The tension from my failed escape lingered like a storm cloud, heavy and oppressive. Every corner of the mansion seemed to remind me of my imprisonment. My wrists ached from the rough restraints Alexander had used, a physical reminder of his power. The bitterness of his words and the icy finality in his eyes lingered in my mind.
My heartbeat accelerated when my room's door cracked open. Expecting Alexander, I instinctively stiffened, bracing for another confrontation. Instead, a man I didn't recognize entered. He was tall and impeccably dressed, his presence both calming and commanding. Jet-blue hair framed a striking face, and vivid green eyes, kind yet observant, met mine.
"I'm Lucian Everett," he introduced himself, setting a small medical kit on the table. "The family doctor." His voice was smooth, professional, but there was a warmth that Alexander lacked.
"I didn't ask for a doctor," I said, my voice edged with defiance.
Lucian smiled faintly, unbothered by my tone. "I wasn't asking. Alexander insisted I check on you."
At the mention of his name, my defenses rose again. "I don't need anything from him."
Lucian knelt by my side, his gaze softening as he carefully examined the faint marks on my wrists. "You can resent him all you want," he said calmly. "But I won't ignore an injury, no matter who caused it."
I swallowed hard, caught off guard by his sincerity. He worked in silence, cleaning the marks with practiced ease. Unlike Alexander's touch, which carried dominance and command, Lucian's was gentle, almost soothing.
"Why do you stay here?" I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity. "Why work for someone like him?"
His hands paused for a while, and when he looked at me, there was a spark of something deeper in his eyes—loyalty, perhaps, but also remorse. "Alexander isn't what he seems," he stated cryptically before returning to his work."People like him... they don't get to choose the lives they lead."
I wanted to press him for more, but a knock on the door interrupted us. The sharp sound made my heart jump, and Lucian stood, his posture immediately more guarded.
Alexander entered, his icy-blue eyes scanning the room before landing on me. His presence filled the space, as oppressive as ever.
"Is she okay?" he inquired, his voice lacking any feeling.
"She's alright," Lucian responded, his professional facade reasserting itself. "However, if you continue to treat her as a captive, that could shift."
An anxious stillness descended upon them, the atmosphere heavy with unexpressed thoughts. It was evident they shared a relationship that transcended that of employer and employee, yet I couldn't fully understand it.
"Get out," Alexander said, his tone quiet yet authoritative.
Lucian paused, his green eyes glancing at me for a moment before he agreed. "Look after yourself," he said gently, addressing me more than Alexander, before leaving the room.
The door shut, leaving me by myself with the individual who was both my captor and my guardian. His stare was penetrating, examining me as if attempting to decode my feelings.
"I don't require your physician," I remarked, interrupting the quiet.
He stepped closer, his presence as suffocating as ever. The space between us was minimal now, and his icy-blue eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. "You need more than you realize, Dysis," he said, his voice low and deliberate.
"And what do you need?" I shot back, summoning every ounce of defiance I had left. The terror seething beneath the surface was something I didn't want him to notice. If I could get under his skin, I might be able to weaken him.
His face softened for a brief instant, as though my inquiry had pricked something too near the truth. It was a slight but unmistakable fracture. However, it disappeared as swiftly as it had appeared. His mouth was set in a cruel line, and his features hardened once more.
"What I need," he said, his voice turning as cold as steel, "is for you to understand that you're mine now. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for both of us."
The boldness of his words ignited a flame of fury within me, eliminating my doubts. "I will never be yours," I replied, my voice shaking yet determined.
A subtle smile pulled at his lips, yet it held no amusement, just a provocation. "We'll find out soon enough."
He started to walk away, but just as he was about to step forward, I shouted after him, my voice more cutting than I anticipated. "Why are you engaging in this?" "Why am I the one?"
He halted mid-step, his shoulders tightening. As he looked away, his expression was inscrutable, yet his eyes revealed a glimpse of something deeper—sorrow, maybe, or remorse. "You're inquiring about the wrong things," he said softly. "It isn't about the reason why." "It's regarding the actions you'll take to endure."
"Dysis," he went on, his voice slicing through the tension like a knife, "you and I must have a discussion. At this moment.
Before I had a chance to reply, he left, his words lingering in the atmosphere like a caution.
I remained there, my hands tightened into fists, my chest rising and falling with anger and bewilderment. I despised how he made me feel—insignificant, helpless, yet also... intrigued. What lay hidden beneath the facade he meticulously constructed?
With my heart racing, I inhaled deeply before following him into the hallway. There was a long, dark, and eerily silent hallway ahead of me. As though I were approaching an impending situation, each step I took felt increasingly difficult.
Alexander ushered me into his office, an impressive, commanding area packed with shelves of leather-bound books. The air was filled with the scent of polished timber and a faint smokiness, echoing his fragrance.
He glanced at me while leaning against the corner of his desk. His expression was again mysterious, yet there was an evident vitality around him—tightly wound, as if he were holding back something.
"Take a seat," he said, motioning toward the chair before him.
"I'll remain standing," I responded, folding my arms.
His lips quivered, seemingly as if he found it funny. "Do as you wish."
For a brief time, neither of us said anything. The stillness expanded, dense and overwhelming. I sensed the heaviness of his stare, the examination within it.
"What do you expect from me?" I finally inquired, my voice disrupting the silence.
"What I desire," he said deliberately, "is for you to endure. "For that to take place, you have to cease resisting me."
I gazed at him, the earnestness in his voice surprising me. However, just as I was about to press him more, a knock at the door interrupted the conversation.
John, the devoted bodyguard of Alexander, entered with a serious look on his face. "We have an issue," he remarked.
Alexander's jaw clenched, and for a fleeting instant, his gaze met mine before he stood upright.
"What is it?"
John hesitated, his gaze shifting to me. "It's about Max Carter. He's making moves, and he knows about her."
My stomach dropped at the mention of Max's name, and Alexander's expression darkened, his calm veneer cracking.
"Leave us," Alexander ordered, his voice sharp.
John nodded and exited, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Alexander turned back to me, his eyes now burning with an intensity that made my skin prickle. " you'll be leaving that room soon," he said abruptly.
"Why?" I demanded, my voice rising.
His gaze bore into mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw something raw and unguarded. "Because you're soon to be a target for Max Carter," he said darkly.
His comments became like a smothering blanket, weighing me down. He turned and left before I could reply, leaving me with more questions than answers. With my thoughts racing, I fell into the chair he had indicated earlier. Max Carter. Alexander Levi. Two dangerous men locked in a battle, with me caught in the middle.
But even as fear clawed at me, another thought pushed its way to the forefront.
Alexander wasn't what he seemed.
I kept thinking about Lucian's mysterious remarks, and I couldn't get rid of the suspicion that Alexander's narrative wasn't over. After giving it some thinking, I couldn't help but question if Lucian was a buddy or just a pawn in the scheme. Who was he?