ay in the center of the big bed, staring at the ceiling. The evening had crawled by, with images of the man who had led her to th

, a tormenting chant. You destroy

not some wealthy man who bought a woman because he could; he had waited for this moment, schemed it, planned it

and Elena's heart missed a beat. She di

ght her with the same matter-of-fact d

through her ears. She did not reply, not because she did n

He did not smile, but the look he gave her spoke volumes. He was watching her,

behind him, enclosing them in this suffocating room. She was seated, unable to look away fro

ting at the edge of the bed, still looking at her. "

. "You said it last nigh

er smile. "Lucien Vale is dead, but Lucien Bl

his very presence seemed to fill up every corner of the room. He didn't just dominate what was in front

she asked, though she wasn't sure that

ruptly, his own eyes hardening. "A man who doe

of pain, of humiliation, and of something darker-something that sliced deeper than she could comprehend. Sh

ow I was doing," Elena said, trying to sound defiant, but

arp. "Punishing you? No. I'm showing you. I'm

est. "You're mad if you thi

Not yet," he said, his voice

finger on-something she didn't want to acknowledge. The way he talked, the way he looked at her, t

houghts away. "I didn't know what happe

, Elena. That's the worst of it. You didn't care about the boy you humiliat

e couldn't. She was pinned. And she hat

out what could have been, Elena? If you hadn't broken me, if you hadn't embarrassed me

cked away so long now gnawed at her, but she refused to let it emerge.

ict in her eyes, the way her chest rose and fell with every breath,

"You'll learn what it means to be mine, Elena. Yo

st, but he placed a finger ag

mething else beneath it. Something softer. Something dangerous. "I'm

in her ear. "It's up to you, Elena. Resist me, struggle against

hands on her, his strength, his power, and she hated how it made her feel. How it m

her skin. "But know this: I'll

ant as though she couldn't breathe. But then, just as suddenly as

on," he told her

-

ned in the morning before Lucien arrived to drive her away to the car. His frigid attitude was ha

hts elsewhere. They drove along city streets, past landmarks she ha

xisted, just as the life

left her no choice. He simply opened the door

r been to. It was sleek, contemporary, and expe

e they passed by. Elena tried to keep her head down, but she felt the eyes of the other cu

here were several men seated at a large table. Lucien's p

ed the room. "Gentlemen," he said, his voice as smooth as silk

er skin. She was not a person to them. She wa

the one in cont