CHAPTER 2

ALYANA POV

​The sun didn’t wake me up; the silence did. It was so quiet my ears felt odd. I sat up in the huge bed, the silk sheets sliding down. The room was beautiful but cold—all grey and cream, with furniture that looked too expensive to actually use.

​I walked to the window and pulled back the heavy curtains. Below, a wide lawn stretched toward a high stone wall topped with black security cameras. Two men in dark suits walked the edge of the property, their earpieces catching the light.

​I wasn’t a guest. I was a high-end prisoner.

​A soft knock at the door made me jump. A young woman in a black-and-white uniform stepped in, keeping her head low.

​"Good morning, Mrs. Vance. I’m Maria. I’ve brought your tea," she said quietly. She set a silver tray on the chair, her hands trembling slightly.

"Thank you, Maria. And please, call me Alyana," I said, trying to catch her eye. "Can you tell me how to get to the garden? I’d like to take a walk."

Maria looked up at me, looking startled. "The garden? Oh, no, ma'am. You need permission to go out there. Sir Marcus has to approve any movement outside the East Wing."

​"Permission? For a backyard?" I frowned, walking toward her. "I just want some fresh air."

"Please," Maria said, stepping back. "Mr. Vance... he likes things done his way. If security says someone was where they weren't supposed to be, I'll lose my job. He doesn't give second chances. None of us want to end up like the last driver."

"What happened to the last driver?"

​Maria’s face turned pale and she quickly moved the tea tray. "He was five minutes late. Just five minutes. He was fired before the sun went down. Mr. Vance doesn't say much, ma'am, but when he looks at you... you just know."

​She left the room before I could ask anything else.

​I dressed in a simple knit dress and went downstairs. I followed the smell of coffee to the dining room. It was a long, narrow room with a table that looked far too big for just two people. Julian was already there at the head of the table, his back to the window. He was wearing a white shirt with the top button open, and the black mask still covered the left side of his face.

​He was reading on a tablet, a cup of black coffee next to him. He didn't look up when I sat down a few chairs away.

"You're late," he said.

​"I didn't know there was a schedule for breakfast," I replied, pulling a plate of fruit toward me.

​"Eight o'clock. Every day." He finally looked at me, his blue eye fixed on my face. "Marcus will give you a list of rules by noon. Read them. Make sure you remember them."

​I put my fork down. "I spoke to Maria this morning. She’s terrified of you. Is that how you like it? Everyone afraid to move?"

​Julian set his tablet down slowly. The room went quiet. "I run this house efficiently. If people are afraid, it’s because they can’t follow simple instructions. I hope you’re not one of them."

​"I want to go into the city today," I said, ignoring his tone. "I need to pack my things at my father’s house, and I have to check on my sister."

"No."

"No?" I blinked. "Just like that?"

"You are not to leave this estate for the next forty-eight hours," he said, taking a calm sip of his coffee. "The press is still sniffing around. Until the official announcement is made and the legal filings are public, you stay here. Security has orders to stop your car if you try to pass the gate."

"You can't do that. I'm your wife, not your property."

Julian leaned forward, the light catching the matte finish of his mask. "I believe the six million dollars says I can. You negotiated your freedom away for your family’s debt, Alyana. Did you think that meant you could still wander around like a tourist?"

"I need to see my sister," I insisted, my voice rising. "She’s only nineteen. She doesn't understand why I’m suddenly living here."

"Then call her," he snapped. "But you stay inside these walls. If you want to negotiate, bring something to the table. Right now, you have nothing I need except your signature and your presence at my side."

"You're a prick," I muttered, leaning back in my chair.

Julian’s expression didn't change, but there was a flicker of something like amusement in his eye. "And you're an amateur. Eat your breakfast."

​We sat in silence for a few minutes. I was already trying to figure out if I could bribe one of the guards when the dining room doors opened.

Marcus stepped in, looking hurried.. "Mr. Vance, I’m sorry to interrupt, but they’ve arrived. They bypassed the main gate with the family bypass code."

Julian froze. He stood up so quickly his chair scraped against the floor. "Who?"

"Your father," Marcus said softly. "And your brother."

I saw Julian’s expression shift. He gripped the edge of the table for a second before his face went blank again.

"They weren't supposed to be here until next week," Julian hissed.

​Before he could say anything else, a man’s voice echoed from the hallway. "Julian! Is this how you greet your father? Hiding in here with your new wife?"

A tall, older man with silver hair and a sharp, judgmental face marched into the room. Behind him stood a younger man—blonde, handsome, and smiling—who looked nothing like the brooding man at the head of the table.

Julian moved so fast it startled me. Before I could even stand, he was behind my chair. He put a hand on my shoulder, his grip firm enough to tell me not to move.

"Stand up," he whispered urgently in my ear.

​I stood up, and Julian immediately put an arm around my waist. He pulled me close to his side, his grip firm and tight. It was a possessive hold, meant to show everyone in the room that I belonged exactly where he wanted me.

"Smile, Alyana," he murmured, his breath hot against my temple. "If you ever want to see the outside of those gates again, you’ll act like the happiest wife they’ve ever seen. Do you understand?"

​I looked at the two men walking toward us, then up at Julian. I felt his hand tighten on my hip—a clear warning to do exactly what he wanted.

"One word out of line," he whispered, "and I’ll make sure your father’s debt is called back in by noon."

​He didn't wait for me to say anything. He turned us both toward the newcomers, his grip tightening as he forced a smile.

​

"Father," Julian said, his voice dripping with fake warmth. "You’re just in time for breakfast. Come, meet my lovely wife, Alyana."