Scarlett Voss did not believe in fear.
Fear was something she had buried centuries ago—along with the fragile human heart that once beat inside her chest. Now, there was only control. Precision. Power.
From the top floor of Voss Dominion's headquarters, she watched the city stretch endlessly beneath her. Glass towers shimmered in the fading light, cars moved like streams of fire, and people—tiny, unaware—continued their lives as if they were safe.
They weren't.
Scarlett rested her hand against the cold glass. Her reflection stared back—flawless, composed, untouched by time. Twenty-nine years old forever.
But her eyes…
Her eyes held centuries.
She had built everything from nothing. Wars had shifted in her favor. Leaders had fallen quietly. Entire industries existed because she allowed them to.
And yet…
none of it was truly hers.
The contract made sure of that.
It lingered in her mind like a shadow—silent, patient, waiting.
She had never seen it.
Never read it.
But she felt it.
Every night.
Like chains wrapped around her soul.