Chapter 7

• Every step beside him felt like treading a thin line between control and destruction. The silence stretched the tension between them until it felt suffocating. As they entered the dining room, a man was already seated at the table, waiting.
• Elena hesitated, her eyes flickering toward Alexander, but he simply pulled out a chair for her. She ignored the gesture and sat on her own, never breaking eye contact with the stranger.
• “Elena, this is Vincent.” Alexander’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it. “He’s here to discuss some… arrangements.”
• Vincent, a man in his late thirties with sharp, calculating eyes, inclined his head. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
• Elena didn’t return the sentiment. Instead, she folded her hands in her lap, her heartbeat quickening. “What kind of arrangements?”
• Vincent smirked, but it was Alexander who answered. “Security measures.”
• A chill ran down her spine. “For what?”
• “For you.”
• The weight of his words settled over her like a heavy chain. She knew what this meant—another layer of control, another restriction placed upon her. She was already trapped, but now they wanted to tighten the cage even further.
• “I don’t need security,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt.
• Alexander leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. “You don’t get a say in this.”
• The quiet authority in his tone sent a surge of frustration through her. She could feel the walls closing in, but she wasn’t going to sit back and accept it. Not without a fight.
• Vincent stood, adjusting the cuffs of his suit. “I’ll begin preparations immediately.”
• Elena barely acknowledged his departure. Her focus remained on Alexander, her fingers curling into fists. “You can’t keep me here forever.”
• Alexander’s expression didn’t change, but his voice was softer, more dangerous. “Watch me.”
• The words sent a shiver down her spine, but she refused to let him see her fear. Instead, she held his gaze, silently promising him that this battle was far from over.
• A knock echoed from the doorway. One of the guards stepped in, his face unreadable. “Sir, there’s been a development.”
• Alexander stood immediately, his expression shifting. Elena could see the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers flexed as if preparing for something.
• She didn’t know what was happening, but she knew one thing—this wasn’t over.
• The knock at the doorway sent a ripple of unease through the air. The guard stood rigid, his face unreadable, but there was something in his stance—something sharp, urgent.
• Alexander’s expression hardened. He didn’t speak immediately, but the shift in his demeanor was unmistakable. A silent message passed between him and the guard, one Elena wasn’t privy to.
• “Excuse us,” Alexander said, his voice clipped. He pushed back from the table and strode toward the doorway, leaving Elena alone with the weight of his parting words still hanging in the air.
• She inhaled sharply, her mind racing. Whatever had happened, it was important enough to pull Alexander away in an instant. That alone was unsettling. She turned her gaze to the empty chair across from her, where Vincent had been sitting just moments ago. He had left so quickly, without so much as a second glance.
• Elena rose from her seat, her fingers pressing into the smooth wood of the table as she weighed her options. She could sit and wait, but she had learned enough in the past few days to know that passivity was a mistake. The mansion was a prison, but that didn’t mean she had to sit still while Alexander pulled all the strings.
• She turned toward the doorway, glancing at the guard still stationed outside. His eyes flicked toward her, subtly reminding her that escape was out of the question. Not yet, at least.
• Instead, she moved toward the large windows lining the dining room wall. Outside, the city stretched endlessly, a world so close yet impossibly far away. Somewhere beyond these walls, her life still existed—the one she had been ripped from, the one Alexander had stolen from her.
• She pressed her palm against the cool glass. She could feel the faint hum of the outside world vibrating beneath her fingertips, a distant pulse of freedom. A reminder that she wasn’t meant to be here. That she had to find a way out.
• Minutes passed, and then footsteps echoed in the hall. Elena turned sharply just as Alexander reentered the room, his expression darker than before. His gaze landed on her immediately, scanning her face as if measuring what she had been thinking while he was gone.
• “What was that about?” she asked, crossing her arms.
• He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he walked back to his seat, resting his hands on the back of the chair but not sitting down.
• “There’s been an issue,” he finally said, his voice even but carrying an edge of restraint. “One that doesn’t concern you.”
• Elena narrowed her eyes. “Everything concerns me if I’m trapped in this house.”
• Alexander tilted his head slightly, studying her. “It won’t affect you. That’s all you need to know.”