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Chapter One

Alex

Nothing shall serve him longer, not strength nor comeliness, nor his fine armour, which indeed shall soon be lying low in the deep waters covered over with mud – The Iliad

Alex lay on the polished oak floor, gazing hazily at the ceiling.

He’d fallen so far, so fast, that he couldn’t catch his breath, which was coming in staccato gasps.

His vision slowly clearing, he saw Tyler pacing around the room, heard him crowing about his victory.

Over to one side was Solange – so beautiful, so deceitful – sitting as still as a statue, gazing at him sadly.

Tyler strode over and gazed down at him. “Are you listening to me?”

Alex forced himself to look up at the man who now controlled every aspect of his life. Tyler thrummed with a lean, wolfish energy, savouring his power over his victim.

“Yes,” Alex rasped. His voice sounded strange, as if he were hearing it from a great distance.

“These are your bodyguards,” Tyler said, beckoning. A tall, muscular man with a scarred face and a big fat man with a shaved head stepped forward. “One of them will be with you at all times. They’ll accompany you everywhere during the day and guard your bedroom door at night.”

“Bodyguards?” Alex snorted. “You mean they’re to stop me escaping.”

Tyler laughed. “Oh, you can’t escape, Alexander – and you wouldn’t get very far if you tried. You’re chipped, and you have one of the most famous faces in the land. You’d be captured within five minutes and returned to me – and I promise you that the consequences wouldn’t be pleasant.”

“How could it be worse than this?”

“Try escaping and you’ll find out,” Tyler gloated.

“Besides, how long do you think you’d last out there without my protection?

The entire country hates you. You’re safer under my roof than anywhere else.

I’m a registered houder – the IS Agency inspectors can visit at any time, when I’ll have to account for your safety, prove that I’m feeding you, and treating you…

if not exactly well, then at least adequately. You should be grateful.”

“Forgive me for not seeing it that way.”

“Oh, I’m never going to forgive you,” Tyler said emphatically. “Now, get up. It’s time to start your new life.”

Alex heaved himself slowly to his feet, shaking with the effort.

His body felt heavy, as if it didn’t belong to him – as if he’d been shattered into a million pieces and glued back together in a poor facsimile of himself.

His tongue felt leaden, his head ached, and his limbs moved in a slow, dreamlike way.

Tyler was bouncy by contrast, still running on the adrenaline of his victory.

He strode to the lift with Alex following slowly, painfully, behind, his new “bodyguards” falling into step beside him, one on each side.

A couple of floors down, the doors opened onto another suite, decorated more plainly.

“No smartwalls here?” Alex raised an eyebrow, glancing at the plain magnolia walls.

“Oh, these are smartwalls, too.” Tyler touched the wall, and it created a spangled pattern around his hand before reverting to its original colour.

“All the walls are.” Alex looked around, startled – the walls upstairs had been alive with colour and vibrancy, but this looked like a regular wall.

“I can change the colours whenever I feel like it. Tomorrow it might be blue.” Tyler shrugged.

“Must have cost a fortune,” Alex said facetiously. “And wasted on us lowly servants, surely?”

“It’s not for you . It’s for my guests.” Tyler grinned.

“This is where you’ll live from now on.” He bounded around the space, making the dull throb in Alex’s head even worse by his sheer exuberance.

“Here’s the kitchen – your diet will be controlled by my chef and your meals cooked for you.

” Tyler gestured at gleaming white cupboards, a breakfast bar with stools, and a small dining table with four chairs.

“You’ll have to ask permission from the chef if you want anything outside mealtimes. ”

“Really?” Alex drawled. “Isn’t that taking your power trip a bit too far?”

“Wake up, Alexander! Having power over you is precisely the point. That’s why you’re here.” Tyler grinned.

“I know why I’m here. I’m a toy.” He shrugged. “Your revenge toy, to play with whenever you’re bored.”

“Not only when I’m bored.” Tyler winked.

He strode into another room, and Alex, flanked by his bodyguards, had no choice but to follow.

“As you can see, you have a nice big living area. There are plenty of books and a generous movie and music library – although no internet access, obviously.” He pulled a mocking sad face.

“You aren’t allowed to contact anyone from your old life – though that won’t be a problem as you don’t have any friends, and your family don’t want to know you anymore. ”

That hit like a punch to the gut.

Tyler seemed satisfied that he’d landed a blow and moved on.

“This suite isn’t only for you – it’s also where you’ll entertain my specially selected guests.

There’s a dining area here…” They entered a large room, furnished with a massive mahogany table and ten plush upholstered chairs in a shade of deep purple.

The walls radiated a deep re d glow. “It’s only for when you’re entertaining – the rest of the time you’ll eat in the kitchen.

And down this hallway is a gym where you’ll work out to stay in shape for my guests.

” He led Alex into a spacious, light-filled space, full of gleaming equipment.

“I don’t do gyms,” Alex said flatly.

“You don’t have a choice,” Tyler snapped. “You’ll ‘do’ whatever I tell you. Your trainer will devise a workout plan for you.”

“Good luck with that,” Alex muttered under his breath as Tyler continued on down the hallway.

“And here is your bedroom.” Tyler ushered him into a large, airy room with several floor-to-ceiling windows. “They don’t open, obviously,” he said, gesturing.

“Obviously,” Alex said, looking around. There was a huge bed, made up with cream satin sheets, a plumped-up duvet, and a plum-coloured coverlet. Opposite the bed was a bank of wardrobes with mirrored doors.

“View this as being the most exclusive of hotels,” Tyler advised him. “Your room will be cleaned, towels replaced, and your clothes taken away for laundering daily. Most servants would be damn lucky to live in such luxury. You should be grateful.”

“I’ll work on it,” Alex sniped.

Tyler opened one of the wardrobes to reveal several sets of exquisitely tailored clothes: formal suits, shirts, and ties, also jeans, tee-shirts, jackets, coats, and gym apparel.

Shoes, boots, and trainers were lined up on a rack along the bottom.

“All in your size – I had them made specially.” Tyler smiled.

“There’s something for every occasion. For example.

” He withdrew a pair of white linen trousers and a red silk V-necked sweater.

“If I’m entertaining on my yacht, these would be appropriate.

Or if I want you in a business meeting, just sitting there, looking beautiful, helping to sweeten a deal, then this.

” He pulled out a stunning charcoal-grey suit and an iced-violet cotton shirt.

“Who wouldn’t want to sleep with the infamous Alexander Lytton?” He reached out and tousled Alex’s hair. “Who wouldn’t want this beautiful bad boy at their mercy, lying naked on this bed, begging to be fucked? ”

“I think you overestimate my sex appeal,” Alex said.

Tyler laughed. “We both know that’s not true.

How many times have you used your looks and fame – or should that be notoriety?

– to seduce some idiot into kneeling at your feet to suck your dick?

I’ve seen the photos; I’ve watched the interviews with your discarded conquests.

You despised them. You used them for sex, and drugs, and sometimes both.

Now it’s time to see how you like being used in return. Come over here – you’ll enjoy this.”

He opened another cupboard door, and Alex saw an array of sex toys, dressing-up clothes, and bondage equipment.

“You’re here to supply any fantasy my guests want.

Let’s be clear on one thing.” Tyler looked him straight in the eye.

“These people are my clients and business associates, and you are their reward for giving me contracts, closing deals, or coming down on price. So, you will give them whatever they want. If they choose to tie you up and whip your sorry arse until you bleed, that’s fine by me.

If they demand you to do the same to them, then you do it.

Hell, if they want to dress you up like Hudson Brink in that god-awful movie about alien space eggs and fuck you up the arse while serenading you in Martian, then you’ll be only too happy to oblige. Understand?”

Alex looked at the contents of the cupboard and then back at Tyler. “Yes. I understand,” he said, filling the words with as much derision as he could.

“Good. By the way, the smartwalls… they record everything that takes place in this suite.” Tyler waved his hand at the pale green walls. “That’s why I keep the decoration low-key, so my guests don’t realise they’re smartwalls, as you didn’t – and therefore they don’t know they’re being recorded.”

“Blackmail?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not a charity,” Tyler snapped. “If people want a night with you, then I want some collateral to hold them to their deal.”

“Just good business practice, then,” Alex commented dryly.

Tyler smirked. “I didn’t get to own this place by being nice.”

“Recordings can be deep-faked,” Alex pointed out.

“Not these recordings. My smartwalls contain state-of-the-art truth-marking tech that can tell if something has been AI generated. It’s so good they’re even using it to verify evidence in court these days.”

Alex gazed at him glumly. Of course he’d thought of everything.

“You’ll be shaved, styled, and dressed by your own personal stylist every day. He’ll decide what you wear.”