Under One Roof

The car ride back to Vale Tower was silent, but the silence wasn’t comfortable—it was suffocating. My fingers dug into the edge of my seat as I tried to calm the storm in my chest.

I had just walked down the aisle and married Adrian Vale, the man who destroyed my family. And now, I was being taken to live under the same roof.

My stomach churned. My pride screamed. My heart… betrayed me, fluttering in ways I hated.

The moment we stepped into the penthouse, I realized just how impossible this was going to be. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Marble floors that gleamed like ice. A chandelier that could swallow a small car. And Adrian… standing there, arms crossed, waiting for me like a king in his throne room.

“Your room is ready,” he said. His voice was calm, but there was something beneath it—a quiet authority that made the air tighten around me.

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. My mind screamed at me to run, to leave, to throw myself back into the chaos I had escaped only to land in this gilded cage.

He tilted his head, studying me. That sharp gaze, the one that measured and judged everything about me, made me shiver.

“You’ll unpack later,” he said. “Tonight, you’ll have dinner with me. I want to talk about rules.”

I froze. Dinner. Together. Alone. Under one roof.

“I… I can’t,” I stammered, my voice small.

He stepped closer, his presence filling the space, pressing in on me like a weight I couldn’t escape.

“You can. You will. You have no choice, Victoria.”

I looked up at him. Those piercing eyes didn’t waver. They didn’t plead. They didn’t even ask. They demanded.

And suddenly, I understood: Adrian Vale wasn’t asking permission. He was claiming.

My heart skipped. My chest tightened. I hated it. I hated him. And yet… a strange, dangerous thrill stirred in me.

“I’m not—” I started.

“You’re mine,” he interrupted, his voice low, deliberate, carrying a possessive edge that made me freeze. “In public. In private. You don’t belong to anyone else. Understand?”

I swallowed hard. My pulse raced. I wanted to say no. I wanted to argue. But even as the words formed in my mind, I couldn’t say them.

“Yes,” I whispered, almost involuntarily.

He smirked faintly. “Good.”

The possessiveness in his tone was suffocating, yet magnetic. I hated that I noticed. I hated that my body betrayed me, that my pulse raced at the sound of him claiming me.

Dinner was tense. I barely touched the food. Every glance Adrian gave me, every subtle movement, reminded me how little control I had. He would reach for the wine, and my hand would twitch in response. He leaned back, watching me like a predator assessing his prey.

“You’ll follow my schedule,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Appointments, meals, sleep… your life is mine to manage for the duration of this contract. And if you step out of line…” His gaze darkened. “…you’ll regret it.”

I swallowed, feeling my pulse spike. His words were not threats—they were promises. And the weight behind them was real.

I wanted to hate him. I wanted to scream. But every muscle in my body tensed as I realized something terrifying: part of me wanted him to hold me like that, to dominate, to control.

After dinner, he escorted me to my room. I wanted privacy, distance, escape. But he lingered in the doorway.

“Lock the door?” I asked nervously.

He shook his head. “You don’t need to lock the door. I don’t allow anyone else to enter. No one touches what belongs to me.”

The possessiveness in his words made my breath catch. My pulse thundered in my ears. I hated that I noticed, hated that my stomach twisted in response.

“Go to bed,” he said. “Sleep. You’ll need your strength tomorrow. I expect you awake at 7.”

I nodded mutely. My body was buzzing with fear, confusion, and something I didn’t dare name.

As he turned to leave, his gaze flicked back, sharp and calculating. “Remember, Victoria… this isn’t about love. But I will make sure no one harms you. Not tonight, not ever. Understand?”

“Yes,” I whispered again, more firmly this time.

He nodded once, satisfied, and finally left. The door clicked shut.

I leaned against it, trembling. My pulse hadn’t calmed. My hands shook. My heart felt like it might leap out of my chest.

And then, I realized the truth I didn’t want to admit:

I was terrified of him.

I was drawn to him.

I was utterly, completely, undeniably caught in Adrian Vale’s orbit.

The man who destroyed my family. The man I hated more than anyone.

The man I was married to.

And tonight—tonight was just the beginning.