Chapter 3: Emerald Eyes and Velvet Chains

  Being dragged by Kat Volkov wasn't like being pulled; it was like being cimed by a force of nature. Her grip on Kenji's hand wasn't just firm, it was a statement: Mine. Her pace was swift, purposeful, cutting a swathe through the lingering patrons near the VIP exit of The Gilded Cage. Her emerald eyes, moments ago wide with shocked rediscovery, now scanned their surroundings with predatory intensity, but not for threats to herself. Every gnce that lingered too long on Kenji earned a low, almost subliminal growl from her, a fsh of teeth hidden behind perfectly painted lips, or a gre so cold it could freeze champagne mid-pour.

  A valet, a young Ram-man demi-human, rushed forward to open the car door, his gaze inadvertently flickering towards Kenji with open admiration. Kat stopped dead. She turned her head slowly, pinning the valet with a look that promised excruciating, meticulously pnned pain.

  "Eyes," she hissed, her voice soft but carrying deadly weight, "on the door handle. Or I'll have them mounted on my dashboard as a reminder of proper service etiquette."

  The Ram-man went white, his wool seeming to frizz with sheer terror. He snapped his gaze to the door handle as if it held the secrets to the universe, fumbling slightly as he opened it.

  [System Alert: Yandere Behavior Profile Update! Target 'Kat Volkov' exhibiting Css 4 Possessive Aggression: Verbal Threats towards Perceived Rivals. Intensity: 68% (Rising Rapidly).]

  [Recommendation: Maintain non-threatening posture. Avoid direct eye contact with potential triggers (i.e., everyone else).]

  "System, less commentary, more 'eject button' function, please!" Kenji whispered desperately under his breath as Kat practically shoved him into the back seat before sliding in beside him, her body pressing firmly against his side. The door thudded shut with an expensive, final-sounding click. The stoic Bear-woman driver didn't react, her eyes fixed forward.

  "My penthouse," Kat repeated the order, but this time, her voice was different. The command was still there, but it was wrapped in a velvety purr ced with something disturbingly intimate. She turned fully towards Kenji, trapping him between her body and the plush leather seat. The confined space suddenly felt suffocatingly small, dominated by her presence, her expensive perfume, and the sheer heat radiating from her gaze.

  "No one," she began, reaching up with her free hand, her sharp, manicured nails tracing the line of his jaw, sending electric jolts (of panic, mostly) through him, "has ever… seen me like that. It was like you reached inside and… turned the lights back on." Her eyes dited slightly, the green becoming deeper, more consuming. "Everything was grey before, Kenji. Muted. Pointless. Now…" She leaned closer, her lips brushing his ear, "Now, there's colour. There's… feeling. And it's all focused… right here." Her gaze dropped pointedly to him, then back to his eyes, intense and unwavering.

  [Ecchi Warning? Proximity Alert: Critical. Target initiating Tactile Marking Behavior. Neuro-chemical scan indicates rapidly escating dopamine and oxytocin levels fixated on Host.]

  "Kat, Ms. Volkov, really," Kenji stammered, trying to create even an inch of space without seeming like he was rejecting her – a move he instinctively felt would be disastrous. "Maybe you're just… overwhelmed? That reset thing, the system said… maybe it was too much?"

  She chuckled, a low, throaty sound that held no humour, only possessive satisfaction. "Too much? No, Kenji." She captured his other hand, holding both firmly now. "It was exactly what I needed. What we needed." She tilted her head, studying his face with unnerving focus, as if memorizing every detail. "Tell me," she whispered, her voice dropping lower, "who else have you looked at like that? Who else have you 'fixed'?" The question was soft, but the underlying implication was razor-sharp. Jealousy, potent and immediate, fred in her eyes.

  "No one!" Kenji said quickly, perhaps too quickly. "You're the first! I just got here! That goddess, Seraphina, she just dropped me off minutes before I ran into you!"

  Kat's eyes narrowed slightly, searching his face for any sign of deception. Then, a slow, deeply possessive smile spread across her lips. "Good," she purred. "The first. And the st." The finality in her tone was absolute. "This… connection… it's ours. No one else gets to experience it. No one else gets to see you like I do. Understand?"

  [System Alert: Yandere Intensity: 75%. Threshold Reached: Delusional Ownership & Exclusivity Cim Established. Threat Level: Substantial Cuddling Risks transitioning to Potential Entrapment.]

  Kenji just nodded mutely, feeling utterly trapped. Arguing seemed pointless, potentially dangerous. This wasn't the bored, cynical information broker from the club. This was someone else entirely – someone raw, intensely focused, and terrifyingly convinced he belonged solely to her. The 'fix' hadn't just healed her cynicism; it had seemingly repced it with a white-hot obsession centered entirely on him.

  The drive continued in silence, but it wasn't a comfortable one. Kenji could feel Kat's eyes on him constantly, her gaze heavy, unwavering, tracing the lines of his face, his neck, his shoulders. Occasionally, her thumb would stroke the back of his hand, a seemingly gentle gesture that felt like a brand. He risked a gnce at her. Her expression was one of rapt fascination, like a predator mesmerized by its unique, perfect prey. The world outside the tinted windows – the gleaming city, the other vehicles, the bustling life of Aethelgard – might as well not have existed for her. Her entire universe had shrunk to the confines of this car, occupied only by him.

  He tried to think, to pn, but his mind felt scrambled by the sheer intensity of her focus and the lingering warnings from the System. Survive Immediate Extraction & Affection Overload. He was failing spectacurly at the 'extraction' part, and the 'affection overload' felt like it was about to reach critical mass. What would happen when they reached the penthouse? Would she lock him in? Chain him to a bed? The possibilities, filtered through the lens of her burning possessiveness, were terrifying.

  Finally, the car smoothly ascended in a private elevator, rising high above the city. The lights of Aethelgard spread out below them like scattered jewels, beautiful but distant. The elevator dinged softly, opening directly into a space that screamed wealth, power, and isotion.

  The penthouse was vast, minimalist yet luxurious, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking panoramic view. Sleek, modern furniture was arranged with spartan precision. It felt less like a home, more like a beautiful, inescapable observation deck. Or a cage. A very gilded cage.

  Kat stepped out, pulling Kenji with her. She didn't release his hand. Instead, she turned to him in the center of the massive living area, the city lights painting shifting patterns on her face. Her emerald eyes seemed to glow in the dim light, locking onto his.

  "Welcome home, Kenji," she breathed, her voice filled with possessive certainty. She raised his hand, pressing her lips gently to his knuckles, a gesture that felt less like affection and more like sealing a pact he hadn't agreed to. "You're safe here. With me. No one else can touch you now."

  The doors slid shut behind them with a quiet, ominous hiss. Kenji looked around the opulent prison, Kat's burning gaze fixed on him, her grip unyielding. Safe wasn't exactly the word t

  hat came to mind. Trapped? Definitely trapped