Taming My Sugar Mommy

Liam disappeared into the house, his mind churning over the day's events. The marble floors of the foyer echoed his footsteps as he made his way inside, each step accompanied by questions he couldn't answer. 'Was that jealousy in her voice?' He pushed the thought away, remembering his place. 'No, she's just concerned about my recovery, looking out for her employee. Nothing more.' But Mr. Chen's words about telegraphing moves kept surfacing in his thoughts.

Through the ornate windows, he could see Isabella still in her car, her silhouette perfectly still except for her hands. The afternoon light caught her profile, making her look almost statuesque.

Isabella watched him through the windshield until the front door closed behind him, counting to ten before reaching for her phone. Her fingers moved swiftly across the screen, finding Marcus's number. She glanced once more at the house, making sure Liam was truly gone.

"Hey Marcus? I need you to do something for me," her voice was low, controlled, but with an edge that Marcus would recognize – the tone she used when something threatened what was hers.

Marcus answered immediately. "What do you need?"

* * *

Lily Smith walked toward her apartment, still buzzing from the unexpected reunion. The spring afternoon had taken on a dreamlike quality after seeing Liam at the hospital. She touched her lips, remembering the kiss she'd placed on his cheek – a gesture that had once been so casual between them, now charged with years of unspoken feelings.

Seeing him at the hospital had stirred something she thought long buried. The way he'd smiled, still the same after all these years – her best friend from college, yes, but there had always been something more, something that lived in the spaces between their words, in the late-night study sessions that turned into deep conversations, in the way he'd always known when she needed cheering up.

'And now he works at Ashworth Events,' she mused, pride mixing with something else. One of London's most prestigious companies, just blocks from her apartment. She remembered the elegant woman who'd been with him – his boss, presumably. Something about the way she'd looked at them...

The memory of their hug, the familiar warmth of him, made her smile – until a black luxury car pulled up beside her. The vehicle moved with predatory grace, its engine barely making a sound as it matched her pace.

The man inside looked carved from granite, his face marked by old scars and harder times. His eyes held the kind of coldness that spoke of violence carefully contained. "Mrs. Smith. Come inside the car." His voice matched his appearance – rough, commanding, with an undertone that promised consequences for disobedience.

"How do you know my name?" Lily stepped back toward her building, her heart beginning to race. The man's expression made her blood run cold. Around them, the busy London street continued its normal afternoon rhythm, oblivious to the scene unfolding.

"Inside. Now." Each word fell like a hammer blow.

Later, Lily would wonder why she got in. It was as if her body moved on its own, drawn by some terrible gravity. The leather seats felt too soft, too luxurious for the fear coursing through her veins. She caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror – face pale, eyes wide with fear.

The car accelerated away from her neighborhood, the man driving with practiced precision despite the speed. Lily's pleas and questions bounced off him like raindrops off glass. They wove through London's streets, each turn taking them further from familiar territory.

When they hit traffic under a bri, he finally spoke. "You made a grave error today," he said, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "My employer is very displeased by your interaction with her assistant."

The pieces clicked together in Lily's mind, bringing with them a new wave of fear. "You mean Liam? He's my friend from college, you can't just—"

The man turned then, his eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror. The scar along his jaw twisted as he spoke. "I can. And I will."

Silence filled the car as they took a sharp turn into an underground tunnel. The fluorescent lights strobed across his face like a horror film, casting strange shadows that made him look less and less human. His next words came out measured, precise.

"If you ever see Liam again, if you speak to him, text him, even think about contacting him..." He reached into his jacket, producing a gun with one hand and a stack of photos with the other. The weapon looked well-used, personal. "I will kill you. I will kill your cat, Whiskers. And I will kill your brother Thomas at Cambridge."

Lily stared at the photos, her hands trembling as she flipped through them. Herself at yesterday's grocery run, wearing the green sweater she'd thought nobody had noticed. Thomas at his college cafe, laughing with friends in what must have been taken just this morning. Even Whiskers on her windowsill, stretching in the early morning light. Each photo was crystal clear, professional – the work of someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

'How did they get these? I only saw Liam today...' But even as she thought it, she knew – these weren't taken because of today. Someone had been watching her, waiting. The question was why.

The car accelerated again, the engine's purr turning into a growl as they weaved through London's underground passages. Lily's heart pounded in rhythm with the yellow lights flashing past.

"Please," she began, her voice cracking. "I won't contact him again. I won't go near him. I promise!" The speedometer caught her eye – 245 mph. The world outside had become a blur.

"I swear I'll never speak to Liam again. Please, just stop the car!" Her words tumbled out faster as the speed increased. "I didn't know – I didn't realize he was – I'll stay away!"

The man remained silent, his scarred hands steady on the wheel as they took corners at impossible speeds. Lily clutched the leather seat, her knuckles white, watching the blur of lights and concrete walls.

'What have I stumbled into?' she thought wildly. 'Who is Liam working for?'

The car finally slowed, coming to an abrupt stop in what looked like an abandoned industrial area. The evening shadows had begun to stretch across the cracked pavement.

"Get out," the man said, still not looking at her. His voice carried the same deadly calm it had maintained throughout the entire ride.

Lily scrambled for the door handle, nearly falling in her haste to exit. The moment her feet touched the ground, the car accelerated away, leaving her alone in the growing darkness.

Her hands shaking, she pulled out her phone to check her location. The map loaded slowly, each second stretching into eternity. When it finally showed her position, her jaw dropped – she was 600 miles from her apartment.

Standing in the empty lot, surrounded by abandoned warehouses and distant city sounds, Lily wrapped her arms around herself. The reality of her situation began to sink in. This wasn't just about an innocent reunion with an old friend. This was something else entirely.

As she began searching for the nearest public transport, her phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number:

"Remember. I'm watching."