Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 127933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127933 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 640(@200wpm)___ 512(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
I found myself longing for the brutality as much as the pleasure. Afterwards, he would wrap me up in his strong arms, engulfing me in a sense of safety and warmth. His touch was gentle yet possessive, reminding me that I was his and his alone. The way his hands caressed me and the look of adoration in his eyes made me feel like the most special person in the world. In those moments, it was just him and I, the tether between us unbreakable.
I almost always dozed back off and that morning had been no exception. The house was quiet. Alexander had left much earlier. Now, I was alone, save for Verity, my silent shadow. I sat on the couch, a warm throw wrapped around me, staring out at the lake as I sipped on a tea meant to calm my stomach. The nausea had been coming and going these past few days, and though I could chalk it up to nerves, deep down, I knew it was something else.
I wasn’t ready to confront that thought yet. I pulled the blanket tighter around me, my mind drifting to recent events. So much had changed so quickly. I was no longer the girl working long shifts just to get by, sleeping in a dingy apartment, and having no idea what my future looked like. Now I was here, in this house that was both a sanctuary and a gilded cage, with a man who was both my captor and my lover. None of my old worries could touch me here.
Life with Alexander… I didn’t hate it.
That truth was both a comfort and a burden. There were moments when I craved him, when I wanted him more than I cared to admit. It wasn’t just about the way he possessed me physically—though that was a large part of it. He had wormed his way into every corner of my mind, every part of me tied to him. It was the way he made me feel needed, the way he looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered.
Sometimes I sought him out just to feel that.
He loved it.
He loved that I couldn’t seem to resist him, that I would come to him even when I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do. And now I was sitting there knowing full well it was because of that I was in this condition.
A soft voice pulled me from my thoughts. “It’s going to rain,” Verity commented from the armchair, her eyes on the darkening sky. She was my silent companion, always there, always watching.
I looked outside, noting how the lake’s surface had grown darker, more ominous. The sky, which had been clear and sunny only twenty minutes ago, now mirrored my unease. Clouds had rolled in as if the Isle itself knew what I was trying to do and was ready to protest. A storm was coming—both outside and within.
I sighed, setting my tea down. “I should get ready to go.”
Alexander had been reluctant to let me leave. I had told him I wanted to make an Oreo dessert, something simple and sweet. After I explained what it was, he’d just given me a look, barely disguising his disgust at the idea. He probably wanted to say something pretentious, like I was above eating stuff like that. I had laughed at him, at how predictable he was in his disdain for anything too ordinary. I also mentioned wanting to get out for a little while since he wouldn’t be home. Neither of those things were lies, but they weren’t the full truth either.
There was that note.
The anxiety gnawed at me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted anyone’s help. I wasn’t sure I wanted to leave the safety of this house, of Alexander’s world.
I was part of it now. And, God help me, I was starting to feel like I belonged. I’d never experienced that anywhere before. I got dressed slowly, my mind still tangled in the thoughts I wasn’t quite ready to face. When I emerged, Verity was waiting for me with a smile, offering me an umbrella as the storm clouds outside grew darker. I accepted it with a quiet thanks, grateful for her presence even if I rarely acknowledged it aloud. She wasn’t just a servant, not to me. She was something more.
As I stepped outside, Ambrose had already pulled the car around. He was another one I had grown fond of, despite myself. His easygoing nature and the way he always seemed to know when to speak and when to remain silent made it hard not to feel a little more connected to him. It twisted my heart a little more—how I’d let myself get attached to these people.
I slid into the car, offering Ambrose a smile as he started the engine. The drive into town was filled with light, carefree conversation, which distracted me just enough from the weight of my thoughts. When we arrived, I smiled as Ambrose opened the car door for me, the rain lightly tapping against the umbrella he held.