Handcuffs And Kisses (Series #1)

Chapter 7

Lilian Carson POV

I needed to bide my time.

Running aimlessly would get me nowhere. The last attempt had proven that. If I wanted to escape, I needed patience. A plan. 

So, for now, I had to play along. 

I had to endure. 

The next morning, I stirred at the sound of a soft click. My eyes snapped open, my body tensing as I listened. 

The lock. 

Someone had just unlocked my door. 

I waited a beat, but no one entered. Only the distant echo of retreating footsteps reached me. 

My chest rose and fell in slow, controlled breaths as I sat up. So, they were going to let me out now? 

I slipped out of bed, padding toward the door. My fingers hesitated before wrapping around the handle, testing it carefully. 

It turned. 

The door swung open without resistance, revealing the dimly lit hallway beyond. 

A test. That’s what this was. 

Alexander wasn't worried about me running. Not after last time. 

And that thought alone made my blood boil. 

Still, I forced my posture to remain relaxed despite the tension coiling in my stomach. The hallways of the Agnor estate were eerily quiet, the kind of silence that felt intentional. 

I followed the scent of coffee and warm food toward the dining hall, forcing the anxiety down with every step.

As I entered, I saw him. 

Alexander sat at the long, polished table, his black shirt unbuttoned at the top, sleeves rolled up, revealing the dark ink scrawled along his forearm. He didn’t look at me immediately, simply lifting his coffee to his lips with infuriating ease. 

When his gaze finally flicked up, amusement danced in those cold, ice-blue eyes. 

"Decided to behave today, wife?" 

My stomach tightened at the word. 

I ignored it. 

Instead, I moved to the farthest seat from him, grabbing a piece of toast as casually as I could. "I figured I should eat if I’m going to be locked in here indefinitely." 

His smirk deepened, but he didn’t argue. 

A thick silence settled between us. 

I needed to act normal. To make him think I was adjusting, that I wasn’t plotting my escape. 

So, I forced a conversation. 

"I applied to university, you know," I said, picking at my toast. "Got into one of the best  psychology programs in the country. I was supposed to start next semester." 

Alexander barely reacted. He simply swirled his coffee lazily in his hand. "Too bad." 

I frowned. "Too bad?" 

His gaze finally lifted, locking onto mine. "You're not going." 

I blinked. "Excuse me?" 

"You heard me." He took another slow sip of his coffee before setting the cup down with a soft clink. "My wife doesn’t need to run around a university campus, wasting time on useless degrees." 

Anger surged through me. "Any degree isn’t useless." 

His lips twitched, as if I had just said something amusing. "For what purpose? You think I’ll allow you to graduate, get a job, work under someone else?" He scoffed. "You'll soon be an Agnor, Lilian. Your future doesn’t belong to you anymore."