mi'

" Roman's loud, irritated voic

he table in my room. Dinner. It is just dinner. I remind

The mansion's silence magnifies my heels clicking on the marble floor. Roman was alre

sh as he remarke

't sure

ing his lips. "Let me clarify something for you, Nao

cheeks flushed from his

ng to the seat across f

rably bright glow, making the space oppressively large. The siz

?" I asked, my voice barely abo

ed an eyeb

n," I murmured bef

ith a hint of laughter. "You'll find that I

nd calculated as he took up his fork, breaking the unbearable silence

ortable," he sai

led, regretting the words as

ne. "You're open and honest. If you wish

ork and repeated. "Is that

d. "For you, yes. Fo

repeated. "Business," I echoed. "Of course. How

his tone sharp. "You knew exactl

chord, and I winced

orted with a low, menacing voice. "

e truth was, he wasn't. A smirk tugged at the corne

ted to my unt

ngry," I sa

i, you will eat. Or do I need to

argument. The food tasted like ash in my mouth, b

said, in a conde

building inside me. "Do you enjoy this?" I asked, and

ed with a kind tone and wa

my voice trembling. "

eal humor. "Cruelty is just honesty without the

eye, I glanced down at my

leaned forward. "Doubt all you want, Naomi. But in this house

and gulped har

n his chair. "Because I don't h

afening silence. I wanted to scream, to cry, to run, but I did none of those things. Instead,

nd everything else. "I have business to attend to," he sai

I asked, unable to keep the

, but it stopped short

tance. I felt the burden of my predicament descend upon me like

to my room when I he

set of double doors I hadn't noticed before. My puls

e doorknob. There was something strange about this place. But

man, silhouetted a

to wander," he said, his

tammered, taking a step b

rowed. "And you thought it was a goo

n't me

oser, and I felt small compared to his imposing presence. "

e, and my heart raced. The touch was light

ain," I whispered,

ightened his hold on my arm. "Make sure

. The tension in the air between us was so

s he'd grabbed me, he let go

" he said, his vo

eart pounding in my chest as I climbed

atch my breath, I couldn't shake the feeling

dange

was tr