The rain came down in relentless sheets, pooling in the cracked asphalt of the alleyways and reflecting the neon glow of the city’s flickering signs. Nothing washed away the grime here, not even the rain. It was a place where shadows had lives of their own, where secrets festered beneath the surface. Tonight, those secrets belonged to Vera Lux, and she was dead.

I lit a cigarette, the smoke curling into the damp night air as I thought about Leon’s message. Short, urgent. Vera had been killed during one of her virtual performances. Her flawless avatar mesmerizing thousands while her real body bled out in her apartment, hidden from the world. The police had already come and gone, leaving little behind but yellow tape and questions.

The elevator creaked as it carried me to Vera’s penthouse, a cold, impersonal space that felt more like a set than a home. The VR rig in the corner was state-of-the-art, humming quietly, the last remnant of the life Vera had built. In the world of virtual reality, she was a goddess, selling fantasies that made men believe they were the only ones who mattered. But in death, her real self, plain and fragile, was laid bare.

Leon arrived, soaked from the rain, looking as dangerous as ever. His presence filled the room. "They won’t tell me anything," he muttered, frustration seeping into his voice. "I need to know what happened to her. She didn’t deserve this."

I flicked the cigarette into a nearby ashtray, eyeing him carefully. "From what I’ve heard, she wasn’t exactly innocent."

His jaw tightened, but his expression remained controlled. "She wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t deserve to be murdered. They were watching her avatar, until it stopped" His voice trailed off, and for a moment, the vulnerability seemed real. But Leon was always good at wearing masks.

I stepped toward the VR rig, tracing my fingers over the controls. Whoever had killed her had been careful. "You think one of her clients did this?”

Leon moved behind me, close enough for his breath to warm the back of my neck. "I don’t know. That’s why I need you. The cops won’t give me anything." His hand brushed my arm, a ghost of a touch, and for a second, I almost forgot why I was here.

I turned to face him, the tension between us crackling like static. "Why me, Leon? You could’ve hired anyone."

His smile was slow, deliberate, and it did nothing to calm the heat simmering between us. "Because I trust you. And because I know you won’t stop until you get the answers. Just like old times."

Old times. A door I had closed, but Leon knew how to make it creak open again. "I’ll take the case," I said, steadying myself. "But don’t expect me to play nice. If you’re hiding anything, I’ll find out."

Leon’s grin widened, dark and dangerous. "I wouldn’t dream of it."

As I left Vera’s apartment, the rain still falling in sheets, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this case was going to be more than just a simple murder investigation. Leon was hiding something, whether it was about Vera or himself, I wasn’t sure yet. But I was going to find out. And if I had to navigate the dark corners of the virtual and real worlds to do it, then so be it.

In a city like this, where the line between fantasy and reality blurred, nothing was ever just what it seemed.

The rain outside Vera’s apartment beat down relentlessly as I crouched beside the VR rig, looking through the recent logs. Behind me, Leon’s presence loomed, his eyes burning into my back as he watched me work. His gaze was always a distraction, a reminder of the nights I tried to forget but never could.

"You’ve always made things look so effortless," Leon’s voice slid over me like velvet, the familiar smoothness laced with heat. I didn’t need to look up to know he wore that cocky grin, the one that always made me weak.

"Flattery isn’t going to make me move faster," I said, keeping my focus on the rig, though my pulse quickened at the sound of his voice.

He moved closer, the heat of him wrapping around me. Leon was always dangerous like that. Dangerous because I knew I should stay away, but couldn’t. The scent of rain and leather hit me, and old memories rushed back, the kind that made it hard to focus on anything else.

"Who says I’m in a hurry?" he murmured, his breath warm against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.

I stood, feeling the tension thicken between us, like a wire pulled taut. "Careful, Leon. You don’t want to distract me, not when I’m this close to figuring things out."

He stepped closer, his body almost brushing mine, his voice dropping lower. "What if I like distracting you, Katie? You’ve always been too focused, maybe that’s why you keep circling back to me."

His words hung heavy, laced with temptation, and I felt myself being pulled toward him, that magnetic pull I could never seem to resist. My breath hitched. Leon had always been my weakness. He leaned in, his lips dangerously close to my ear, and for a second, I let myself want it.

"Vera’s rig was tampered with," I said, forcing myself to focus. I turned away from him, pretending not to notice the way his breath hitched slightly, the way his eyes darkened just a shade. "It kept running after she was dead. Someone preprogrammed it to keep her virtual self performing, probably long enough to cover up what really happened."

Leon moved closer until he was right behind me, his breath warm against the back of my neck. I felt his hand graze my arm, a barely-there touch that sent a shiver down my spine despite my best efforts to stay unaffected.

"Are you sure you’re not imagining things, Katie?" His voice was a murmur, his lips dangerously close to my ear. "You always did have a wild imagination."

I turned to face him, meeting his eyes head-on. The air between us crackled with tension, thick and electric. I could feel the pull, the magnetic force that always seemed to drag me back to him, no matter how hard I tried to resist.

"I’m not imagining anything," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Someone wanted her dead, and they wanted it covered up. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?"

His lips curved into a slow, lazy smile, his gaze dropping to my mouth before flicking back up to my eyes. "You really think I’d hurt her? That I’d get rid of her just because she didn’t live up to some fantasy?"

I held his gaze, refusing to be drawn in by that smooth charm. "You tell me."

He stepped closer, his chest nearly brushing mine now, and I could feel the heat radiating off him, the tension between us coiling tighter and tighter. "Vera wasn’t just a fantasy," he said softly, his voice low and dangerous. "She was real. Her movements, her personality, all of that was her. The looks... the avatar... that was for the clients. It didn’t matter to me. I didn’t need that."

The way he said it, the way his voice dropped when he spoke, sent a thrill through me that I hated myself for feeling. I knew better, but Leon always had a way of making me forget what was smart, what was safe. He always had a way of making me feel like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, teetering dangerously close to falling.

"So you didn’t need the fantasy?" I asked, stepping closer, my own voice dropping as the heat between us thickened. "But you didn’t mind letting her sell it to everyone else?"

He raised an eyebrow, a flicker of something dark passing through his eyes. "Vera was in control. She knew how to handle herself. And yeah, she had an AI take over for the more... intimate parts. She didn’t want to deal with it herself, so she programmed the rig to handle those moments. But I didn’t think she had been using it for normal performances."

"Intimate parts?" I probed, my voice barely above a whisper. I was close enough to feel the heat coming off him now, to see the way his chest rose and fell with each measured breath.

"Yeah," he said, his voice rougher now, lower. "Clients paid big money for those moments. High-end VR prostitution, if you want to call it that. But Vera was smart about it. And those clients, they thought they were getting the real deal, but sometimes... they weren’t."

My pulse raced, the implications of what he was saying sinking in. "And if one of them found out they were being played? That they were paying for a fake instead of the real thing?"

Leon’s eyes darkened, his gaze locking on mine, and I could feel the heat rolling off him in waves. "Then, yeah, they’d be pissed. Some of them might even be pissed enough to kill."

The tension between us was thick now, suffocating, and I could feel myself teetering dangerously close to that edge again. But I couldn’t let myself fall. Not this time. Not with Leon. No matter how much I wanted to.

"I’m going to find out who did this," I said, stepping back, breaking the spell. 

His lips curved into that slow, infuriating smile, but there was something deeper in his eyes now, something that sent a thrill through me despite myself. I turned and left, my heart pounding in my chest, the heat of his gaze burning into my back the whole way.

To understand the tangled web of Vera Lux’s life and death, I needed to enter the world she had mastered, the VR universe where desire reigned, and boundaries blurred. I met with performers and clients who had known her, and every conversation revealed another piece of the puzzle.

The performers had mixed feelings about Vera. Some respected her, praising her ability to captivate clients and remain at the top of the VR game. Others weren’t so kind, claiming she had been losing her edge, doing anything for money. The rumours were that, toward the end, Vera had started accepting requests that would have once been off-limits. But not everyone believed the gossip. Some said that despite the rumours, Vera had been refusing more clients recently, turning down people she would have once entertained.

The clients I spoke with had their own stories. Several of them admitted they had heard the same whispers, that Vera would do anything for the right price. Some claimed they had paid for it themselves, describing intimate sessions where Vera would fulfil even their darkest fantasies. But even among the clients, there was doubt. A few mentioned that Vera had started rejecting them recently, even when their requests weren’t extreme. It didn’t add up.

One client stood out. He openly admitted to paying for more than just a performance. He’d crossed the line into something more, and he had no shame in saying so. But what caught my attention was when he mentioned someone called Nightshadow. "He’s the one who told me Vera would do anything," the client confessed. "He made it clear she had no limits. For the right price, she was all yours."

The pieces were starting to come together. Nightshadow had actively fueled these rumors, setting the stage for Vera’s downfall. Despite the rumors, Vera had begun rejecting certain clients, and that had made her a target. She had made enemies, and someone had taken her refusal personally.

Vera had been trying to pull back, to escape that side of the business. But Nightshadow had pushed her too far, and now I needed to find out who he really was.

Leon’s penthouse was a far cry from the sterile, cold atmosphere of Vera’s apartment. His space was dark and warm, bathed in the soft glow of amber lights and deep shadows that clung to every corner. It was the kind of place that felt intimate by design, meant for quiet whispers and secrets. A dangerous place to meet an ex-lover.

I had to remind myself why I was here. Vera Lux’s death, the case, the investigation, it was all starting to take shape, but every thread I pulled seemed to lead back to more questions. I needed answers from Leon.

He was waiting for me by the window, the skyline of the city glowing faintly behind him. His posture was relaxed, his hands tucked into his pockets, but the air around him crackled with tension. Leon always had that effect, calm on the surface, but with a fire burning just underneath. The kind of fire that pulled people in, that burned you if you got too close.

As I stepped into the room, he turned, and his eyes caught mine. There it was again. Those eyes. Dark, intense, and filled with a heat I could feel from across the room. I’d told myself I’d keep it professional. I had to. But the moment our gazes locked, all the old feelings came rushing back, thick and hot.

“Katie,” he said, his voice smooth as silk, but there was something darker underneath. “You’ve found something.”

I took a breath, keeping my voice steady. “I’ve been talking to some of Vera’s colleagues. Other VR performers. They all had different stories, but one name keeps coming up, Nightshadow.”

Leon frowned, shaking his head. “I’ve never heard of him.”

I studied his face, searching for any crack, any sign he might be lying. But Leon was good. He was always good at keeping his secrets close. Still, something about the way he looked at me, the way his jaw tightened slightly, told me there was more he wasn’t saying.

“He’s dangerous, Leon. Vera was afraid of him. She turned him down, rejected him. Maybe that’s why she ended up dead.”

Leon’s expression hardened, his gaze darkening. “She never mentioned anyone by that name to me. But she did talk about someone... a client who was causing trouble. He went by Marcus Vero. He made a stink about Vera rejecting his offer, and she told me he was becoming obsessive.”

“Marcus Vero,” I repeated slowly. “Do you think he might be this Nightshadow? If Vera rejected him, it could explain why he escalated.”

He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. “Keep digging, Katie. Find out who this Nightshadow is, find out if this Marcus Vero is really behind all of it. But...” His voice dropped lower, a husky edge creeping in. “I can’t pretend that’s all I want from you.”

I felt it too, the electric pull, the undeniable tension that had been building between us since I’d first walked into the room. It was as if every moment was pushing us closer and closer to something we both knew was inevitable.

“You always did have a way of complicating things, Leon,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper, but the heat in it was unmistakable.

His hand came up, brushing against my arm, sending a shiver down my spine. The touch was so familiar, and yet it felt electric, like the first time all over again.

“Leon” I whispered, my voice caught between wanting to pull away and wanting to fall into him.

He moved closer still, his lips just a breath away from mine, his eyes dark and burning with the same hunger I felt building in my chest. “You don’t have to say anything, Katie. You never did.”

Our lips met, and everything else melted away. The investigation, the case, even the danger surrounding us. There was only him, the heat of his body pressed against mine, the way his hands slid down, pulling me closer, like he couldn’t stand the space between us.

I kissed him back with everything I had, all the years of tension, of wanting, of needing to feel his touch again, flooding back in an overwhelming rush. His hands roamed my body, possessive, urgent, as if he was trying to make up for all the time we’d lost. And I let him. Because, in that moment, I didn’t care about anything else but the way he made me feel alive, burning under his touch.

My back hit the wall, and he was on me, his body pressing into mine, his lips trailing down my neck, rough and desperate. “You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting this,” he growled, his voice low and raw.

I gasped as his teeth grazed my skin, his hands gripping my hips with a hunger that made my head spin. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” I managed to whisper, but even I didn’t believe the words.

“We’ve always been bad at ‘shouldn’t,’” he muttered against my skin, his lips finding mine again in a searing kiss that left me breathless.

The air between us was electric, buzzing with an energy that had been building since the moment I stepped into the room. Leon’s gaze locked on mine, and every instinct I had told me to pull back, to remind myself why I was really here. 

He chuckled, low and dark, his breath ghosting over my skin as he leaned in, lips grazing my ear. “You’re fighting it, Katie. But you don’t have to. Not with me. You never did.”

The feel of him, hard, unyielding, his body hot against mine, made my breath catch. He was right. I was fighting it, but the truth was, I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to resist him, not now, not when every part of me was screaming to give in.

Before I could think, before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him to me again. The kiss was hard, rough, but it was everything I needed. Everything I’d been holding back. His hands tangled in my hair, tugging just enough to send a shiver down my spine, his mouth devouring mine with a hunger I hadn’t felt in years.

His fingers slid under the hem of my shirt, the heat of his touch setting my skin on fire as he pushed the fabric up, over my head, tossing it to the floor. His lips followed, trailing down my neck, biting gently at the sensitive skin there. I gasped, my hands fisting in his shirt, pulling him closer.

He growled against my throat, his hands sliding lower, gripping my waist, pulling me tight against him. “You drive me fucking crazy,” he muttered, his voice rough, breathless. 

His words made my knees weak, and I found myself clutching at him, needing more. It was intoxicating, the way he touched me, the way he spoke to me like I was the only thing in the world he wanted. I had no defences against it. Against him.

His hands moved to the waistband of my trousers, tugging them down, his breath hot against my skin as he kissed his way lower, down my chest, my stomach, every inch of me burning under his touch. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe. All I could do was feel, every kiss, every brush of his fingers, every flick of his tongue.

I should’ve stopped it. Should’ve pushed him away, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to. I needed him, more than I’d needed anything in a long time. My mind whirled, questioning how the hell I’d ended up here, in this moment, sleeping with the man who had hired me to investigate his lover’s murder. I had sworn to keep it professional, to keep my distance, and yet here I was, giving in to the one person I knew I shouldn’t.

But all of those questions, all of the doubts, faded as his hands slid under my thighs, lifting me effortlessly, pressing me harder against the wall. The cool surface was a sharp contrast to the heat between us, but it only made the fire burn brighter, made me crave more. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer, his body fitting perfectly against mine, like this was where we were meant to be all along.

“Fuck, Katie,” he groaned against my skin, his breath ragged as his hands roamed over me, possessive, rough. “I’ve missed this. Missed you.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My body was already moving of its own accord, desperate to feel him, to get closer, to close the distance between us in every possible way. His hands gripped me harder, his lips never leaving mine as he moved us toward the bed, his body pressing me against the wall, hard and demanding.

Everything about this felt like a whirlwind, a heated blur of lips, hands, and skin. I should’ve felt guilty, should’ve been thinking about the consequences. But the truth was, in this moment, I didn’t care. He smiled against my lips, his voice a low growl. “Tell me what you want, Katie.”

“You,” I breathed, my hands gripping his shoulders, my body already responding to his every touch, his every word. “I want you.”

Before I knew it, he had thrown me onto the bed, his body pressed over mine, hard and ready, every inch of him screaming with need. He kissed me with a hunger that left me breathless, and then he was sliding into me with a slow, deliberate thrust that made me gasp.

I arched my back, wrapping my legs around him as he drove deeper, each movement sending sparks of pleasure through me. God, he felt good. Too good. The fact that this was wrong, that I shouldn’t be here, only made it better. Forbidden and dangerous, the tension between us finally snapping as we gave in to the pull we had both been fighting for too long.

Leon moved with a practiced rhythm, his body grinding against mine in perfect sync, and I couldn’t stop the sounds escaping me, breathless moans, gasps, each one urging him on. His lips trailed down my neck, his teeth grazing my skin, his hands guiding my hips as he spread my legs wider as he plunged into me, harder and faster.

I loved the way he felt inside me. How every thrust sent shivers down my spine, how his breath came faster, hotter against my skin as his own control started to slip. He wasn’t holding back, and neither was I. We rolled again, this time with me straddling him, his hands gripping my waist as I rode him, grinding against him as hard as I could. His eyes locked onto mine, dark and filled with that familiar hunger, and I felt another climax building already, my body still trembling from the last. 

My hips continued to move rhythmically, grinding into him, my nails digging into his shoulders as I rode him. His eyes were locked onto mine, dark and intense, filled with that familiar hunger that only he could ignite in me. The air around us seemed to thicken, electricity coursing through our bodies.

I felt another climax building within me, my body still shaking from the last one. I looked down at him, his face contorted in pleasure as he watched me ride him. My heart pounded in my chest, my breathing labored.

"Oh fuck," I whispered, feeling myself hovering on the edge of another release. "I'm close...so close..."

He growled, his grip tightening on my waist. His fingers dug into my skin, bruising marks forming where he held me. He looked possessed, eyes wild and intense. It was like he could feel my orgasm building inside of me, matching it with his own need.

His hands slid up my back, pulling me down for another kiss as I ground against him, his voice was raw and gravelly when he spoke, echoing in my ears. "Fuck yes...that's it..." He kissed me deeply, his tongue sweeping into my mouth as he pumped into me. I could feel him throbbing against me, his passion matching mine. Every movement sending jolts of pleasure through me until, finally, I shattered again, crying out as I came, my body collapsing against his.

"Fuck," I moaned, feeling the wave of pleasure crash over me. My body tensed, arching over him as my climax exploded through me. His hands tightened around my waist, pulling us even closer together.

But Leon wasn’t done. He gripped my hips, pulling me down hard onto him, thrusting up into me with a desperate intensity, his hips slamming into mine, each stroke sending waves of pleasure coursing through my body. The tension between us grew with every passing second, building up like an unstoppable force.

I could feel his heart pounding against my chest, matching the pace of our lovemaking. His breathing heavy, each gasp and moan filling the room. My own breaths came in short gasps, matching the speed of his thrusts.

Finally, with a low, guttural moan, he found his own release, his body shuddering beneath me. I felt him fill me, hot and pulsing, and I couldn’t stop the satisfied smile that spread across my lips as we lay there, our bodies slick with sweat, tangled together in the aftermath of our messy, passionate coupling.

We lay there for a long moment, catching our breath, our bodies still pressed together, his hand lazily tracing circles on my back. I could still feel the heat of him inside me, the lingering hum of pleasure in my limbs, but reality was creeping back in, pushing through the haze of desire.

“Leon,” I murmured, lifting my head to look at him. “Tell me what you know about Vera’s business.”

He sighed, his hand stilling on my back as his eyes met mine. “I already told you, Katie. I didn’t know much. She kept a lot of it from me.”

I studied his face, searching for the lie I knew was there. He was hiding something. I could feel it. But even now, with the evidence of our passion still between us, I couldn’t quite bring myself to push him on it. Not yet.

I rolled off him, sitting up and glancing around the room. “We should clean up,” I said, trying to inject some normalcy into the situation. “That was... messy.”

He smirked, his gaze following me as I stood and stretched, his eyes darkening with that familiar hunger. “Messy? I’d call it perfect.”

I shot him a look over my shoulder, feeling the flush rise in my cheeks. “Perfect or not, I’m taking a shower.”

I headed to the bathroom, feeling his eyes on me the whole way. The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of the penthouse, marble and glass, with a rain shower that cascaded down like a waterfall. I turned the water on, letting it heat up before stepping under the spray, feeling the warmth wash over me, soothing my sore muscles.

I stood under the water for a moment, letting the heat relax me, washing away the evidence of our encounter. My hands moved slowly, deliberately over my skin, slick with soap, as I scrubbed the sweat and desire from my body. I could still feel the echo of him in me, the way he had filled me so completely, and I couldn’t stop the shiver that ran down my spine at the memory.

I took my time, letting the water cascade over me as I worked the shampoo into my hair, lathering the soap between my hands before sliding it down my body, over my breasts, my hips, my thighs. I could still feel the heat of his touch, the way he had moved inside me, and even now, I had to bite back the moan that threatened to escape my lips at the thought of it.

Once I was clean, I stepped out, wrapping myself in a towel as I heard the shower start again. Leon had taken my place under the hot water, and I could hear the faint sound of him humming to himself, relaxed, satisfied.

That was my cue.

My heart was racing as I moved quickly through the penthouse. I had a hunch, and I wasn’t leaving without checking it. Leon had secrets, and if he wasn’t going to tell me, I’d find them myself.

I reached his office, the door slightly ajar, and slipped inside. His computer sat on the desk, screen dark, but it took only a few seconds to bring it to life. I pulled a small drive from my bag and plugged it into the port, my fingers flying over the keys as I searched his files.

It didn’t take long. He had been careful, but not careful enough. I found the encrypted folder quickly, my heart racing as I downloaded everything onto the drive. I didn’t know what was in it yet, but I knew it was important. I knew it was something he hadn’t wanted me to see.

As the shower turned off in the distance, I pulled the drive free and slipped it back into my bag, moving quickly back to the living room before he could catch me. I’d go through the files later, but first I had to see Marcus Vero.

Marcus Vero sat across from me in his sleek, high-end apartment, surrounded by all the trappings of wealth. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind him showcased a panoramic view of the city, glittering beneath the soft glow of dusk. Vero was every bit the picture of success. Impeccably dressed in a custom suit, his demeanour calm, controlled. But beneath that polished surface, there was something darker, something simmering just below the surface.

He had agreed to meet me when I said I was interviewing all her high-profile clients. But the more he talked, the more I could see through the façade. The way his eyes gleamed when he spoke of Vera, the tightness in his jaw when I mentioned her additional offerings, it all pointed to something more.

“So, you were one of Vera’s clients?” I asked, keeping my tone casual, but watching him closely.

He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lightly against the armrest. “I wouldn’t call it that,” he said with a slight smirk. “We had an arrangement. I paid for her time, sure, but it wasn’t like the other guys. She gave me more attention. It was... personal.”

Personal. I’d heard that before. It was always the same with men like him. They paid for the illusion of intimacy, convinced themselves they were special. But Vero was different. He wasn’t just a client looking for attention. He wanted control.

“Personal?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow. “You mean she gave you what you wanted, no questions asked?”

His smirk faded, and something colder flickered in his eyes. “Something like that.”

I shifted in my seat, leaning forward slightly. “But recently, I heard she started turning people down. Refusing clients who had been paying for a long time. Did she ever refuse you?”

For a moment, Vero’s mask slipped. His jaw tightened, and his fingers stilled on the armrest. “She refused me once,” he admitted, his voice low and clipped. “After everything I’d given her. She started acting like she was above it all, like she didn’t need my money anymore.”

I nodded, encouraging him to continue, though my heart was already racing. This was it. This was the crack in his armour I’d been waiting for.

“She told me she wasn’t interested in what I wanted anymore,” he continued, his tone growing more heated. “Said she had limits. But that wasn’t the Vera I knew. She never had limits before. She did whatever I wanted, as long as I paid. And I paid a lot.”

I could see the frustration in his eyes, the way his hands gripped the armrests of the chair, knuckles turning white. He wasn’t just angry. He was furious. And that fury had festered into something darker.

“And what was it that you wanted, Marcus?” I asked, my voice softer now, more probing.

He hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to gauge how much he should reveal. “Nothing we hadn’t done before. Nothing she hadn’t already willingly done for my money. She pretended to be disgusted by it.”

My pulse quickened, but I kept my expression neutral. I could feel it now, the truth pressing in on all sides. Marcus Vero had been Nightshadow all along. The one who had convinced clients that Vera would do anything, the one who had crossed boundaries with her, expecting her to follow. And when she had finally refused, he hadn’t been able to handle it.

“Why do you think she refused?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Vero’s eyes darkened. “She got scared. She didn’t want to admit it, but she knew she was in too deep. She thought she could just pull back, set limits, walk away. But that’s not how this works. Not with someone like me.”

The air between us felt charged, heavy with the weight of what he was really saying. He wasn’t just talking about a client-performer relationship anymore. This was about control, about power. And when Vera had refused to give him that power, he had taken it in the only way he knew how.

My heart raced as the final piece of the puzzle slid into place. Marcus Vero had killed Vera because she had refused him, because she had tried to take back control, and he couldn’t stand it. He had been Nightshadow all along, manipulating her clients, fueling the rumors that she would do anything for the right price trying to push her ever further.

I leaned back slightly, feeling the weight of the truth settle over me. I had found him. But now, I had to get out of here before he realized just how much I knew.

I forced a small smile, keeping my voice light. “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”

He smirked, leaning back in his chair, clearly satisfied with himself. “You’re welcome.”

But as I stood to leave, I knew the truth. Marcus Vero was Nightshadow. And he was going to pay for what he had done, I just had to prove it.

Later that night, I sat in my office, the dim glow of the computer screen illuminating the dark room as I went through the files I had taken from Leon’s penthouse. I’d been reckless, snooping through his system, but something had told me that Leon wasn’t being entirely honest with me. And as I scrolled through the data I’d downloaded, my suspicions were confirmed.

Leon had known more about Vera’s business than he had let on. He had files, detailed records of clients, transactions, communications. And in those records, I found mention of Nightshadow. Leon had been tracking him, watching as Nightshadow had drummed up customers for Vera. Clients with darker and darker needs.

One of the logs described how Nightshadow had promised his clients “satisfaction guaranteed,” how he had referred clients to Vera. Leon was keeping tabs on him, investigating him on his own.

I leaned back in my chair, the pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place. Leon had been hiding this from me. He’d known all along that Nightshadow was involved in Vera’s business, that he had been pushing her toward clients she didn’t want to deal with. But why hadn’t he told me? Why had he kept this secret, even after everything we’d been through?

I stared at the screen, my mind racing. I was certain that Marcus Vero, angry, obsessed, and dangerous, was Nightshadow. But I still didn’t know how far this went. And I didn’t know how much more Leon was hiding.

But I was going to find out.

Leon’s penthouse, I had come here to give him my conclusions about Vera's murder. He leaned against the kitchen island, a glass of whiskey in his hand, his dark eyes watching me intently. The room seemed to hum with something unspoken, the anticipation hanging heavy in the air. 

“I think Marcus Vero is Nightshadow,” I said, stepping closer, my voice low and deliberate. “He had the motive, the anger, and he was furious when Vera turned him down.”

Leon’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile, but his eyes were darker than usual, a gleam of something feral lurking behind them. “You really think it was Marcus?” he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper as he set his glass down.

The heat between us flared, a dangerous current running under every word. He moved toward me, his body close, the space between us shrinking until I could feel the warmth radiating from him. His hand brushed my arm, sliding down my side, sending a shiver through me despite the alarm bells ringing in my head.

“Yes, and I think you agree.” I asked, locking eyes with him, my heart pounding. “I found the investigation notes. The ones about Nightshadow.”

Leon’s hand stilled on my arm, his expression faltering for just a second before it slipped back into that smooth, unreadable mask. But I had seen it, a flicker of panic, of shock.

“You found… my notes?” he asked, his voice low, but the tension in his body was unmistakable. 

I nodded, stepping closer, so close now that our bodies were practically touching. “You knew, didn’t you? You suspected something, but you didn’t tell me.”

Leon’s jaw clenched, and I could feel the intensity building, the way the air between us seemed to vibrate with barely contained heat. His hands slid up my back, gripping me tighter, pulling me flush against him, his lips hovering just above mine.

“I didn’t tell you because I couldn’t prove it,” he murmured, his breath hot against my lips. “I needed you to come to the same conclusion. I needed you to see it for yourself.”

Before I could respond, he kissed me, hard and desperate, like he was losing control. I matched his urgency, my hands gripping his shirt as I let myself get lost in the heat of it, in the way his body pressed against mine. His hands roamed over my body, rougher than usual, tugging at my clothes as if he couldn’t wait to strip them off.

“I couldn’t prove it either,” I whispered against his mouth, my breath coming in short gasps as his fingers dug into me. “I’m sorry.”

He growled softly, his lips trailing down my neck, biting and sucking at my skin in a way that made my knees weak. “We’ll prove it together,” he said roughly, his hands sliding up my sides, tugging my shirt over my head. “You and me. We’ll finish this.”

We were undressing each other as we spoke, our conversation lost between desperate kisses and the rustle of fabric hitting the floor. His hands were everywhere, gripping my hips, sliding over my breasts, pulling me closer until I could barely breathe. 

 His hand came down hard on my bare ass, the slap echoing in the room, and I gasped, the sharp sting igniting something primal inside me. “More,” I whispered, barely able to think through the haze of desire. “Harder.”

He obliged, spinning me around and bent me over the edge of the bed. I cried out as he slapped my ass, hard over and over again, the sting sharp and hot, and I could feel the heat pooling between my legs, the pain only intensifying the pleasure.

“Is this what you want?” he growled, his voice rough, his body pressed tight against mine. “Is this what you’ve been waiting for?”

I moaned in response, my body trembling as his hand came down hard on my ass again, the slap echoing in the room. But I couldn’t get enough of it. The way he controlled me, the way he took what he wanted.

He pulled me back up, spinning me around and pushing me onto the bed. Before I knew it, I was laying flat out on the bed, my wrists being tied to the headboard with silk ropes. I’d never let anyone tie me up before. Usually, I was the one in control. But tonight was different. Tonight, I wanted to give in, to feel the ropes digging into my skin, to let Leon take me completely.

He tugged the ropes tight, his hands rough as they trailed down my body, his lips following, hot and demanding. “You look so perfect like this,” he growled, his eyes dark with hunger as watched me.

As the intensity between us grew, something shifted in Leon’s expression. He reached for something small, black, and made of leather. A whip.

I should have been alarmed. I should have questioned what he was doing, but instead, I let the excitement override my caution. He knelt over me on the bed. The sharp snap of the leather against my skin sending waves of pleasure and pain through me. He struck my breasts, my nipples, the pain sharp but somehow adding to the intensity of the moment. I was caught in the high of it all, my mind barely able to focus on anything but the sensations racing through my body.

As Leon's whip sliced through the air, each crack echoing around us, a shiver ran down my spine. The leather seemed almost alive in his hands, whispering promises of pain and pleasure. And yet, despite the fear coursing through me, I couldn't help but feel an undeniable thrill at his touch.

I’m not sure how long he toyed with me but when he finally positioned himself above me, his eyes never leaving mine, I felt a flutter of anticipation in my chest. As he thrust into me, there was no denying the raw power behind the stroke amplified by my moan of delight. 

I could feel the pressure of the ropes on my wrists, the ropes digging into my skin as he took what he wanted, his body slamming into mine with a force that left me gasping. It was rougher than anything we’d done before, but the pain only heightened the pleasure, making every sensation sharper, more electrifying.  

“You like this, don’t you?” he growled, his voice low and rough as his hand came down hard on my breast, the sting in my nipple sending a jolt of pleasure through me.

I moaned in response, my body trembling as he slapped me again, harder this time, his breath coming in short, sharp bursts as he lost himself in the rough rhythm of our bodies. The ropes dug into my skin, the pressure building as he drove into me, harder and harder, each thrust rougher, more desperate than the last.

My body was lost in the pleasure-pain mix, when Leon’s hand wrapped around my throat, squeezing just enough to cut off my breath. The edges of my vision blurred as I gasped for air, my body arching against the ropes, loving the feel of his control, the roughness that bordered on brutality.

His hand tightened around my throat, cutting off my breath just enough to make the pleasure sharper, more intense. I could feel the pressure building, my body on the verge of climax as he slammed into me, his hands gripping me with a desperation that bordered on violence.

My legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer as I took him hard, our bodies moving together in sync, locked in a dance of passion and lust that left no room for anything else. 

At the height of it, when I was teetering on the edge of release, and he seemed totally consumed with his lust, he growled into my ear, his voice dark and low. 

“I wish Vera would’ve done this. It would’ve been so much simpler.”

At first, the words barely registered. I was too caught up in the moment, too lost in the feel of his hands gripping my hips, the slap of his body against mine, the rough way he handled me. The way his fingers curled tighter around my throat, just enough pressure to send a jolt of adrenaline and pleasure through me. My body was responding to every move he made, but my mind, the part of me that hadn’t yet surrendered to the heat of the moment, was starting to put the pieces together.

What had he meant? Simpler? My thoughts whirled, trying to latch onto that single word, but Leon wasn’t giving me time to think. He was too rough, too focused, pushing me further toward the edge of pleasure, pulling me back whenever I tried to catch my breath. My body wanted to give in, wanted to lose itself in him, in the way he was dominating me. But my mind was screaming for me to wake up.

The truth hit me like a punch to the gut.

Leon killed her.

The realization slammed into me with cold, hard clarity. I had been chasing shadows, I had been convinced that Marcus Vero was Nightshadow, that he had killed Vera in some fit of rage. But it wasn’t Marcus, it was Leon. Leon, who had lured me into his bed, into his world, manipulated me all to keep his secret hidden.

The investigation notes hadn’t been his suspicions about Nightshadow, they had been Vera’s. Vera had started to figure it out and started to uncover what Leon had been doing. And when Vera had learned the truth, when she’d started to investigate, Leon had killed her and then tried to use me to cover up his crime. He knew he was my weakness.

And now I was here. Tied to his bed, completely at his mercy, with no way out.

I couldn’t breathe. My chest tightened with the weight of the revelation, the panic rising as I realized just how trapped I was. Leon’s grip on my throat loosened slightly, his lips brushing against my ear as he growled something I couldn’t quite hear. My mind was too loud, too frantic, racing through the options through the impossibility of escape.

Don’t let him know. Not yet. Don’t let him see you know.

I forced myself to focus, to steady my breath, to stop my body from tensing under him. I had to keep playing along, keep pretending that I was lost in the moment, that I was still under his spell. I had to finish this, had to get him to untie me. It was the only way.

I moaned, louder than I meant to, but it worked. Leon’s pace quickened, his hand sliding down from my throat to grip my waist, pulling me harder against him. The roughness of his movements should have been thrilling, should have sent another jolt of pleasure through me, but now every touch felt tainted, like I was trapped in something I couldn’t escape.

“Fuck, Katie,” he growled, his voice low and breathless. “You love this, don’t you?”

I forced a breathless laugh, arching my back just enough to keep him believing the lie. “I do,” I whispered, the words scraping out of my throat as my mind fought to keep control. “I love it.”

His pace quickened again, each thrust harder, more desperate, as if he was chasing something he couldn’t quite reach. I closed my eyes, biting my lip hard enough to taste blood, forcing myself to stay in the moment, to ride out the high with him. Every second felt like a gamble, like I was teetering on the edge of a cliff, waiting to see which way I would fall.

My body moved on autopilot, responding to him even though my mind was a thousand miles away, racing through the horror of what I’d uncovered. Leon, the man I had trusted, the man I had fallen into bed with, he was a killer. He had used Vera, and now he was using me.

I forced myself to let go, to let my body respond to him the way it always had, to pretend that I was still lost in the haze of lust and passion. My moans came out soft, deliberate, urging him closer to the edge, pushing him toward the finish.

With each thrust, his hips pumped harder against mine, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered things that made me shiver. It was a wild, primal dance of dominance and submission, fuelled by raw desire and an unspoken tension.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my mind to focus, to block out the panic. I knew what he needed, what would push him over the edge. I arched my back, tightening my legs around him, letting out a louder moan as he thrust into me harder. My voice trembled, but I managed to make it sound like pleasure, even though my heart was hammering in my chest.

“Yes, Leon,” I gasped, breathless and shaky. “So close…”

His thrusts became more urgent, his body shaking slightly with the force of each stroke. His eyes were glossy, heavy-lidded as he gazed down at me, his breath coming in short gasps.

I could feel him building towards an orgasm, his hips bucking wildly against mine. I had to fake it. I had to make him believe.

My heart raced, my pulse pounding in my ears as I forced myself to let go, to moan louder, to make my body respond to him even though every fiber of my being wanted to recoil. I let out a breathless cry, faking the tremors of an orgasm, my body arching and trembling in time with his movements. I clenched around him, knowing it would push him over the edge.

“Yes,” I cried, my voice strained but full of fake ecstasy. “Leon… I’m coming…”

He groaned, his body shuddering as he finally found release, his grip tightening on me one last time he exploded, his seed coating my insides, filling me completely. His cry was a strangled sound, a mix of pleasure and pain. He collapsed on top of me, panting heavily. 

Leon had killed Vera. And now, I had to make sure he didn’t get away with it.

My wrists ached where the ropes had dug into them, the raw sensation a constant reminder of just how close I had been to losing control, to letting Leon know I had figured it all out. But I had to stay calm. I couldn’t let him see the fear, the disgust, or the knowledge of his guilt that now sat heavy in my chest.

Leon was lying back on the bed, a self-satisfied smirk plastered across his face, like he had won something. He thought he had me where he wanted me. But I wasn’t done yet.

“I need some water,” I said, my voice soft and breathless as I pushed myself off the bed, pretending to be a little dazed, still reeling from our encounter. Which I was but for totally different reasons. 

Leon grinned lazily as I stood up. I grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen, my heart pounding as I stole a glance at my phone sitting on the counter. I had a plan.

Taking a deep breath, I returned to the bed, sitting down on the edge. My stomach churned at the thought of what I had to do next, but there was no other way. I leaned over him, my naked body pressing against his.

Leon’s eyes gleamed, his body relaxing into the promise of what he thought was another round of indulgence. I straddled him, keeping my movements slow, sensual. Every touch, every kiss was deliberate, designed to keep him entranced, to make him think he was still in control. I could feel him harden against me despite the recency of his last climax.

I leaned down, kissing him deeply, my hands roaming over his chest and the hard lines of his torso beneath. He moaned softly into my mouth, his hands gripping my hips, he couldn’t wait to take me again.

But I wasn’t done. Not yet.

As we kissed, I reached for the soft silk ropes that had been discarded from our last encounter. Leon didn’t question it when I wrapped his wrists in the smooth fabric, securing him to the headboard. His eyes were glazed with desire, his breath coming in short gasps as he let me tie him down.

“Do you trust me?” I whispered, my lips brushing his ear.

“Completely,” he replied, his voice thick with lust.

I smiled against his skin, tying the final knot, making sure he couldn’t escape. His body relaxed beneath me, his guard completely down, and for a moment, I let the heat between us build.

Leaning back, I traced a finger down his chest, my expression shifting ever so slightly. “I know what you did, Leon,” I said softly, my voice still dripping with seduction. “I know everything.”

His body tensed beneath me, his eyes narrowing as he realized the shift in my tone. “What are you talking about?” he asked, his voice uncertain now.

I leaned in closer, pressing my lips to his neck, feeling the rapid beat of his pulse against my mouth. “Vera,” I whispered, my breath hot against his skin. “I know you killed her.”

Leon stilled beneath me, his eyes wide with shock. He didn’t say anything at first, but I could feel the fear creeping into his expression.

His body tensed beneath me, but he forced a lazy smile, clearly trying to hide his discomfort. “Marcus Vero killed her,” he said, his voice low, his eyes following the path of my hands as I traced circles on his chest. “You said it yourself.”

His body stilled. I felt his muscles tense under my touch, but he didn’t say anything. I needed him to confess, to give me the full story, and for that, I had to keep him under my control, keep him thinking I was still on his side.

I moved lower, trailing my fingers over his hips, teasing, seducing, watching his body react to every touch. “I know it was you Leon,” I whispered against his skin, letting my voice dip into something sultry and dark. “And it excites me.” I ground my hips down rubbing against his hard shaft to emphasize the point. 

I saw the glimmer of doubt in his eyes falter. He wasn’t sure whether to believe me, but I could see his defenses cracking.

“It… it excites you?” he asked, his voice hesitant.

I smiled, straddling his hips, my body pressed against his as I leaned down, my lips grazing his ear. “The power of it all,” I whispered, my voice filled with a feigned lust. “The control. Knowing that you were the one making everything happen.”

I watched his eyes as he processed my words, my heart racing as I pushed him further. “Tell me, Leon,” I breathed, my fingers moving up to trace his jaw. “Tell me what really happened. What you did to Vera.”

For a long moment, he didn’t respond, his eyes searching mine as if trying to read my true intentions. But I kept my expression soft, seductive.

Finally, with a slow exhale, Leon’s body relaxed under my touch, and his lips curled into a dark smile. “It wasn’t supposed to go that far,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “It was all business at first.”

I shifted slightly on top of him, encouraging him to continue. Breathlessly whispering “Business?”

“Vera was the star,” Leon said, his voice low and dangerous. “Her performances, her presence in VR. People were obsessed with her. They’d pay anything for a taste of what she offered. But it wasn’t enough for some of them. They wanted more.”

His words sent a chill down my spine, but I forced myself to stay calm, to keep playing my role. “And you gave them what they wanted?” I asked, my voice smooth as I let my fingers trail down his chest again. "You’re not like anyone else. You go after what you want. And that... that’s sexy."

I could feel the shift in him, the way he was letting down his guard, enjoying the flattery, the seduction. Leon’s eyes darkened, and he shifted beneath me, the ropes preventing him from moving too much. “I saw an opportunity,” he said, his voice growing more confident, more arrogant. “I created an AI version of Vera. An exact replica that I could use for the clients who wanted something beyond her regular performances. They’d pay top dollar for it thinking it was her. The AI would do anything they wanted.”

I swallowed hard, disgusted by his words but keeping my face neutral, curious. “And Vera didn’t know?”

He chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “No. She had no idea. As far as she knew, her regular shows were all there was. But when the clients came asking for more, I’d use Vera’s account and the AI. They thought they were getting the real thing.”

My stomach twisted, but I stayed composed. “But eventually, something changed, didn’t it?”

Leon’s smile faltered, and his eyes flickered with something darker. “Yeah,” he said slowly. “Some of the clients’ requests started getting through to the real Vera. I don’t know how it happened, but they would ask her for things, and she’d have no idea what they were talking about. She came to me, confused. I told her it was just a mistake, that some clients were getting the wrong idea.”

“And she believed you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“For a while,” he admitted. “But Vera was smart. She started investigating on her own. She found out about the AI. She found out what I’d been doing.”

I leaned down, pressing my body against his, my lips brushing against his ear. “And that’s when you killed her.” I put all the desire I could muster into that sentence. 

For a moment, Leon didn’t say anything, his eyes clouded with something dark, something that made my skin crawl. But then he smiled, a slow, dangerous smile that sent a shiver down my spine. “She would’ve destroyed everything,” he said, his voice filled with dark heat. “I had no choice.”

I felt a wave of disgust rise in my throat, but I swallowed it down, keeping my face looking at him as if captivated, even as I gently caressed his face. “You did what you had to do.”

I leaned back, my expression shifting as I met his gaze, my smile turning cold. Leon’s eyes flickered with confusion, and then fear, as I pulled away, climbing off his body and stood. I dressed and grabbed my phone as he pulled futilely on the ropes. 

Leon’s eyes widened in horror as the truth dawned on him. “You... you recorded me?”

“You thought you could manipulate me,” I said, my voice calm, my heart pounding in my chest. “But I was always one step ahead.” not quite true maybe but close enough. 

Before he could respond, the door to the penthouse swung open, and two police officers, who I had called while I was getting water, stepped inside, their eyes locking onto Leon, still bound to the bed. He struggled against the ropes, panic flashing in his eyes, but it was too late.

“I think you’ll want to hear this,” I said, handing one of the officers my phone with the recording of Leon’s confession.

As the officers moved forward, untying Leon from the bed and restraining him in handcuffs, he glared at me.

I met his gaze, my expression cold, unwavering. “You thought you could control me,” I said softly. “But the truth always comes out.”

As the police led Leon away, I stood there, my body trembling slightly with the adrenaline of what had just happened. I had gotten him to confess.

And now, it was finally over.