LOGINAfter a long and silent car ride back, I’m relieved to be standing in our home, in our bedroom, changing into something more comfortable, though it’s barely mid-afternoon. The silk of my dress whispers against my skin as it falls on the floor, replaced by soft cotton that feels like armor against the world. I have no intentions of leaving this bedroom again tonight—the weight of the day, combined with the ghost of last night’s fear, leaves me craving nothing but solitude.I move to the bathroom next, and I begin the careful process of removing my makeup. The foundation comes away slowly, revealing patches of purple and blue beneath. Each gentle touch around my jaw reminds me of his fingers there—first in anger, then in careful avoidance. And as I shift my wrist, my hand finishing its work, the bruises peek out from beneath the diamond watch he gave me to hide them.How long will these take to heal?As I study my reflection in the mirror, Amara’s voice echoes in my mind: “They’re viole
Tavin and Ivan’s footsteps echo behind me as one of Kane’s soldiers guides us through the mansion’s winding halls. The rhythm is familiar, almost comforting—a cadence I’ve grown used to over these past months. But there’s a tension in the air, thick enough to choke on. Neither of them has said a word since collecting me from the spa, but I caught the way they exchanged glances when I stepped out into the hall with them.We pass door after door, each one identical, until finally stopping before a set of heavy wooden double doors. Another pair of guards I don’t recognize stand at attention, their faces impassive as they asses us.“This is as far as you go,” the one leading us says to Tavin and Ivan, his voice carrying the weight of authority that comes from serving Kane directly.My heart stutters in my chest as I glance back at Tavin. But his face remains neutral, though I catch the slight tightening around his eyes—the only sign of his concern he allows himself to show.The doors swin
Each click of my heels against the marble feels like a countdown. The spa room stretches before me, all gleaming surfaces and soft lighting. My eyes flicker from the hot tub’s steam rising in lazy curls to the women sitting on the pedicure chairs.Just do what you always do. Speak only when spoken to. I try to prepare myself as I near them, feeling the tips of my fingers tingle at my nerves.Sophia barely glances up from her magazine, perfectly manicured nails turning pages with indifference. Christana offers a polite nod, her eyes carefully avoiding mine as if she can sense my discomfort. But Nana… Nana watches me with that calculating gaze that seems to see right through me.Just then, a young woman in a crisp white uniform appears at my elbow. “Right this way, Mrs. Mustafin.”The title still sounds foreign here, drawing a subtle shift in Sophia’s posture. I sink into the offered chair, hyperaware of every movement. The attendant kneels to prepare the footbath, steam rising as she
The soft click of the bedroom door draws me from the edge of sleep. But I keep still, my body heavy against the silk sheets, facing away from the door. The footsteps that follow are familiar—measured, deliberate.Efrem.He’s trying to be quiet, each step carefully placed on the plush carpet.For a moment, there’s just silence. Then the mattress dips as he sits beside me, and I immediately catch the scent of whiskey on his breath. Not just a glass or two—the smell is too strong.Oh, Efrem…Despite earlier events, my heart aches. He hasn’t done this since the day I was rescued from Roman and his men, when he promised to stop.Why now? Why again? But I know the answer: to subdue the darkness inside him, to try to maintain that careful control he so desperately needs.I feel him shift, hesitate. Then his fingers find my jaw, the touch so feather-light it almost doesn’t register.Almost.My body knows his touch now, knows what those hands are capable of, and it takes everything in me not
My fingers trace the edge of my dress zipper, the events from dinner still playing in my mind. It’s not Kane’s brutality that unnerves me, but the casual nature of it. The way everyone simply continued eating, as if a man’s bones hadn’t just been crushed mere feet from their plates.Like breaking someone was as normal as passing the salt....They have the power to do whatever they want to whoever they want without consequence… “Let me help you with that,” Efrem murmurs, his fingers replacing mine on the zipper. His movements are careful, protective rather than passionate. When the dress pools at my feet, his hands settle on my bare waist, and for a moment, he merely holds me.I try to relax, but even in the warmth of his arms, I can’t shake the thought that what happened tonight was normal to Efrem too. And maybe, under different circumstances, he would react the same way Kane did.Efrem is nothing like Kane.I catch Efrem’s expression in the mirror—concern etched in the slight furr
“Almost done,” Efrem murmurs, his fingers working the zipper of my dress up my spine. The soft rasp of metal teeth coming together fills the quiet room. When he finishes, his hands settle on my waist, his warmth seeping through the fabric as he pulls me back against his chest.“Beautiful,” he whispers in my ear. I lean into him, resting my arms over his where they wrap around me. For a moment, we merely stand there in silence, my back pressed to his chest, his heartbeat steady against my shoulder blade.But this peace can’t last. Not here.“It’s time,” he says finally, planting a kiss on my temple before releasing me.I nod, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from my dress. Despite my earlier promises to myself about staying calm, anxiety begins creeping up my spine like ivy, wrapping around my ribs and squeezing.Just follow his lead. That’s all you have to do.Efrem’s hand finds the small of my back as we exit our room. Tavin and Matvey stand waiting in the hall, both looking sharp in t
I'm so tired…so so tired.A soft groan emits from the back of my throat, my eyelids too heavy for me to lift them fully. I can hear the sound of Efrem's voice at a distance, but I can't make out what he's saying. I feel my body shift as though I'm being carried into someone
I feel sick. A knot turns in the pit of my stomach, my lungs drawing a shaky breath. “I—”“Does Efrem know that you're here?” Ciana raises an eyebrow, her arms crossed just beneath her breasts as she takes a single step closer to me.I take three times as many steps back, my hands trembling just sl
My breath catches in my lungs, my gaze quickly falling away as I realize I've been staring directly at a superior—a sign of disrespect.“Hello Haden,” Efrem's voice is stern, and my eyes snap up to look at him as he moves further away from me until he is standing behind his desk again.“Efrem,” Had
I sit at the dining room table, my eyes fixed on the bowl of oatmeal and fruit before me. The placement mat beneath it feels foreign, a reminder that this isn't my home. I'm trying to be patient, waiting for Efrem to join me—as he always does at meal time—but this time, when I walked into the dinin







