Chapter 5

"He just wants to control my life, Mom! Why can't you see that?!"

My voice shook as I fought back tears, pressing the phone hard against my ear. I paced back and forth across my bedroom, gripping the hem of my shirt with my free hand.

"Selena, listen to me. Alexander has your best interests at heart. He only wants to protect you," Mom's voice on the other end sounded incredibly calm. It was so calm that it made my chest tighten with frustration.

"Protect me? He's locking me down, Mom! He's making insane rules as if I'm his prisoner!" I stopped in front of the window, staring out at the empty courtyard. "You actually trust that stranger more than your own daughter?"

"He isn't a stranger, he's my husband, Selena. Stop acting so childish. Those security measures are because you were almost hurt at that nightclub."

"Oh, so he already ran to you to report it? He's brilliant at twisting the facts!"

"That's enough, Selena. Do not argue with Alexander. I'm busy here out of town. Just do as he says."

Click.

The line went dead. I slowly lowered the phone, staring at the darkening screen while a hollow sensation washed over my chest. I was completely alone in this house. No one was on my side. That frustration slowly twisted into a sharp spark of anger. If they thought I was going to submit and lock myself away in this room, they were dead wrong. I was going to fight back.

That very afternoon, I intentionally contacted a few friends from college, including three guys we regularly hung out with. We went to an open-air cafe downtown, laughing loudly and ordering a table full of food.

"Hey, Selena, look over here and smile!" one of the guys called out, holding his phone up high.

He threw his arm tightly around my shoulder, and I purposely didn't pull away. Instead, I flashed a broad smile, defying the camera lens. A few minutes later, the photo of the two of us was posted to his social media story with a very clear location tag. I knew Alexander would see it through the spies he kept deployed. In fact, that was exactly what I wanted. I wanted him to know his rules meant nothing to me.

Later that evening, around nine o'clock, I walked through the front door with my head held high. But my steps ground to a halt the moment I crossed the main foyer.

In the dimly lit living room, Alexander was already sitting on the long sofa. On the glass coffee table in front of him, a phone screen glowed, displaying the photo of my friend's arm around me at the cafe from this afternoon. He wasn't wearing his suit jacket, just a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

"Did you have fun today?" Alexander asked without looking up from the screen.

"I had a blast. Why? Are you going to throw a tantrum?" I walked closer, standing on the opposite side of the table while crossing my arms over my chest.

Alexander set the phone down, then looked up at me. His eyes were perfectly calm, but his gaze made the atmosphere in the room turn instantly suffocating. "I already warned you about random men, Selena."

"They're my friends! They are so much better than a two-faced hypocrite like you!" I snapped, leaning over the table.

"They are only using your name, and you allowed yourself to be handled by random people in a public place." He stood up, his towering frame looming directly over me.

"That's my right! My body, my life, whoever I want to give it to is none of your business!" I screamed right in his face. "You don't have a single shred of right to dictate what I do!"

"I have every right as long as you are living under my roof," he countered, his voice remaining low but vibrating with heavy tension.

"Then I'll leave this place! I'm sick of looking at your face! I hate all your fake pretenses!"

My breath hitched, tears of pure rage beginning to pool in the corners of my eyes. I balled my hands into tight fists until my fingernails dug into my skin, forcing myself not to strike his chest like I had the night before.

"You're not going anywhere," Alexander said flatly.

"You can't keep me here! I hate you, Alexander! I absolutely hate you!"

Alexander didn't flinch. No veins of anger popped on his face, and he didn't yell back. He just stared straight at me, as if all my screaming wasn't worth an emotional response. He reached into his pocket for a leather wallet, then pulled out two plastic cards.

"Starting tonight, your credit cards are temporarily frozen," Alexander said, placing the cards down on the table.

My eyes widened. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"And your car keys, put them on the table right now. Your personal vehicle is being confiscated until further notice," he continued, completely ignoring my outburst.

"You are out of your mind! I won't do it!"

"The choice is yours, Selena. Put the keys down, or I'll have the staff lock the car in the garage myself tonight."

I clutched my crossbody bag, pulling the car keys out with a hand that shook violently from pure rage, then threw them onto the glass table with a loud, metallic clatter. "Are you happy now? Does it satisfy you to make me miserable?!"

"I'm not finished," Alexander cut in calmly. "Starting tomorrow morning, you will be accompanied by a security detail wherever you go. Two men will be stationed outside your bedroom door, and they will follow you all the way to campus."

"You are absolutely repulsive, you're pathetic."

Alexander looked at me coldly.

"Good. At least that means you're still paying attention to me."