."

Her name on his lips sent a ripple of something dangerous through her.

Anthony reached out, his fingers brushing a stray curl from her cheek.

"Don't make me chase you."

Lily exhaled shakily.

Because deep down, she knew that if Anthony Calloway decided to chase her…

He wouldn't stop until he caught her.