Chapter 9

Reina’s POV

Corinne sighed and looked at me, giving a soft smile. I shook my head immediately, fear rising in my chest.

No.

No… I didn’t want to go anywhere, not again, not to him.

One of them stepped forward and grabbed my arm. I gasped, trying to pull back, but he was too strong.

“Move.”

My feet dragged against the floor as they pulled me out of the room. My breathing became uneven again, panic slowly building inside me.

Where were they taking me? Why?

We walked through the long hallway again. Everything looked the same, big as usual and cold and empty, like a place with no soul… like him.

My chest tightened. I already knew.

I knew where they were taking me.

Him.

They stopped in front of a door and my heart dropped. One of them knocked once before opening it.

And then…They pushed me in.

I stumbled forward slightly, catching myself before I fell. The door shut behind me and the sound echoed loudly.

I didn’t turn immediately. I didn’t want to.I didn’t want to see him again, but I could feel it. I could feel his presence… watching me, waiting.

“Turn around.”

His voice was low and calm, worse than when he was angry.

Slowly…I turned. And there he was.

Rai Mikailov.

Sitting on a chair, one leg crossed over the other, a glass of whiskey in his hand. His eyes were already on me, like he had been staring the whole time.

My throat tightened instantly. I couldn’t breathe properly.

His gaze dropped… slowly.

From my face… to my neck… to my hands.

Watching me.

Studying me like I was something to figure out… or something to break.

“There it is again…” he muttered.

My brows pulled slightly in confusion, even through my fear.

What?

He stood up slowly, very slowly.

Each step he took towards me made my body lock up even more.

My back hit the wall before I even realized I had been stepping back.

He noticed. Of course he did. A faint smirk touched his lips.

“You shake every time I get close.”

My hands clenched slightly at my sides. I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t control it.

He stopped right in front of me.

Too close. Way too close.

I could smell the faint scent of alcohol on him… mixed with something darker. Something dangerous.

His hand lifted.

I flinched immediately, turning my face slightly away, but he didn’t hit me.

His fingers touched my chin.

His touch was light… probably too light for someone like him.

He turned my face back to him.

“Look at me.”

I forced my eyes up slowly and instantly regretted it.

His gaze was… intense. Not just cold this time. It was something else. Something worse. Interest.

“You’re different,” he said quietly.

My breathing hitched.

Different?

His thumb brushed lightly against my lower lip. I froze.

“You don’t scream.”

My chest rose and fell quickly. I wanted to. I wanted to scream. But I couldn’t.

And he knew that. And that made it worse.

His smirk deepened slightly.

“I like that.”

Fear rushed through me again as my eyes watered instantly. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping even lower. “Do you know how many people beg when they’re in front of me, Fiorita?”

My body trembled harder. I did. I had seen it today. Carlos.

My stomach twisted.

“But you…” he tilted his head slightly, watching me like I was something interesting, “…you just look at me like you’re already dying inside.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. I didn’t even notice when it fell. He did. His thumb caught it again slowly.

He stared at it for a second before looking back at me. Then he smiled.

Not a normal smile… but something darker. “I want to see how long you last.” My heart dropped, my fingers curling into fists.

No…

His hand dropped from my face, but he didn’t step away. “You’re staying close to me from now on.”

My eyes widened slightly.

No. No, no…

Panic hit me again and he saw it. It only made that look in his eyes deepen.

“That fear…” he said softly, almost to himself, “…don’t lose it.”

My breathing became uneven again. I shook my head slightly without meaning to. Please… anything but this… anything but him.

He leaned in one last time, his lips close to my ear.

“So I can enjoy it.”

My body went cold.

“Get dressed in an hour. You’re following me out.”

Then he pulled back like nothing happened, like he hadn’t just said something that made my entire body freeze.

“Get out.” Just like that. Flat.

Done.

The door opened behind me. I didn’t wait. I rushed out immediately, my legs weak, my chest tight, my hands shaking.

I didn’t stop walking. I didn’t stop until I reached my room. I shut the door quickly, pressing my back against it as my breathing came out in shaky gasps.

My whole body slid down slowly until I hit the floor as tears fell again, uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms around myself, shaking. I thought the worst thing here was death.

I was wrong. It wasn’t death. It was him.

Rai Mikailov.

And the way he looked at me… Like I was something he wanted to break slowly.