"YOU WERE MINE, YOU'RE MINE, AND YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MINE, " he declared, his voice a low growl as he thrust deeper into me.
"Ahh, I h-hate you," I managed to gasp, the intensity of the moment making it hard to think straight.
"SAY THAT AGAIN AND SE...
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The weight of Darius's words pressed against me as heavily as the memory of his punishment.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the maids' eyes on me, saw their shock and my own helplessness. Being laid bare in front of them wasn't just a punishment-it was a humiliation that burned deeper than any physical mark he'd left on my skin.
But then he told me he'd killed them. Killed them for looking at me. How could that be? Why would he strip me in front of them, only to take their lives for seeing what he had exposed?
I stood by the window, staring out into the dark, trying to piece it all together. It was maddening, the confusion swirling in my chest, the tangled mess of anger and something darker, something I couldn't fully name.
The door creaked and i felt his presence before I saw him. His aura filled the room, wrapping around me like a force I couldn't escape. My heart raced, but I didn't turn. I didn't want to face him-didn't want to be drawn into the magnetic pull he had over me.
"Aurelia," his voice was smooth, commanding, a dangerous undercurrent beneath its softness. "I don't like being ignored. Face me."
I remained still for a moment, my chest tightening with defiance. But the command in his voice was too strong, too compelling. Slowly, I turned, meeting his gaze.
He stood in the doorway, tall and imposing, his dark eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made my stomach twist.
He moved toward me with deliberate slowness, each step a reminder of his power, his control. The air between us crackled with tension, and despite myself, I felt my breath quicken.
"You've been quiet," he said, his tone deceptively calm. "I can feel your anger. Speak little one ."
The door creaked open, and I felt his My fists clenched at my sides, my voice trembling with the weight of everything I didn't understand.
"Why did you do it?" I asked, barely able to hold back the flood of emotions. "Why would you humiliate me in front of them, only to kill them for seeing me? Why?"
A flicker of amusement crossed his face, a dark, twisted smile that sent a shiver down my spine.
He took another step closer, and I fought the urge to step back. "You're confused," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Good. You should be. You're still trying to understand what it means to belong to me."
My heart hammered in my chest as he closed the distance between us, his hand reaching out to tilt my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
His touch was firm, possessive, and I hated the way my body reacted to it-the way it trembled not just in fear, but in something darker, something far more dangerous.
"I needed you to understand," he continued, his eyes locked on mine.
"To feel the consequences of your defiance. Public punishment isn't about humiliation, Aurelia. It's about control. You needed to be reminded of what it means to be mine."
