BOUND BY HIS VOW

Chapter one

They say time heals all wounds.

Whoever said that never owed Kent Romano.

The elevator ride to the top floor of Romano Industries felt like being escorted to my own execution. The walls were polished steel. My reflection stared back, pale and tight-lipped. I adjusted the collar of my blazer worn, fraying at the edges and wiped my sweaty palms on my skirt.

I didn’t belong here.

The listing had been vague.

“Private firms seek assistants. No experience required. High compensation. Discretion is a must.”

Desperate is what I was when I applied. And stupid. Because nowhere in that ad did it say that the firm was owned by him.

Kent Romano.

My ex-boyfriend’s father.

The man whose shadow Daniel had spent his entire life trying to escape.

And the man I’d once had nightmares about.

I hadn’t seen him in three years. Not since I ran without a word.

The elevator dinged.

I stepped into a sleek, glass-walled office where the air smelled like leather and power. And there he was.

Kent Romano stood by the window, back lit by city lights and storm clouds. A black suit clung to his broad shoulders, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass of dark amber. His presence was a force all its own quiet, commanding, impossibly composed.

His head turned slowly.

“Faye.”

My name sounded dangerous coming from his mouth.

“Mr. Romano,” I said, my voice steady despite the thunder in my chest.

He didn’t smile. “You look tired.”

“I didn’t come for commentary.”

“No, you came crawling back.”

I stiffened. “I came for the job.”

He turned from the window and walked toward me with slow, deliberate steps, like he had all the time in the world. “What happened to your pride? You used to have some.”

“I still do,” I said. “But I’ve learned it doesn’t pay bills.”

Kent let out a low chuckle and gestured toward a single leather chair across from his desk. “Sit.”

I didn’t move. “I wasn’t told this was your company.”

“I know. I wanted to see what you’d do if you found out too late.”

“Is this a trap?”

“No.” He walked behind his desk and sat, his eyes never leaving mine. “It’s an opportunity.”

“Does Daniel know I’m here?” I asked.

Kent’s mouth twitched. “He doesn’t need to. This isn’t about him.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, Faye. This is about you.” He leaned forward. “You walked out without a word. Left the country. Changed your number. You weren’t just avoiding Daniel. You were avoiding me.”

I looked down at my hands. “I had my reasons.”

“Then this should be easy for you,” he said, sliding a manila envelope across the desk. “One-year contract. Live-in assistant. You’ll be working at my estate, not the office. I need someone I can trust.”

“Trust?” I let out a hollow laugh. “You don’t trust anyone.”

“You’re right,” he said simply. “But I trust desperation. And you’re desperate.”

The words landed like a slap. I reached for the envelope, but he placed his hand on it before I could pull it away.

“There are rules,” he said. “No lies. No games. And no sleeping with anyone under my roof.”

My stomach twisted. “That’s not—”

“You know what I mean.”

I did. And he knew that I did.

Kent’s eyes flicked over me, slow and calculating. “You were never just Daniel’s girl.”

“I was never yours either,” I snapped.

His expression didn’t change. “Weren’t you?”

I stood, heart hammering. “This was a mistake.”

“Sit down.”

The words were quiet, but they hit like a command. My knees bent before my brain caught up.

Kent leaned back, lacing his fingers. “You don’t get to run again. You came here. You stepped into my world. And whether you admit it or not, a part of you wants to be here.”

I looked at the contract again. “Why me?”

“Because you owe me,” he said, without missing a beat.

“For what?”

“For breaking my son. For disappearing. For the truth you never told.”

My throat tightened. “You don’t know anything.”

He stood, circled the desk, and stopped in front of me.

“Don’t I?”

I couldn’t move. Not when he was this close. Not when his cologne hit my senses and dragged up every memory I’d spent years trying to bury.

“You were pregnant when you left,” Kent said softly.

The room spun.

“What did you say?” I breathed.

“I knew,” he said. “The day you ran, I knew. You were carrying something you didn’t want anyone to touch.is it mine or Dan?”

I swallowed hard. “You’re wrong.”

“I’m never wrong.”

Tears burned at the backs of my eyes. “If you think you can blackmail me into—”

“This isn’t blackmail.” His voice was deadly quiet. “It’s an offer. Take the job. Live under my roof. I won’t ask questions. I won’t say his name. But you will do as I say.”

“And if I refuse?”

He tilted his head. “Then I’ll let Daniel know and let’s see how he reacts when he finds out he has a son.”

I stopped breathing.

Kent’s eyes never wavered. “One year. That’s all I’m asking. Do your job. Play by my rules. And when the year’s over—you walk, and no one ever has to know.”

He handed me a pen.

My hand shook as I signed my name.

“Good girl,” he said.