My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as frustration bubbled up in my chest. How dare they try to continue to control my life, especially in such a cold and calculated way?
“I won’t accept an arranged marriage,” I declared, through clenched teeth, narrowing my gaze, daring him to contradict me. “Not to you, not to anyone. I’m sick and tired of others dictating my life and keeping me in this gilded cage. It’s just a glorified prison, no matter how lovely it is.”
He pulled away slightly, his eyes widening in surprise as they scoured mine, a hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Then, he gestured toward the lab beneath the water’s surface, where Ky’rn was held, and posed a question that stopped me in my tracks.
“But what if agreeing to marry me is the only way to save the Makezu commander you care about?”
CHAPTERNINE
ISLA
“How do you know about Ky’rn?” I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief.
Roman pursed his lips and shook his head. “I can’t disclose that yet,” he replied cryptically, “not until you agree to my terms.”
Frustration welled up inside me, and I pushed away from him, crossing my arms and rubbing them as if I could physically ward off his words. Once again, I felt trapped, cornered by forces beyond my control, and every fiber of my being yearned for an escape.
“You’re not much different from my grandfather,” I accused him bitterly.
“That’s not true.” Roman’s gaze never wavered. “Unlike your grandfather, I can help you get away from here, if you want. You could have the freedom you’ve always desired without needing to worry about being betrayed again.”
My eyes narrowed and I shifted my weight as I studied him, unsure whether to trust him or not, my heart hammering with indecision. He stood there, tall and imposing, with the same smooth smile on his face that my grandfather always wore when manipulating someone. My fingers twitched, caught between my desire for independence and the rising anxiety that I was bartering with someone as cunning as my grandfather.
“How can I blindly believe what you’re saying?” I questioned, my brow raised. “Why would you want to help me, then? What’s in it for you?”
“You can’t.” He sighed as he brushed back his long brown hair. “All I can give you now is my word. You’ll have proof of my good intentions in due time.”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “Your word? That’s supposed to be enough? After what I’ve been through, the betrayals, the lies…”
He stepped closer, his eyes intense. “Isla, I know it’s hard to trust. And frankly, you shouldn’t trust anyone blindly, not even me. But I’ve been watching, listening…and I’ve seen what you’ve endured. It’s not right. No one should be treated like a pawn, especially not by family.”
My defenses wavered for a split second. “And why do you care? Why help me?”
“You’re the only person who can help me in return.” Roman’s words hung heavy in the air.
I furrowed my brows. “How can an arranged marriage between us help me free the alien?”
“How about we establish a few things first?” Roman crossed his arms, still watching me closely. “What do you think about him?”
I felt the weight of his gaze, his judgment pressing down on me.
“He’s…extraordinary,” I began slowly, thinking of Ky’rn’s amber eyes and the intensity they held. “He’s more than an animal, some specimen to be collected and studied. He has thoughts, feelings, a soul. When I look into his eyes, I see intelligence, sadness. He’s begging me to let him go. He’s gone through so much, and the notion of him being confined, of being used…it breaks my heart.”
Roman seemed to soften a bit at my words. “I understand your feelings. But what do you intend to do about it alone?”
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “But I can’t just stand by and let my grandfather use him for his own gain. He deserves freedom, just like any of us.”
Roman nodded, his demeanor contemplative. “You care for him deeply, don’t you?”
“I can’t deny the odd connection we have.” My cheeks flushed at the recollection of the intimate way we’d communicated. “He saved me when he had no reason to. And I owe it to him to try and do the same.”
Roman’s demeanor softened, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes. “Connection?”
“It’s complicated.” My voice trembled with the weight of my words as I swallowed hard. My stomach churned as I weighed the difficult decision ahead of me. An arranged marriage? Considering it made my skin crawl, but the prospect of assisting Ky’rn in escaping the clutches of my family’s research facility fueled a fire within me. As I stared down at my quivering hands, I knew I couldn’t back out now, no matter how afraid I was or how unsure I was about Roman’s genuine intentions, particularly with regard to Ky’rn. “Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I had a choice?”
He continued to watch me, waiting for more.
I took a shaky breath, memories flooding back. “He saved me once, long before all of this. I owe him my life. So when my grandfather handed him over as some…gift, as an exotic pet, I felt so guilty, and so angry. It was almost as if he was mocking me, giving me Ky’rn like he was some object, some expensive possession that others in our high society own to brag about, like he was some fancy limited-edition car or the only copy of some painting from a famous artist. It was then that I’d noticed he’d changed. He’s no longer the person I used to inspire to be. He’s gone too far for reasons I don’t understand, but I can’t stand by and watch him keep Ky’rn imprisoned.”
