Nessa Tennyson buries her terror of abandonment in the duchess's ink-scented archives, where every task carries the threat of dismissal. Gemma Ellis answers that fear with a collar only they can see, her precise commands turning the secretary into something owned and protected at once. The ruby pendant swings like a promise each time their hands brush over shared volumes.

When a rival's steps recede and neither woman pulls away from the ledger, Nessa feels the collar tighten around her throat. Gemma could secure her place with a single order or destroy everything they have built. The question is how much further the duchess will go before the world forces them apart.