Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 77485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77485 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
I was unequivocally his.
For now.
I wanted to push him away, to run as far away from this place as possible. But I was trapped. I had no way of escaping him and we both knew it.
His possessive hold gradually relaxed and he pulled his hand away, giving me a moment of reprieve. I looked at the glass Esther had brought me and watched a bead of condensation slide down the side of it.
“Have a taste,” he encouraged.
Knowing I truly had no choice, I took a deep breath and picked up the glass, my fingers wrapping around its chilled surface. I brought it to my lips and took a cautious sip.
Tropical fruits wrapped around my taste buds, followed by a subtle hint of sweetness. The texture was smooth with a creamy undertone. It wasn't unpleasant, but having the knowledge of its purpose made me want to launch the damned thing at a nearby wall.
“Once you're finished,” he began, his tone shifting from casual back to business like, “Nicolette and Esther will give you a tour of the estate. After that, they will introduce you to our codex.”
The mention of a doctrine gave me pause, another reminder that my introduction to this world was far from over. There were still layers of knowledge I had yet to uncover.
I picked up the pills, considering the consequences if I only pretended to swallow them. Whatever they may be, it wasn’t worth it. I tossed them back and took another sip of the smoothie. They had a slight aftertaste, a hint of something herbal, but it was quickly overridden.
“You know, if you behave, I might consider allowing Anya some freedom from her enclosure.”
The first time he mentioned Anya had already thrown me off balance, but this new piece of information had my breath catching in my throat. I could feel the shock spreading across my face.
She was here?
I was unable to comprehend how that would be possible. How did we both vanish from a room crowded with people?
It dawned on me—such things didn’t just happen. Not unless those present turned a blind eye, or we were so insignificant in their world that our absence left no ripple. It was a bitter reflection of our lives to date—always present, yet perpetually overlooked. And now, alarmingly forgotten.
Getting hired at Millennium didn’t suddenly change that.
Anya and I were nothing but small specks of dust when compared to the people we worked for, and even less to those we cleaned up after.
My voice trembled when I finally managed to speak.
“Anya... she's…why is she here?” The words felt heavy on my tongue, the far-reaching reality of this situation suddenly much starker.
Alexander's lips curved into a faint smile, a twisted glint in his eyes.
“She’s your family, isn’t she?” he replied, his tone chiding. “What kind of partner would I be if I were to disregard those closest to you?”
“Did you plan on taking both of us from the beginning?”
He sighed heavily, his gaze cold and unyielding. “It wasn’t my initial intention to involve Anya, but she left me with little choice.”
“Because she saw your face.”
“No,” he replied briskly, punctuating it with a light laugh. “That wouldn’t have mattered. She’s here due to a separate issue.”
“What does that mean?”
He glanced at his watch and clicked his teeth twice. “As much as I’d love to stay with you all morning, I have a few matters to attend to.”
“Wait!” I pleaded, grabbing hold of his wrist. “Is she safe?”
“She’s perfectly fine. For the time being, anyway.” He gently shook off my hold, his chair scraping softly against the floor as he pushed it back. He stood and lowered his face to mine, lips brushing against my cheek in a fleeting gesture. “I’m leaving you in the capable hands of my sister and Nicolette, but if you need anything at all, they’ll show you where to find me.”
With one final feather-light brush over the top of my head with his hand, he fished a cellphone from his pocket and walked towards one of the arched doorways. As his all-consuming presence receded, a heavy silence settled around me.
I struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over. The rush of emotions from the night before that I’d been holding at bay until now.
The intensity of our conversation and the weight of these revelations hit me all at once. Each breath I took felt labored, as if the walls of the opulent room were closing in. I hadn't realized how much my body had been running on pure adrenaline until his departure. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me—to us.
Fingers clenched, I willed myself to regain control, to stop fucking shaking. I couldn't afford to break, not now. Not when the stakes were so much higher than I imagined. Not when it wasn’t only me I had to worry about.