Chapter 5

Selene’s POV

The heavy doors clicked shut, leaving me alone in the massive dining room. I sat there for a long moment, my fingers still gripping the silver fork so tightly my knuckles turned white. Tomorrow, the real lessons begin. His words echoed in my mind, sending a shiver down my spine, yet I refused to let the fear show. I lifted my chin, took a slow, steady breath, and forced myself to finish the meal. If he wanted strength… then strength was what he would get.

When I finally stood to leave, his voice reached me before I could take a single step.

"Selene."

I paused, my back to him, but I did not flinch. Slowly, I turned around to face him. He had not moved from his seat at the head of the table. He looked like a king upon his throne—calm, powerful, utterly in control. His dark eyes held mine, unreadable and intense.

"Remember what I said," he murmured, his voice low and smooth, carrying across the room. "You may hate me. You may despise every word I speak. But do not forget… you are here because he proved unworthy. And I intend to make sure you never regret choosing power over weakness."

"I did not choose anything," I replied coolly, meeting his gaze without wavering. "You took. You stole. And one day… you will realize that you can own my body, this house, and everything in it—but you will never own what I refuse to give."

A faint, dangerous smirk touched his lips. He leaned back in his chair, watching me as one might watch a storm gathering on the horizon.

"We shall see. Go now. Rest. And prepare yourself, Selene. Tomorrow, I will show you exactly what kind of man you have decided to challenge."

I turned on my heel and walked out of the room, my steps steady and measured, refusing to let him see how fast my heart was racing. The moment the doors closed behind me and I was alone in the hallway, my knees nearly gave way. I pressed my back against the cold stone wall and closed my eyes, fighting to steady my breathing.

He is Adrian’s father. He built this empire. He is dangerous. And he wants me.

The thought made my stomach twist in a mixture of shame and terror. How could fate be so cruel? To be cast aside by the man I loved… only to be claimed by his father—the very man who despised me, who looked at me not with love, but with obsession and hunger.

I walked slowly back to my room, the silence of the estate weighing heavily upon me. Every shadow seemed to hold watching eyes. Every distant creak of the floorboards sounded like his footsteps following close behind. Maria had been right—he had eyes everywhere. I had to be careful. I had to be smarter than him.

Back inside the room, I locked the door and leaned against it, finally letting my guard fall. The trembling started in my hands and spread through my entire body. I slid down until I sat on the floor, burying my face in my hands, and let the tears come—silent, desperate tears that I refused to let him see.

He thinks he has won. He thinks because he has money, power, and walls around me… that I am broken. But he is wrong. He does not know me. He does not know that I survived losing everything. That I survived Adrian’s betrayal. That I am far stronger than he realizes.

I wiped my face roughly and stood up, walking to stand before the large mirror. My reflection stared back—pale, red-eyed, but with a spark deep within that no amount of fear could extinguish.

You want a game, Lorenzo? Fine. Let us play. But remember this… I am not like the others. I will not break. I will not bend. And while you are busy admiring your prize… I will be watching. I will be waiting. And when you least expect it… I will strike.

I walked to the bed and sat upon the edge, staring out toward the balcony where the moon cast long, silver shadows across the gardens. Tomorrow would come soon enough. Tomorrow, he intended to teach me what it meant to belong to a monster.

But monsters could be wounded too. And this one… had weaknesses he did not even know he had.

 

The following morning, I woke before the sun had fully risen. I lay in the large bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the quiet stillness of the estate. There were no sounds of the city here. No traffic. No voices. Just silence. Heavy, waiting silence.

A soft knock came at the door exactly as the clock struck eight.

"Come in," I called out, smoothing the skirt of the simple dress I had chosen—dark blue, modest, elegant.

Maria entered carrying a tray with tea and fresh bread. She set it down gently on the table, her eyes darting toward me quickly before looking away, as if afraid even to glance at me too long.

"Good morning, Miss Selene," she whispered, keeping her voice low. "Did you… sleep well?"

"Well enough," I replied, standing and walking toward her. "Tell me, Maria. What is he like when he is not trying to frighten me? Is he truly as cruel as he appears?"

Maria hesitated, her hands clasped tightly before her. She glanced toward the closed door before stepping closer, her voice barely audible.

"He is… complicated, Miss. Don Lorenzo built everything with his own hands. He fought men, broke laws, made enemies… all to give his family what they have. But power… it changed him. He believes that everything can be bought. That everyone can be controlled. And when he sees something he wants… he takes it. No questions asked."

"And Adrian?" I asked, my voice tightening around his name. "Did he ever truly love his own son?"

Maria looked away, sadness washing over her face.

"He loved him, yes. But he also wanted to mold him into his own image. When Adrian chose kindness instead… when he chose love over power… Don Lorenzo felt betrayed. That is why he cast him aside. That is why… he decided to take what Adrian threw away." She looked back at me, her eyes filled with warning. "He does not do this out of kindness, Miss. He does it to prove a point. To show Adrian what he wasted. To show the world that even the things his son discards… belong to him."

My heart sank. A possession. A trophy. A lesson to his ungrateful son. That was all I was to him. Nothing more.

"Thank you, Maria," I said quietly. "You have told me exactly what I needed to know."

She nodded respectfully and hurried out, leaving me alone once more.

So that was it. I was not stolen because he loved me. I was stolen because he could. Because Adrian had thrown me away, and Don Lorenzo wanted to show everyone—especially his son—that he could take what was discarded and make it shine. That he could claim me, break me, and keep me.

He thinks I am a lesson. He thinks I am a prize. He does not realize… I am his downfall.

At ten o'clock, exactly as he had promised, a message arrived. Maria returned, her hands folded before her.

"Don Lorenzo requests your presence in his study, Miss Selene. He says… it is time for your first lesson."

I took a deep breath and stood up, straightening my shoulders.

"Lead the way, Maria."

We walked through the endless hallways once more, my steps steady despite the storm raging within my chest. When we reached the heavy oak doors of his study, Maria knocked softly and stepped back.

"Enter," came his voice—deep, commanding, and unmistakable.

I pushed the doors open and stepped inside. The room was vast—bookshelves reaching the ceiling, a massive mahogany desk, and floor-to-ceiling windows casting long streams of morning light across the floor. He stood near the window, looking out over the estate, his hands clasped behind his back. He turned slowly as the doors clicked shut, his dark eyes locking onto mine.

"Prompt," he said, a faint edge of approval in his voice. "I like that. Come here, Selene."

I walked forward until I stood before his desk, refusing to look away, refusing to show fear.

"You said you would teach me," I said, my voice clear and steady. "Teach me then. What is it you want me to learn?"

He smiled—a slow, dangerous curve of his lips that made my heart race for all the wrong reasons.

"Excellent question," he murmured, walking around the desk until he stood directly in front of me. Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him. Close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his dark eyes. "First lesson… never reveal what you are truly thinking. You are learning that quickly. Second lesson… power is not given. It is taken. And third…" He leaned down, his voice dropping to a rough whisper against my ear. "…never forget that you are here because I allowed it. You breathe because I allow it. And when I decide you are ready… you will belong to me in every way that matters."

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze with ice in my veins.

"You think power makes you invincible. But remember this, Don Lorenzo… the tallest towers fall. And the men who believe they own everything… often lose the one thing they cannot buy."

He paused, his eyes searching mine, a flicker of something—respect, perhaps, or simply intrigue—crossing his face. Then he straightened up and laughed, a low, rich sound that filled the room.

"We shall see, little viper. We shall see. Now sit. The lesson begins."

 

TO BE CONTINUE