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“Was any of it real?” I ask suddenly, my voice trembling. “When we were just Rogue and Mischief... all those late nights gaming, all those conversations... Was that real? Or was it just part of your plan?”

He looks away, and I think I see shame on his face for the first time.

“That was real, Kira.” His voice is rough but low, almost inaudible. “All of it. Those nights gaming with you were the only real thing in my life.”

When he meets my gaze again, there’s a vulnerability there.

“I was drawn to you through your voice, your laugh, the way you’d curse when you missed a shot.” A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “After about a month of gaming with you every night, I was obsessed. I needed to know more. See more. Have more.”

His fingers bridge the gap between us, tracing the curve of my cheek with heartbreaking gentleness.

“Those conversations weren’t manipulation. They were the only time I wasn’t manipulating anyone. The only time I was just me.”

His confession hangs in the air between us. For the first time since this twisted journey began, I feel like I’m seeing the real Ryker—not Rogue, not my kidnapper, but the man beneath all those carefully constructed layers of torment and manipulation.

“What do you actually do?” I ask. “For work, I mean. You always mention meetings, but...” I trail off, realizing how little I know about his real life despite how intimately he knows mine.

A strange look crosses his face—almost amusement. “You’re asking about my job? Now?”

I shrug, suddenly feeling foolish. “You said you worked for a tech firm, but that’s all I know. I just... I want to learn more about you.”

Ryker’s lips curve into a smile that transforms his entire face. He reaches over to the nightstand for his phone.

“I don’t work for a tech firm. I own one.” His fingers dance across the screen before he hands me the phone. “KentSec Systems. I founded it six years ago.”

I stare at the Forbes article on his screen, my eyes widening as I scan the headline: “KentSec Systems CEO Ryker Kent Makes Forbes 30 Under 30: The Security Genius Reshaping Cybersecurity.” The photo shows Ryker in a tailored dark suit, looking polished and professional—worlds away from the tattooed, intense man beside me.

“Youowna multi-million dollar company?” I whisper, scrolling through the article detailing his company’s groundbreaking cybersecurity protocols and their contracts with major corporations and government agencies.

“Tech security was always my specialty,” he says with a casualness that doesn’t match the magnitude of what I’m reading. “People will pay a lot to protect their digital assets.”

I glance from the phone to Ryker, connecting the dots that should have been obvious. His technical knowledge, sophisticated surveillance, and ability to hack into my apartment systems make horrifying, impressive sense.

“So all those ‘meetings’ you’d disappear for during our gaming sessions...”

“Running a company,” he confirms. “Though I’d have skipped every single one if I could’ve stayed online with you.”

I set the phone down, my mind racing with this new information. “But if you’re the CEO of this massive company, how are you even here right now? Who’s running things while you’re...” I gesture vaguely at our surroundings, not sure how to describe this bizarre situation we’re in.

Ryker leans back against the headboard, a wry smile on his lips. “My COO isn’t exactly thrilled. Damien’s been blowing up my phone for days.” He runs a hand through his sleep-tousled hair. “I told him I’m taking a much-needed vacation. First one in six years.”

“A vacation,” I repeat flatly, trying to process everything. “That’s what you’re calling this?”

“The most important one of my life.”

I stare at him, this enigma of a man who manages to be both terrifying and vulnerable in the same breath. The successful tech CEO. The gaming partner I’d spent countless nights talking with. The man who kidnapped me and built a maze to hunt me in.

“I don’t understand,” I say, my voice small in the quiet room. “Why me? It makes no sense.”

His brow furrows slightly.

“Look at you,” I continue, gesturing at him. “You’re gorgeous. You’re literally a millionaire CEO. You could have any woman you want with a smile and a credit card.” The truth of it burns in my chest. “Why would someone like you think you’d need to kidnap someone like me to have her? I just... I can’t understand that.”

The intensity of his stare makes me want to look away, but I force myself to hold his gaze, needing to hear his answer almost as much as I fear it.

Ryker’s expression shifts. “Any woman I want?” His voice drops an octave. “You think I want someone else? That I’ve ever wanted anyone else since I found you?”

He moves closer, the heat of his body radiating against mine. I press back against the headboard, suddenly aware of my vulnerability.