Chapter 19
He exited through a small connecting door in the middle of their shared suite.
The door opened and closed silently–just like the man himself: refined, elegant, and impossible to read.
Mona sat back down on the sofa, her chest still tingling.
She unbuttoned her clothes to take a peek.
She’d heard that powerful men often had unusual preferences. ‘Could this be Waylon’s? Oh my god, this is crazy…‘ she thought.
Back at the nightclub, Liza had secretly recorded Mona, capturing every second of her entanglement with that stranger.
After Mona left, Tanner returned to the club. The moment he stepped. through the door, he sensed something was off–someone was watching
him.
Years on the battlefield had trained his instincts razor–sharp. He pointed straight toward a shadowy corner. “Who’s there? Come out.”
Liza nearly dropped her phone in panic. She turned and bolted.
“Stop her,” Tanner ordered.
Two bodyguards rushed forward, easily grabbing her. They dragged her into a private room and forced her to kneel in front of him.
Tanner sat casually on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, his gaze
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sharp and cold as a hawk’s.
“You dared to film me?” He thought, ‘The last person who tried that didn’t live to regret it. And now another one shows up.‘
Liza trembled under the weight of his presence. “S–Sir, I wasn’t filming you. I was filming my sister.”
“Your sister?” Tanner raised an eyebrow.
“She’s Mona,” Liza stammered.
Tanner leaned in, lifted her chin, and studied her face carefully.
“You’re this ugly and expect me to believe you’re actually related?” Tanner sneered. He couldn’t stand delicate, weepy women–and the one kneeling before him was exactly that. Just looking at her annoyed him. There was no way someone like her could be related to his beloved Mona.
Liza lowered her head. “We’re not blood sisters. The Morse family adopted me. Please, sir, don’t hurt me. I’ll do anything you ask.”
“Anything?” A mischievous gleam flickered in Tanner’s eyes.
“Yes, sir.” She stayed kneeling, too afraid to rise.
Her instincts screamed that this man was dangerous. Not the kind of danger you could avoid–but the kind you survived by obeying.
Tanner’s lips curled into a dark, seductive smile–equal parts charm and menace. “Stand up.”
She got to her feet, and only then, this close, did she get a good look at him. ‘God, he’s handsome,‘ she thought. That fierce, untamed edge, the confidence that radiated from him–it was dangerously attractive. Men like him were one in a million.
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He didn’t just have presence–he was raw, walking testosterone.
‘If Eldon is a still pond,‘ she thought, ‘then this man is a raging sea- powerful enough to swallow everything whole.”
She’d never met anyone like him. Bold. Arrogant. Unapologetically dominant. It was almost too much.
Her heart pounded, her cheeks flushed bright red.
“Take off your clothes,” Tanner said.
She froze. Then it clicked–he wanted her. ‘So what if Eldon didn’t want me?’ she thought bitterly. ‘A man even better than him does.”
She glanced nervously at the bodyguards behind him. Not daring to ask. them to leave, she began undressing, hands trembling.
She had a good figure–young, flawless, and she knew it.
In seconds, she was standing naked in front of him.
Shame burned through her, but she didn’t cover herself. She was afraid if she hid anything, he’d lose interest.
Tanner gave a small nod to the men behind him.
One of the bodyguards stepped forward, pulled out a phone, and began taking pictures.
Only then did Liza realize what this was really about.
She panicked, hurriedly grabbing her clothes and hugging them to her chest. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Please don’t do this.”
Tanner’s voice was calm, almost amused. “Your nudes are in my
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possession now. From now on, you’ll do whatever I say. If you don’t, I’ll make sure the entire world sees them.”
Liza bit her lip, tears shimmering in her eyes.
She knew she looked her best like this–on the verge of crying. It always worked on men. Eldon, Micah, Colton–none of them could resist that look.
Tanner stood, leaned in, and tapped her cheek lightly. “If a single tear falls, I’ll gouge your eyes out.”
Terrified, she forced the tears to stay where they were, not letting one slip.
“Keep an eye on your sister,” he said coldly. “Report back to me on everything–especially who she meets. Got that?”
“Yes.” She quickly got dressed, discreetly wiping her eyes. Then she asked quietly, “How should I contact you?”
Tanner pulled out his phone, added her as a contact, and saved her name as Ugly Duckling.
“My name is Liza.” she mumbled.
He didn’t even acknowledge her. Phone in pocket, he walked away with a satisfied grin.
‘Want the beauty? Start from the inside. Know her, control her–win every time,‘ he thought.
