He runs a hand over his face, exhaling hard. “Nikolai is not backing off. You think I want him anywhere near you? Or your grandmother?”
I look out toward the hallway, where sunlight spills across the carpet like everything’s still normal.
None of this chaos belongs in her apartment.
“You can’t keep saving people by owning them,” I say finally.
Ben’s voice drops low. “And you can’t keep pretending you don’t need me.”
Something in the way he says it—calm and certain—is chilling.
“Stop it,” I breathe.
“Stop what?”
“Making everything sound reasonable when it’s insane.”
He almost smiles. “You bring out the worst kind of reason in me.”
I shake my head because he’s not going to winme over with allure. It’s all a ruse to get me to stop fighting him. “You can’t fix this by forcing me into a role I don’t want.”
His gaze softens, just a fraction. “But I can give you the life you always dreamed of in return.”
I scoff. “You think this is what I dreamed of? Being trapped under your thumb while you play house?”
He doesn’t even blink. “I think,” he says finally. “You’re tired of scraping by. Tired of being scared.”
I hate that his words hit a nerve.
“I’m not scared,” I snap, but my voice betrays me.
Ben leans closer, and I feel the air shift. The calm before something inevitable.
“You are,” he murmurs. “But I can change that.”
“By owning me?”
“By protecting you.”
“My grandmother doesn’t even know who you are. You showing up here isn’t protection. It’s an intrusion. She doesn’t need to be dragged into your world.”
“Then tell me how to keep her safe, Sienna.”
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “Maybe just… stay away.”
Something flashes behind his eyes, but it disappears as quickly as it comes. He exhales through his nose before nodding once. “Alright.”
My stomach twists. “Alright?”
“If staying away is what it takes for you to stop looking at me like I’m the enemy, then fine. I’ll give you space. But don’t mistake that for distance.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’ll still be watching.”
My pulse spikes. “You can’t?—”
He cuts me off quietly. “I can. Because if I don’t, Nikolai will.”
