Chapter 7: The Aftermath

I didn’t sleep.

How could I? My skin still burned where his hands had been. My lips throbbed from the force of his kiss. The scent of him—rain, sandalwood, and raw masculinity—clung to my dress, suffocating me in the darkness.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. His black eyes, swirling with madness. The way his muscles tensed under the wet fabric of his shirt. The terrifying ease with which he pinned me against the wall, as if I weighed nothing more than a feather.

“Your body knows the truth.”

His words echoed in my mind, a poisonous mantra. I hated him for saying it. I hated myself even more because a part of me wondered if he was right.

When the morning light finally filtered through the bars, I felt hollowed out. Empty. I dragged myself to the vanity, staring at my reflection. My hair was a mess, my eyes swollen and red-rimmed. There was a faint bruise on my neck, hidden by the high collar of my nightgown, but I knew it was there. A mark. A brand.

A knock at the door made me jump.

"Enter," I said, my voice raspy.

The maid entered, carrying a tray. But this time, she wasn’t alone. Kaelen followed her in.

He looked refreshed, dressed in a sharp black suit that accentuated his broad shoulders. His hair was perfectly styled, his face clean-shaven. He looked like the Duke again, not the wild beast from last night. But his eyes... his eyes were dark, heavy with unspoken promises.

"Good morning, Elara," he said smoothly, as if he hadn’t just violated my boundaries hours before.

I turned away, refusing to look at him. "Leave me alone."

"I can’t do that," he replied, walking over to the window. He ran a finger along the iron bars. "You have a visitor today."

My heart skipped a beat. "A visitor?"

"Your father," Kaelen said casually. "He’s come to beg for your return. Or perhaps, to beg for money. It’s hard to tell with him."

Anger flared in my chest, hot and sudden. "Let me see him."

Kaelen turned, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure? He sold you, Elara. For fifty thousand gold coins. Do you really want to look into the eyes of the man who traded your life for debt relief?"

"I need to know," I said, standing up. My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to stand tall. "I need to hear him say it."

Kaelen studied me for a long moment. Then, he nodded. "Very well. But remember the rules. You will speak only when spoken to. And you will stay by my side."

---

The meeting took place in the library. My father sat in a chair opposite Kaelen’s desk, looking smaller and more pathetic than I remembered. His clothes were rumpled, his face pale and sweaty. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

"Elara," he mumbled, wringing his hands. "Thank God you’re safe. We’ve been so worried."

"Worried?" I laughed, a harsh, brittle sound. "You sold me, Father. To a monster."

"He was going to kill me!" my father cried, looking up with tear-filled eyes. "Valerius threatened to burn our house down if I didn’t pay! I had no choice!"

"You always have a choice," Kaelen said coldly from behind his desk. He didn’t look up from the papers he was signing. "You chose your pride over your daughter. You chose your gambling over her future."

My father flinched. "Kaelen, please. I’m here to take her home. I’ll pay you back. Every coin."

Kaelen finally looked up. His gaze was icy. "You have nothing to offer me, Lord Rose. Except your silence."

He stood up, walking around the desk to stand beside me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, possessive and heavy.

"Elara is not going anywhere," Kaelen stated. "She is under my protection. And she is happy here."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell my father to run, to save himself. But I looked at Kaelen’s face, saw the warning in his eyes, and stayed silent.

My father looked at me, desperation in his eyes. "Elara? Please. Come home."

I looked at the man who had raised me, the man who had taught me to read, to ride, to dream. And I realized he was a stranger. A coward.

"No," I whispered.

My father’s face crumpled. He slumped back in his chair, defeated.

"Take him away," Kaelen ordered the guards.

As they dragged my father out, screaming my name, I felt a tear slide down my cheek. Not for him. For the girl I used to be. The girl who believed in family. That girl was dead.

Kaelen turned to me, wiping the tear from my cheek with his thumb.

"See?" he murmured. "I told you. You belong to me now. No one else wants you. No one else can have you."

He leaned in, his lips brushing my ear.

"And soon, Elara... you won’t want anyone else either."