Love and War

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Elena's POV

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a cold, pale glow across the room. I hadn't slept a wink, my thoughts spiraling all night as I tried to piece together everything. There was no winning against him; he'd made that painfully clear. I was trapped, the wife of a prince—and a mafia boss. What was I supposed to do now?

I shifted my gaze to Aiden, who was stirring beside me. He turned his head, his eyes meeting mine, and the look he gave me was anything but warm. There was no pretense now, no charming mask, no feigned kindness. This was the real Aiden—the man I hadn't known I was marrying. Cold, calculating, ruthless.

His eyes held me in place, as if he could see every doubt, every spark of anger simmering inside me.

"Sleep well?" he asked, his voice smooth but sharp-edged. The question was almost taunting.

I forced myself not to flinch. "Not particularly," I replied, my tone even. "Hard to sleep when you're rethinking every decision you've ever made."

He sat up slowly, stretching, completely unfazed. "Is that so?" He tilted his head, a dark amusement in his eyes. "I'd have thought you'd finally accepted your place here. You don't seem to have many other options left."

I clenched my fists, his words sinking in deeper than I'd like to admit. He was right—he'd taken every option I might have had and shut them off one by one. Every door I could imagine had been closed, locked, and guarded.

"We'll see about that," I replied coldly. "I advise you to watch your back."

He let out a dark chuckle, settling back against the headboard, his expression unreadable. "I think it's you who should be watching your back. If I reveal what you've done, do you really think the royal family is going to accept you here?"

"Well I don't care about them or what they think of me!" I spat in anger.

"Well you should. After all, they're the ones that control your future here. One wrong move and you might find yourself in the dungeon."

His words echoed in my head, as final and impenetrable as a prison door slamming shut.

Just as I was about to reply, a knock came at the door.

"Come in," Aiden said as he threw me a warning glance.

The door opened and in came Alex, his right hand covering his eyes. He walked in, closed the door, and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room with his eyes closed.

"Why are you covering your eyes?" I asked in annoyance.

Alex awkwardly chuckled. "I thought after last night that you two may have engaged in certain activities regarding the making of an heir. However, I don't see any clothes on the floor or crazy reactions, so it's probably safe to uncover my eyes."

He removed his hand and smirked at Aiden.

I rolled my eyes. "Why the hell would you even think that?"

Alex merely shrugged his shoulders. "Pent up anger and frustration can create sexual tensions that lead to lust. I assumed that would happen to you guys but it seems it might take more anger than I thought."

Ugh the nerve of this man.

Alex's smug expression grated on my nerves, and I could feel my patience thinning to a thread.

"Please, spare us your theories," I snapped, crossing my arms. His insinuation was infuriating. Just because Aiden and I were bound to this arrangement didn't mean I'd ever act on some ridiculous, lust-fueled rage.