Dare for little pet

**Ivery Clark POV** 

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold onto some semblance of distance. I didn’t want to acknowledge the fact that I felt exposed, that I was walking beside him—Alrigo.

The closer we were, the harder it became to breathe. His presence was too much—too overpowering.

Before I could take another step, his hand shot out, curling around my wrist with lethal precision. 

The sudden force of it yanked me back against him, his body pressing close, too close. 

My pulse skittered in my chest, and I instinctively pulled away, but his grip tightened.

“Where do you think you're going?” Alrigo drawled, his voice low, deceptively calm. “And why are you maintaining distance?” I could hear the challenge in it, the almost predatory edge beneath. “Are you perhaps ashamed to be seen with me..?”

I swallowed, my throat dry. “I just… don’t want to draw attention.”

Alrigo raised his brow in amusement.

“Too late for that, bella mia,” He said, his voice silk wrapped around steel. “You drew attention the moment you walked into my life.”

“Also you're too concerned about what others think. You don't get to distance yourself from me. You made a deal, remember?” There was an edge to his voice—a promise in those words that made my stomach flip. 

"You’re mine now, Ivery. And there’s no running from that. Try hiding again… I’ll make sure the entire city knows exactly who owns you. Down to the last lace you wear.”

My blood simmered anger and helplessness crashing like waves. But I couldn’t walk away. 

The boutique doors parted with a graceful hush, and we stepped into a world of muted elegance and whispered luxury. 

The boutique was everything I imagined it would be—sleek black marble floors, glass walls glittering with high-end labels, and a staff trained to see your worth before you even said a word.

“Mr. King, welcome. We’ve curated a selection of business pieces from our Morelli collection. Tailored with precision, for this lady.” 

I blinked, still stunned at the sudden shift in my fate. Just days ago, I was scrubbing down Alrigo's office floors. Now I was being fitted like I was a damn heiress.

Alrigo sat leisurely on a velvet chair, legs crossed, phone in hand, but his eyes never once left me. Watching. Waiting. Always.

Each time I stepped out in a different piece, I could feel his gaze like a brand on my skin. 

And the staff noticed—offering him deferential smiles, occasionally asking his opinion before mine. I clenched my jaw. I hated how easily the world handed him the reins.

The last outfit—a sleek black two-piece suit with a cinched waist—had barely settled on my frame when the stylist smiled, clapping her hands together.

“Perfect. You look… commanding.” Then, as she gathered the remaining hangers, her tone turned casual. “Would the young lady also like to browse our lingerie collection? We have a private line Madame Morelli herself swears by.”

I froze.

The silence behind me was sharp enough to cut.

Then, slowly, a low hum of interest unfurled in the air.

“Well..” Alrigo’s voice curled from his seat like smoke, smooth and dangerous. “Now that’s something to be invested in.”

I whipped around. “Don’t.”

But it was too late. His head tilted, the devil in his smile stretching wider. “Why not? You’ll be wearing suits by day… might as well dress like a proper pet beneath them, no?”

My cheeks blazed. “You’re disgusting.”

“Disgusting?” He leaned in, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “I’m just exercising my rights. I’m your owner, and you made that very clear the moment you signed the deal. You're mine now. Which means I get to decide how you look… even when no one else is watching.”

This bastard!

The boutique assistant slid open a velvet drawer with a polished smile, revealing rows of silk and lace in colors I didn’t dare touch. Soft nudes, black satin, blood-red lace—delicate things meant to be seen by someone else’s eyes. Not mine.

I reached for a blazer on the rack instead, pretending I hadn’t seen it.I stepped back, shaking my head. “That’s enough. I said I’m not trying any of that—”

But Alrigo’s voice cut through the air, sharp as a whip. “You’ll try it. Now. And you're going to show me every piece of it.”

I froze. “What..?” 

“I said,” he repeated, his gaze drilling into mine, “try. It. Here.”

A bitter taste coated my tongue. “You can’t be serious.”

“Oh, I’m very serious.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.

He stepped closer, voice brushing the shell of my ear like a curse. “You don’t get to act modest now, pet. Not when you already signed your pride away.”

I clenched my fists. “There are staff here.”

“They’ll leave. Or they’ll watch. Either way, you’ll obey.” He leaned back, studying my face, his voice silk and steel. “Do you think I care about your shame? I own it. Along with everything else. Now…prove you're worth the deal.”

I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. The humiliation simmered hot beneath my skin, but worse—worse than that—was the way he looked at me. As if this was natural. 

“Decide,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Either you belong to me… or you defy me.”

His eyes flicked down to the lingerie still laid across the velvet-lined tray. “But if you choose the second option… I’ll take back every right I so generously gave you. You’ll go back to being what you were the day I found you—nothing.”

My nails dug into my palms. “You’re cruel.”

He laughed once, dry and sharp. “No, I’m realistic. You made a deal, pet. ‘Whatever I want,’ you said. Don’t act like a martyr now.” 

His voice dropped to a near-whisper, threading straight into my bones. “You don’t get to pick and choose the terms when it suits your pride.”

I looked away, heat crawling up my neck, my skin tight with shame.

“Walk into that dressing room, try it on, and walk out. Let me see if the pet I paid for is worth the price.”

*This can't be happening…! He wants me to wear the lingerie and show it to him..!? Is he trying to insult me or what?*

My heart thudded in my chest, every nerve screaming—but not from fear. It was something else. Something infuriating. Because part of me wanted to slap him.

He leaned in closer, voice as calm as it was cruel. “This is your test, Ivery. Let’s see if the girl who begged on her knees has the spine to stand now. Are you ready to accept the dare, little pet?”