“But earlier, in the dungeon—”
“Earlier in the dungeon, you needed to learn to whom you belong.Now you need to rest.There’s nothing to analyze.”
After the bath, he dried her with the same gentle attention, wrapped her in a soft robe, and led her to his bed.The kiss he pressed on her forehead was so light, she might have imagined it.
“Sleep,” he ordered, pulling her against his chest as he settled beside her.
“Rex?”
“What did I say about overthinking?”
“But—”
“Go to sleep, Xia.”
She lay there in the darkness, listening to his steady heartbeat.Progress, she told herself.This was definitely progress.The way he’d claimed her, marked her, cared for her—it had to mean something.Then again, maybe she was reading too much into it—overthinking it, as he said.Maybe this was just him ensuring his wife whisperer was well-maintained and available for his needs.
But a man doesn’t bathe you like that, hold you like this if you’re just a convenience, her heart argued.
Says who,her sane mind countered.
Either way, as she drifted off in his arms, Xia couldn’t help but smile.He might not know it yet, but Rex had just taken another step toward becoming her husband.
All she had to do was make him realize it...eventually.
DD - The sinister CDS member
The Pearl ParadiseHotel...
Master DD stood on the private balcony of his hotel room.He silently watched Rex’s progress along the moonlit pathway toward the private beach villas.His manicured nails tapped against the tumbler as he noticed Rex carry the brunette with surprising tenderness.
The warm Madeiran breeze carried the scent of night-blooming jasmine, but it did nothing to soothe the ice in his veins as his pulse quickened with anticipation.Rex’s display in the dungeon had been...revealing.That primal claiming, the raw possession—it had shown him everything he needed to know.
“How interesting.I finally found it.The mighty Rex Oliver has a weakness after all.”
He traced their path down the winding cobblestone walkway, past the illuminated infinity pool, toward his luxurious villa.The soft glow of garden lights highlighted Rex’s protective hold on Angel, cradling her against his chest as if she was precious cargo.
DD’s teeth clenched, memories burning through him like acid.The five of them had always been charming, loved by all, and untouchable—Rex, Max, Axel, Jax, and Dexter.Even here, on this exclusive island paradise, they had carved out their own kingdom.The Paradise Island Resort, one of their many legitimate ventures, catered to the world’s elite.
“So proper, sofuckingrespectable.”His growl sounded ominous in the still of the night.
A bitter laugh escaped him as he watched Rex pause to key in the security code.They thought their wealth made them powerful?Little did they realize that while they played at running their resorts and their corporate empires, his influence stretched across every major continent.The Consortium’s tendrils reached places they couldn’t imagine...and he controlled it all.
His phone buzzed.Glancing at it, he noticed it was another message from a desperate government director.He dismissed it with a flick of his thumb, his focus remaining locked on the beach house as lights bloomed within.Through the panoramic windows, he could see Rex’s silhouette still carrying the woman with surprising gentleness.
“Oh, this is perfect.”He all but sing-songed the words.
The island setting only made it better.Here, where they thought themselves safe in their exclusive paradise, would be the perfect setting for their undoing.Starting with Rex and his precious little submissive.
He turned away from the balcony, his steps silent on the marble floor as he retreated into the suite.Let them enjoy their luxury resort and their legitimate billions.His power extended far beyond beautiful islands, into shadows they pretended didn’t exist.
“Soon, very soon, five arrogant boys who’d once humored their somewhat younger tag-along friend would learn exactly who I became.”As one of the primary founders of The Consortium, the members didn’t just bow to his will—they lived and died by it.
“Keep her close, Rex,” he snorted with a Cheshire grin splitting across his face.“That little subbie might just be the key to destroying everything you’ve built.”
He poured another drink as plans started to crystalize.His voice cracked raw as he ambled back to the balcony.“Using love to break the man who claimed to be above it...Oh, the irony is exquisite.By the time I am done with you, Rex, you will wish you never brought Angel to Madeira...or forgotten the ruthless ambition of this old schoolmate.”
The lights of Rex’s beach house pierced the velvet darkness like a defiant flame, unwittingly marking ground zero for the devastation soon to come.Master DD’s lips twisted into a cruel smile as he imagined that warm glow being replaced by shadows, just as he would systematically extinguish every aspect of security and control the five Masters had erected around themselves.
