ログインNyla stood at the private balcony, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, as she stared at the blank wall.“Nyla?”Lucas’s gentle voice echoed in her ears loudly. She turned and found him stepping out onto the balcony, the wind ruffling his shirt. “You disappeared after lunch,” he said, stopping a respectful distance away. “You looked… broken when I saw you earlier. And the way Adriel reacted when he walked in on uu..." He paused for a while, before concluding."It was strange. Did something happen between you two?”For one desperate second she wanted to tell him everything. Lucas had always been safe, kind, the boy who once defended her in college when Adriel’s cruelty went too far.Nyla tried to speak, but her throat suddenly tightened as the memory of Adriel’s cold warning surged through her mind."One wrong move and your father pays."She shook her head, forcing a brittle smile. “It’s nothing. Just… adjusting to everything. New house, new family. It’s a lot.”Lucas studied her
Nyla was still sitting on the edge of the couch in her room when her phone suddenly vibrated. She picked it up immediately, expecting a message from Selene, perhaps.But unfortunately, it's a text from Adriel. "Come to my study room, now. Let's finalize the paperwork."Her stomach dropped as she finished reading, and she glanced at Lucas who was still telling her a light story about their college trip back then. However, when he noticed the look on her face, the words died on his lips instantly. “I have to go,” Nyla said as she stood up from the chair.Lucas blinked rapidly, clearly surprised by her action. “Wait — Nyla, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”She didn’t answer. She simply turned and hurried out, ignoring his confused calls behind her.“Nyla? Hey — Nyla!” Lucas kept screaming, but she paid deaf ears.Every step she took toward Adriel’s private study made her heart hammer harder in her chest. After a few minutes, she finally stopped in front of the heavy mahogany door, a
Nyla sat on the edge of her bed, and clutched her stomach tightly.Since she woke up, she hadn’t stepped outside her room. She hadn’t eaten. She hadn’t spoken to anyone. Her mind was a complete mess, a storm of fear, shame, and exhaustion that refused to settle.The files lay on the small table near the window like a loaded gun. She glanced at them again, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest."What if Adriel suddenly burst in right now?"" What if he sees my hesitation and decides to end the deal?""What if he sent those photos to my father before I could even do anything?"Panic surged through instantly. Without a second thought, she rushed to the table, and dropped into the chair, then opened the folder once more. Her hands trembled as she read through the documents again. The submission terms were humiliating. A complete control of her entire life. No more fighting, no more secrets. She would be his in every way he demanded, until he decided otherwise.Nyla bit her lips bitte
Adriel sat at the head of the long dining table, moving his fork mechanically through his eggs and toast. His eyes kept drifting toward the grand staircase, while different thoughts began to pop into his mind. For hours, he'd been waiting for Nyla, but unfortunately, he hadn't seen any glimpse of her since morning.Adriel took a slow sip of black coffee in his hand, clenching his jaw tightly as he pondered on the reason for her delay. She's supposed to deliver her response last night, yet she kept him waiting."This girl is testing my patience. But when I finally get angry, she won’t believe what I’ll do to her."“Hello, ladies and gentlemen!” A cheerful voice sliced through his thoughts.Adriel turned abruptly and saw Lucas strolling in from the corridor that led to the guest rooms.“What the heck?” Adriel blurted, standing up with a sharp smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Lucas?”“Are you surprised?” Lucas laughed, spreading his arms.“Of course I am. I mean… I didn’t expect to se
Nyla sat close to the window in her room, and stared out at the people moving to and fro, as they went on their various businesses.Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Adriel’s face above her, his dark eyes burning, his mouth claiming hers, and hands roaming her body. Her head pounded, her body ached in places she didn’t want to name. She hadn’t showered, hadn't eaten, hadn’t moved except to pace, sit, pace again.A knock suddenly came at the door. Before she could answer, the door opened.Adriel stepped inside, freshly showered, black shirt rolled to the elbows, his hair still damp at the ends. He carried a garment bag over one arm, and closed the door behind him. Nyla shot to her feet. “Get out.”“Twenty-four hours,” he said calmly, setting the bag on the bed. “That’s what I gave you. Time’s ticking.”“I’m not signing anything.”“You will.” He unzipped the bag slowly, revealing the emerald silk dress Ariella had bought her during the shopping trip. The one with the deep V-nec
Sunlight sliced through the half-closed curtains, it's morning. A new day, for a fresh start. Nyla woke slowly, head throbbing like someone had taken a hammer to her temples. For one disoriented heartbeat she didn’t know where she was—only that the sheets were silk, the mattress too wide, and there was a warm, solid weight pressed against her back.An arm lay draped possessively over her waist.She froze for a second, then turned to look at who it was. Memory crashed in like cold water: the hallway, the wrong door, Adriel’s shadowed room, the taste of liquor on his tongue, and the desperate collision of bodies.Her eyes snapped open, and she twisted sharply.Adriel slept beside her, face half-buried in the pillow, dark hair mussed, lashes fanned against sharp cheekbones. The sheet had slipped low on his hips. His arm was still curled around her, and they were both completely bare.Panic surged through her instantly. She shoved his arm off with enough force to make him grunt. “Get
Nyla’s heel caught on the threshold as she tried to step out of the Diamond Room. The doorframe scraped her palm, but she barely felt it. Adrenaline had turned her entire body into a live wire.Adriel’s hand closed around her upper arm like iron.“You’re not walking out alone tonight.”His voice wa
Nyla stood frozen at the edge of the dining room doorway, the warm glow of candles and the rich scent of Michael’s famous pasta sauce slipping into her nostrils.Ariella was laughing at something her father said, her hand resting lightly on his arm. The table was set beautifully, white linens, cry
Nyra forced herself to sit, and reach for a croissant she had no intention of eating. At the same time, Ariella settled gracefully into her chair, smoothing the napkin across her lap.Moments later, Michael Reagan entered, still adjusting the collar of his freshly pressed shirt, a wide, boyish grin
Nyla woke up with a loud yawn, and squinted her against the morning light that slipped into the room through the heavy curtains.For a moment she lay still and continued to stare at the unfamiliar ceiling, a reminder of where she was.The previous day's event suddenly slipped into her mind, and she







