Stephan

I blinked to ensure I was not dreaming, but when I looked at him again, he was still there. I'm not dreaming.

"Principessa, so lovely to see you again," his voice danced in the calm evening wind towards me.

Resentment began blooming inside me as I stared at him, and I berated myself for not thinking he was behind it all. The only question I have is why he kidnapped me; I'm doing just fine with Lord Ruslan– kinda.

Sure, he's a pervert, and I am probably going to be his bedwarmer till he gets tired of me, but it's better than being in the captivity of this murderer.

He dismissed the men beside me with a gentle flick of his wrist, leaving me alone with him and his men.

His eyes gently ravaged my body, making me remember that I was still dressed in the revealing clothes I had worn earlier that evening. I regret doing so now.

For a moment, I saw anger flash through his face when he looked into my eyes, but it wasn’t.

I looked at him again, he was still there. I'm not dreaming.

He began walking closer towards me, then walked right past me. When I was about to turn to see where he was headed, he placed a hand on my shoulder and told me to stay put. I felt like pushing his hand off my body, but I didn't want to do anything that might anger him. He might harm me, too.

A few seconds later, I felt something being hung on my body, and when I looked at myself, I saw that he had removed his suit jacket and draped it over me. I didn't know if I should push it off me or leave it. Having the jacket around me made me feel...safe, in a way, but how can I be safe with him?

"Follow me," he said, standing by my side and proceeding to walk away, but I stood still. He walked a little further, and when he noticed I had not moved a muscle, he paused and turned to face me.

"Didn't you hear me?" he asked, impatience slightly drowning his tone.

I shrugged my shoulders lightly in defiance.

"I want to know why you kidnapped me; what do you have to do with me?”I was dating better off with Lord Ruslan than I can ever be with you," I said with a sneer, and I watched as his face took on an angry shade.

However, as usual, it disappeared as quickly as it came and was replaced with a mysterious smile.

"Why not come in first and find out what I have to do with you...hmmn" he cooed, but I was not buying it. I remained still and watched his smile drop flat.

He straightened up slightly and dug his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

"Well then, you're free to return to Ruslan, whom you cherish. Mind you, though, we're millions of miles from where he is, in the middle of nowhere. If you find your way back, good for you," he said and turned to walk inside the mansion with his men, leaving me all alone outside.

I stood still for a few seconds and clutched the jacket a little tighter as the chilly evening breeze began to make itself known. Slowly, I looked around to confirm what he said. In a way, he was right. We do look like we're in the middle of nowhere.

The mansion is surrounded by huge trees, as though they were intentionally put there to conceal the building. Leaving here for the city would be almost impossible; I need to find out where I am.

There was no other choice but to swallow my pride and play by his rules for now. I'd be able to gather information and get out of here. I could find my way back to America, to my everyday life.

I took a deep breath and headed into the building. It was a large building, and I was still determining where I was headed.

"Miss," a voice said behind me, followed by a tap on my shoulder, causing me to jump. I turned to face the person; it was one of Stephan’s goons.

"Boss is waiting for you; please follow me," he said, walking away without even ensuring | was following him.

I followed him into a room where Riev was sitting majestically in a sofa, a tumbler half filled with wine resting lazily between his fingers. The goon bowed slightly and exited the room; I was left alone with Stephan.

"Look who we decided to come back to," he said, the tip of his lips curved up gently.

l ignored what he said and continued staring at him silently. His ghost of a smile vanished.

"Sit,' he said, gesturing to my left seat. I looked at the chair and looked back at him defiantly, my arms crossed.

He waited for a while; then, I saw his jaw tick hard.

"Damn it, Alina, sit," he said again in a restrained voice. Obviously, he was trying to keep his cool, and for some reason, I wanted him to lose it.

"You might have successfully kidnapped me, but I'm not some doll you can control. I'd do what I want to," I said, flicking my hair over my shoulders.

I'm not going to let things be easy for him.

He looked at me for a few seconds, then burst He looked at me for a few seconds, then burst into loud laughter, making me flinch backward.

Then he got up, adjusted his posture, and began walking towards me. When he was right in front of me, he grabbed me by my wrists and pulled me closer roughly, our faces only inches apart.

"Now, let's get something straight. I own you now, Ava, not Ruslan. You abide by my rules and do only what I tell you. Is that understood?" he said, gazing deep into my eyes.

I smiled a little, the spirit of defiance still spurning in me.

"What if I don't? What if I don't do what you say?

What would you do to me? Hmmm."

A smile lighted up his eyes, and he began leaning so close, his eyes on my lips, so l thought he was about to kiss me, and I don't know why I couldn't bring myself to fight it.

However, he didn't; he leaned in till his mouth was close to my ears.

"Let me just say, I’d do things that'd make you scream and beg. You’re at my mercy. Never forget that.”