She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

Adrian moved through Thornhaven Manor’s corridors with purpose, his earlier despair completely transformed into something that felt dangerously close to euphoria.

His mind had already moved past the proposal itself… past the careful words he’d rehearsed, past Catherine’s inevitable acceptance… and settled into the territory beyond.

’After she says yes…’

The thought sent heat through his body that had nothing to do with cultivation and everything to do with primitive male satisfaction.

His imagination snapped into focus with vivid, possessive clarity.

Catherine Blackwood… untouchable, unreachable, the woman who could silence entire rooms with a look.

The future head of House Blackwood beneath him… screaming, begging for more, every shred of authority ripped away, leaving only the woman no one else had ever touched.

Her voice… always so controlled, so measured… breaking into gasps. Her body responding to his touch in ways political sophistication couldn’t prevent.

The satisfaction of being the first man to claim what no one else had been allowed to approach.

’A virgin goddess,’ Adrian thought, the phrase making something predatory curl in his chest.

“And I’ll be the only man she ever bows to.”

The idea thrilled him in ways that transcended mere attraction.

It wasn’t just about desire… it was about conquest. About taking a woman who existed above normal men and bringing her down to the level where she’d scream his name, where authority dissolved into submission.

The sound of a car engine approaching cut through Adrian’s increasingly graphic fantasies like cold water.

His Enhanced perception snapped outward, professional instincts reasserting themselves with practiced efficiency even as heat still lingered in his blood.

Victoria. The meeting. The guest.

Adrian straightened, forcing his thoughts away from Catherine’s imagined surrender and back toward his actual duties.

His body language shifted… predatory satisfaction masked behind professional competence, sexual fantasy tucked away behind security protocol.

He moved toward the main entrance with deliberate purpose, already positioning himself to establish authority before Victoria’s car even reached the parking area.

’Let them see the head of security first. Let them understand this is my territory, my domain, before they step foot in… ’

Victoria’s luxury sedan pulled smoothly into the designated space, and Adrian’s Enhanced perception tracked it automatically, cataloging details with the kind of attention that had made him exceptional at his position.

But when the passenger door opened, when the man stepped out, Adrian’s professional assessment fractured into something else entirely.

Handsome.

The word surfaced before Adrian could suppress it, immediate and unwelcome.

Not just attractive… handsome in a way that made Adrian’s jaw tighten involuntarily, jealousy flaring hot and irrational in his chest.

The stranger moved with casual confidence, expensive suit fitting him perfectly, posture suggesting comfort rather than calculation.

Dark hair, strong features, and a presence so natural it didn’t even try… and still, Adrian felt a flicker of intimidation he couldn’t suppress.

’Who the fuck is this?’

Adrian’s cultivation senses reached out automatically, probing for realm status, trying to assess the potential threat level of this unknown man Victoria had personally escorted to Catherine’s estate.

Nothing.

No Enhanced aura. No cultivation signature. No indication of realm advancement whatsoever.

Either he’s so powerful I can’t detect him… or he’s completely ordinary.

Adrian’s mind seized on the second possibility with something approaching relief mixed with contempt.

Ordinary. Just a normal man. No Enhanced realm, no cultivation base, nothing that would make him worthy of Catherine’s actual attention.

But then why would Victoria personally escort him? Why would Catherine schedule a meeting?

The answer formed with sudden, absurd clarity.

A companion. Professional company.

Adrian almost laughed at the idea… Catherine Blackwood hiring someone for… what? Conversation? Distraction?

But the more he looked at this man, the more sense it made in a twisted way.

She’s isolated. Under pressure. And Victoria, knowing that, arranged for someone charming and safe. Someone with no political connections, no cultivation threat, no family agenda.

A gigolo.

The word settled into Adrian’s mind with ugly satisfaction.

Adrian’s hands clenched slightly at his sides.

’If Catherine’s that desperate for physical attention, she should have come to me. I’m right here. I’ve been right here. Not some hired pretty face with no realm advancement, no real power, nothing but looks and probably training in how to please wealthy women.’

His gaze tracked the stranger as he moved around the car, and Adrian’s contempt deepened.

Look at him. Expensive suit, careful grooming, practiced confidence. He’s been trained to please wealthy women. That’s all he is. A service. A transaction.

The thought of Catherine with this man… this purchased pretty face… made something dark twist in his chest. But beneath the jealousy, a different emotion took root.

’If she’s desperate enough to hire company, that proves how weak and isolated she really is.’

’Which means when I approach her tonight, when I offer real partnership instead of temporary distraction, she’ll see the difference. She’ll understand that what I’m offering is permanent, meaningful, worthy of her position.’

’Not some paid toy. A real man. A real alliance.’

And once she’s mine… once I’m the one who actually owns her body, not just rents it for an evening… I’ll make sure she understands what real satisfaction feels like.

I’ll make sure she never thinks about hired company again.

Because she’ll be too busy screaming my name.

Adrian’s smile was polite, professional, giving nothing away as he prepared to greet Victoria and assess this “guest” more thoroughly.

But behind his eyes, the fantasies had already resumed, now tinged with competitive edge.

Why wait?

I’m supposed to wait until tonight?

Let some cheap gigolo get close to her while I stand here doing nothing?

The plan he’d made for tonight… careful words, perfect timing, after her meeting concluded… suddenly felt like cowardice.

No.

Absolutely not.

Just imagining that man near Catherine… speaking to her, charming her, touching her… made Adrian’s vision burn at the edges.

He felt his breath hitch, fury coiling tight in his gut.

I can’t accept that. I won’t allow that. Not for a second.

He straightened sharply, heart pounding with territorial certainty.

I should approach her now. Immediately. Before that pretty parasite gets even a moment alone with her.

Adrian forced his expression into professional neutrality as Victoria and her guest approached.

He stepped forward, his posture shifting into the practiced deference he’d perfected over twelve months of serving House Blackwood.

“Mrs. Blackwood,” he said, bowing with precisely calibrated respect. “Welcome to Thornhaven Manor. Miss Catherine is waiting for you.”

He knew exactly how important Victoria was… half-sister to Catherine, politically connected, someone whose opinion carried weight.

He’d always been respectful toward her, never allowing personal feelings to interfere with professional courtesy.

But when Victoria turned toward her guest, clearly intending to bring him along, panic flared hot in Adrian’s chest.

No. Absolutely not.

His mind raced, words forming with desperate speed.

“Mrs. Blackwood,” Adrian said quickly, the interruption smooth enough to seem professional rather than panicked.

“Miss Catherine specifically requested to speak with you first. Privately.”

The lie came easily, necessity overriding hesitation.

Just keep him away from her. Even for a few minutes. Long enough for me to…

Victoria’s expression flickered with mild surprise, but she recovered smoothly.

“Of course,” she said, her tone suggesting she’d expected something like this. “Catherine probably wants to discuss family matters first.”

Relief flooded through Adrian’s system, almost making him dizzy.

Yes. Perfect. She believes it.

Victoria turned to her guest, and Adrian forced himself to remain professionally neutral, not letting any trace of his earlier contempt show on his face.

“Would you mind waiting just a few minutes?” Victoria asked, her voice carrying easy confidence. “I’ll come back for you shortly.”

Adrian’s jaw clenched imperceptibly.

A few minutes. That’s all I have. A few minutes to reach Catherine, to tell her about this… situation… to make her understand what’s really happening before this hired parasite gets anywhere near her.

Adrian’s smile remained polite, his posture professionally neutral, as he watched Victoria disappear through the manor’s entrance.

But behind his eyes, urgency burned with territorial fire.

The moment Victoria disappeared through the manor’s entrance, Adrian’s entire demeanor shifted.

The respectful professionalism he’d maintained in her presence evaporated, replaced by something cold and territorial.

One of the Early Enhanced officers stepped forward, his tone carefully respectful as he addressed Adrian.

“Sir, should I escort the guest to the waiting quarters?”

Adrian’s gaze cut to Alex, and he didn’t bother hiding the contempt that twisted his expression.

His eyes swept over the Alex with open disdain…

“No need,” Adrian said, his voice flat and dismissive.

The words came out blunt, carrying none of the courtesy he’d shown Victoria moments before.

“Why waste guest quarters on someone like him?”

The officer hesitated, clearly uncertain about leaving an unknown visitor standing in the parking area without proper hospitality, but Adrian’s expression made it clear the decision wasn’t up for debate.

Adrian turned away from Alex entirely, as if the man wasn’t worth another second of his attention, and gestured sharply to the officer.

“Come with me.”

He moved toward the entrance where Victoria had disappeared, his stride purposeful, and the officer fell into step beside him automatically.

But Adrian stopped just inside the doorway, positioning himself where he could still see the parking area through the glass… where Alex stood alone, waiting like the paid commodity Adrian had decided he was.

“Don’t let him go anywhere,” Adrian said quietly, his voice carrying absolute authority.

“He stays exactly where he is until I tell you otherwise.”