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“Fuck. No, of course not.”

“Good. Otherwise, we’d be having a different conversation.”

“Okay so what do you suggest? I can’t help but flirt with her.”

“Keep flirting, but she needs to see the real you. The one that you’ve grown to be in the last two years. But you have to look at this from her point of view. At the moment, she just knows the enforcer. She thinks you're dangerous and dangerous is not long-term. You want her to see you as a long-term prospect, is that correct?”

“Fuck yes.”

“Okay. So let’s work on that.”

“What do I need to do?”

“I think this is going to be hard for you, but you should be yourself. You’re funny, you’re charismatic, lean into that. She’ll be able to let her guard down with someone who’s approachable and she enjoys spending time with.”

“Okay, I can do that. But you know that what you're suggesting is insane, right?”

“It’s unorthodox, I'll admit,” he says in his unrelenting professional tone.

I’ll take doc’s advice, but I’ll be adding my own flair for sure.

“And Austin, remember that you’ve worked incredibly hard to become the man you are today. You deserve good things to happen to you, too.”

“Thanks, doc. I gotta go. I’ll call you in a few days.”

“Bye, Austin.”

We hang up, and a renewed sense of purpose fills every corner of my chest. All I have to do is wait for her to come down those stairs.

Chapter Eight

Olivia

Another video was posted last night. This time with clips of my own videos compared to Millie’s. It doesn’t seem to matter to her or the ninety-five percent of commenters that my videos were posted before hers. All that matters is she’s creating enticing videos that cause drama.

The video was removed by the site after I flagged it. I’m not sure how it worked so quickly, but both videos that called me out have now been removed, thank goodness.

Now, I just need to focus on my work. I have a fitness expo coming up to prepare for and videos to create.

After braiding my hair, I slip into a bright pink crop top and shorts, ready to take on the day. As I descend the stairs, my heart flutters at the thought of seeing Austin. We talked for hours last night. I feel like we’re really connecting.

Despite my brain screaming at me to cool off, my heart is thumping wildly for this man.

He is kind, funny, and attentive. And I think I might have been wrong about him. In fact, I know I have. Despite everything that has happened, I think this could turn out okay. But I’m not going to let one evening fool me.

I reach the basement door, my feet halting immediately. It’s closed, but the locks aren’t in place.

I quickly check over my shoulder and peek my head into the hallway. I have a clear view of the living room and the kitchen from my position. I listen for a moment, but I can’thear anyone else in the house.

I twist the handle and pull the door toward me.

Silence.

I take a step down, and I hear chains clinking together.

“Olivia?” Austin calls out.

Act normal. He cannot know you were so googly-eyed last night that you forgot to lock him in. Despite him being chained up. It’s not a good look, and no doubt, it would be against one of his rules.