Chapter 9 Darius's Emotional Distance

• "You've been avoiding me," she said, her voice shaking with anger and desperation. "I have questions about the mating contract and why I'm here. I need to know."
• Darius looked up from the papers in front of him, his gaze sharp and calculating. His eyes moved over her, cold and indifferent. He remarked in a flat voice, "I'm not here to give you answers." His voice was as far away as ever. "You're here to do what you're told." Nothing else, nothing less.
• Elara's heart raced when he said that. She had hoped—maybe foolishly—that he would give her some kind of explanation or proof that their relationship was more than just duty. But no. He was still cool, aloof, and hard to read.