The world continued moving, oblivious to the undercurrents of turmoil between the two most extraordinary beings on the planet. To the world, Anastasia Raventhorn Vasiliev remained the untouchable heiress, the cold-blooded prodigy of the world's most powerful families, while Vincent Blackwood remained the 'God of Beauty,' the idol-turned-actor, a rising star worshipped by millions. But in the shadows, there was only one truth—he belonged to her, and she alone dictated the nature of that ownership.
And yet, despite knowing this, despite feeling his unwavering obsession, Anastasia found herself doing something peculiar.
Nothing.
It had been weeks since their kiss, an intimate, stolen moment that neither of them acknowledged aloud. It should have meant nothing—lips meeting for a fleeting moment in the grand ballroom, the scent of red roses thick in the air, his desperate need pressing against her own unreadable resolve. And yet, Vincent had changed. He had always been devoted to her, but now, there was something even more twisted in his gaze. More relentless.
He had drowned in her.
And she had done nothing.
Anastasia had not reached out. She had not spoken his name. She had not even given him a passing glance in the media. As far as the world was concerned, nothing had changed.
Vincent, however, was not the world.
He felt the silence like a blade.
She knew this. She intended this.
Anastasia was not foolish. She was a strategist, and in this game of obsession and ownership, she would remain the one in control.
She understood Vincent in ways no one else could. He was dangerous, but his danger did not stem from his power or his intelligence—it stemmed from his willingness to lose himself in her. He would not hesitate to destroy his own world for her sake, to burn down everything if it meant she would finally turn to him.
She could not allow that.
So, she let the silence stretch.
Not out of cruelty, but out of necessity.
Vincent needed to break further.
He had already lost himself in her once, but it was not enough.
She needed him to reach the point of no return.
Only then would he be truly hers.