“Then what?” she demanded. “You got bored when there was nothing left to control because I gave you everything? You spent months telling me you wanted every part of me, and now that you have it, you’re—what—over it?”
You gave me everything. I know. I know, baby.
“I don’t want a submissive who falls apart if I don’t look at her for a week. That’s not devotion. That’s dependence. You’re too much work Madeline.”
“Too much work?” Tear built in her eyes. “I can be less. I can?—”
“No.”
She sucked in a breath like I’d punched the air out of her.
“I gave you everything. Every part of me, my life. I let you hold me through… through stuff no one else even knows about. I let you stay inside me while I—” She cut herself off, tears spilling again. “And now you I’m too much?”
Fuck. Daddy’s sorry. I’m sorry, angel. I’m so fucking sorry.
Her shoulders trembled. She turned away, moving toward the dresser. She dressed without looking at me, pulling on the clothes she’d left folded there. Dynasty training holding together something shattered.
“Madeline,”
“Stop. You don’t get to say my name like that anymore.” She grabbed her bag, stuffing things.
When she turned back, her eyes were red. Her face was calm in the way only dynasties know how to be when they’re bleeding.
“Is that all?” she asked quietly. “Any other revisions to the story I get to tell myself about us?”
My chest felt like it was being crushed.
“This is it,”
Her chin lifted. “Then hear me. Right now is your last chance to say anything true. Because if I walk out that door and you haven’t taken this back, I’m done. I will never forgive you. Noexcuse, no ‘dynasty reason,’ no sob story about your enemies will ever make me trust you again.”
Say something. Tell her the truth. Tell her Damius saw you today in that fucking chamber and you’re terrified. Tell her you’re doing this to keep her alive. Tell her you love her so much it’s making you sick.
I opened my mouth.
Nothing came out.
Because if I said even one real word, I’d break. I’d drag her back into the bed.
And she’d be dead within the year.
So I stayed silent.
Her eyes searched my face one last time. The split-second where I watched it happen — the moment she saw I wasn’t going to save her from this, felt worse than anything Damius had ever done to me.
“Okay,” she whispered. “Got it.”
She walked past me toward the door.
Panic punched straight through my ribs.
You idiot. Stop her. Move. Say something. No. You will have a lifetime to fix this. You’ll put your crest on her back. You’ll get your name tattooed into her skin and hers into yours. You’ll earn forgiveness every day until you die. Just let her walk now. Get her out. Get Damius’ eyes off her.
Her shoulders stiffened. She hit the elevator button again. She didn’t look back.
“The part that hurts, is I already know what it is like to be forgotten by you. Now, its not for a week. It’s forever.” She gulped back tears, and hit the panel for the elevator again.
The elevator doors closed behind her. Silence flooded the apartment.
