His nostrils flare. “You think I wanted to discover the woman I slept with was engaged to my son?”
The words hit me like a slap to the chest.
“You think I wanted any of this?” His voice is quieter now, but edged. “I made a mistake once. I didn’t know who you were. Now Dante leaves me this—this mess—and puts both of us in it.”
“You don’t get to stand there and pretend we’re both victims,” I whisper. “I didn’t drag you into this.”
“No,” he agrees tightly. “But we’re both standing here now.”
I lurch forward, the fury bubbling up. “LET ME GO!”
His hand catches my wrist instinctively as I shove past him. His grip is loose.
“Don’t touch me!” I scream, yanking my arm free.
The slap lands before I even register my hand moving.
We both freeze.
His head turns back to me slowly, cheek flushed where my palm connected. His eyes are unreadable.
“You don’t own me,” I whisper, shaking. “Not him. Not you. No one owns me.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. The room feels too small, the air too heavy.
“You have no idea what you’re up against.” His hands close around my wrists again, and the irony makes me want to scream. These same hands that held me so tenderly are now keeping me prisoner.
“My son entrusted everything he owned to you,” he continues, his voice low but clipped. “His funds. His businesses. His assets. Every single contract, account, and holding now bears your name. That makes you my responsibility, whether either of us likes it.”
He takes one slow step forward, eyes sharp. “And you’re not safe out there. Dante made enemies—men who don’t care who you are, only what you control. If they find you first, they won’t kill you. They’ll keep you breathing just long enough to strip every asset tied to your name. You won’t be free—you’ll be owned again. Only this time by men far worse than Dante ever was.”
The words land like a punch to my gut, but I don’t let him see how hard they hit.
“I’ll kill myself first,” I whisper. “I swear to God, I’ll find a way to end this before I let your family turn me back into a prisoner.”
We stand locked in a stare across the lavish bedroom, the air between us tense, oppressive. The man who once touched me like I was something fragile, who whispered that I was beautiful as his mouth worshipped my skin, now looks at me like I’m a complication he never wanted to face again.
But my gaze betrays me before I can stop it.
I take him in—the tailored suit that clings to his broad frame, the tension in his jaw, the way his chest rises just a little too fast.
Even now, despite everything, there’s a pull I hate myself for feeling. A current humming beneath my skin, dangerous and unwanted.
His green eyes stay locked onto mine, cold but flickering for the briefest second.
I tear my eyes away before I fall into whatever this is.
“I’ll be back by morning,” he says, turning to leave. “You better not do anything foolish.”
6
KASI
The door lockswith a click as Alaric leaves, and I count every second that passes after his footsteps fade down the hallway.
Twenty-seven minutes. That’s how long I wait, pressed against the wall beside the door, listening for any sound that might indicate someone’s coming back.
When I’m certain I’m alone, I spring into action.
