the moment of waking up

My name is Anya Lincoln, and everyone sees me as a young, beautiful, and renowned hypnotist. I'm also the girlfriend and business partner of tech mogul, Landon Price. Lover and partner, we raked in the dough together, living the high life. Three short years, a thousand days and nights, I was with him, building his empire from the ground up. But even with our perfect blend of love and profit, he never talked about marriage.

Then, one day, I overheard him say, "Anya's not wife material. Who knows if my feelings for her are even real, or just some kind of mind trick?"

After that, I broke my promise and hypnotized him. He finally became afraid, because he understood my hypnosis could make him do anything. All I said was, "Landon, close your eyes... and forget me. Forget me completely."

Chapter 1

I loved Landon. Loved him enough to give him everything. And Landon loved me, or so I thought. I was confident in that, but he always seemed to doubt it himself. Because, well, I was a nationally recognized hypnotist. I used my skills to help him outmaneuver his competitors, making him unstoppable in business. That’s why he was suspicious of his feelings for me. He thought I might have used my hypnosis on him. So, while he trusted me professionally, he always held back emotionally. I understood.

Once, in a moment of intimacy, he stroked my face and whispered, "Anya, promise me, you won’t ever use your hypnosis on me. Ever. Okay?"

Looking into his warm, hopeful eyes, the usual coldness gone, I promised, "Okay, I promise. I won't ever lie to you or hypnotize you." My voice was soft, low, and seductive, and he lost himself in me, kissing me deeply. He was lost in the moment, wanting to become one with me.

I'm an Aries, headstrong and determined, so I always keep my word. I never lied to him, and even though I sometimes desperately wanted to know his true feelings, I never hypnotized him. Until one day, I noticed another woman constantly by his side. She was with him at the office, at business dinners, at galas – and she always seemed to avoid me.

"Her name's Heather," his assistant told me. "She's Mr. Price’s new executive assistant. He seems really into her."

I'd promised never to hypnotize Landon, but I never said anything about his assistant. Just one session using my specially crafted hypnotic suggestions, and his assistant spilled everything. My hypnotic suggestions use the power of language to influence the subject’s mental state and behavior.

He sat at his desk, looking at me like we were having a normal conversation, but only I knew he was in a deep hypnotic sleep. I smiled gently, looking into his eyes, and asked, "Last night at the bar, in the private room, what were you and Mr. Price talking about when I walked in?"

I held my breath, both anticipating and dreading the answer.

His next words made my heart sink. "Anya's not wife material. Who knows if his feelings for her are even real, or just some kind of mind trick?"

I thought he understood my heart....