Angela’s heart pounded against her ribs as she pressed her trembling fingers against the cold, wooden frame of her bedroom door. Her breachyca uneven, shallow gasps, her mind racing with a singular, desperate thought.
Run.
She couldn’t stay here. Not with him. Not after last night.
The moment Mikhail had left her room, she had lain awake, the air still heavy with his presence, his words echoirig in her head. You consume me, Angela I don’t like it.
That wasn’t desire. That was something far worse–something dangerous. And she needed to escape before it swallowed her whole.
She waited patiently for the night to fall again so she could flee and in the darkness of the night, she left her room.
She took a hesitant step into the hallway, her bare feet soundless against the marble floor. The mansion was eerily quiet at this hour, the shadows stretching long and sinister against the walls. Every instinct screamed at her to turn back, to stay in the safety of the room she had been given.
No. There’s no safety here.
She trailed her fingers against the wall, using it as her guide as she navigated the unfamiliar corridors. The scent of expensive cologne and leather clung to the air–a ghost of Mikhail’s presence–but she ignored it, focusing solely on moving forward.
The front door. She just needed to find the front door.
Her breathing quickened as she descended the grand staircase, her fingers brushing over the polished wood of the railing. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. She could hear her own heartbeat, deafening in the silence. Every step felt like a lifetime, every breath like a countdown to disaster.
And then-
A soft creak.
Angela froze, her pulse hammering. Someone was awake.
She swallowed hard and ducked into the shadows near a massive pillar, her body pressed against the cool stone. The dim glow of the chandeliers above cast eerie patterns on the floor, flickering like dying embers. She forced herself to steady her breathing, listening, waiting.
Nothing.
Maybe it had been her imagination. Maybe she was just paranoid.
Move. Now.
Summoning every ounce of courage, she inched forward, her fingers grazing the smooth surface of the grand entrance door. She fumbled for the handle, her blind hands shaking as she searched for the lock. The cool brass met her fingertips, and she twisted it with all the strength she had.
Click.
Freedom was just beyond this door. The thought sent a wave of hope surging through her. She could almost taste the fresh air, feel the wind on her skin, the possibility of escape so close she could reach out and grasp it.
But before she could pull the door open-
A strong, unyielding hand clamped around her wrist.
–:led honoath rough.
Chapter 9
Mikhail
He was behind her.
Her breath stilled as a deep, rumbling voice slithered into her ear, stow and lethal. “Going somewhere, angel?”
Angela jerked against his hold, panic surging through her veins like wildfire. “Let me gor
His grip tightened, effortlessly pulling her back against his hard chest. The door was right there so close but she might as well have been miles awa from freedom. She struggled, twisting and thrashing, but it was futile. He was immovable, a wall of sheer power and dominance.
“You really thought you could escape me?” Mikhail murmured, his breath hot against the shell of her ear. He sounded amused. Amused.
Rage flared inside her, momentarily drowning out her fear. “I have to leave! I can’t stay here!”
His fingers tightened around her wrist, firm but not painful. Possessive. “And yet, you are here.”
Angela clenched her jaw, her breath ragged. “I don’t belong to you.”
Silence.
Then, Mikhail moved. In a swift motion, he spun her around, pressing her back against the heavy wooden door. She gasped asthe cold surface met her spine, her hands instinctively pressing against his chest. He was so close, too close–his towering frame swallowing her in shadow, his scent intoxicating, consuming her senses.
“You don’t belong to me?” he echoed, his voice laced with something dark, something dangerous. He reached up, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his touch deceptively gentle. “Then why do I feel like I own every trembling breath you take?”
Angela’s throat went dry. She could feel his heartbeat–steady, strong, unfazed–while hers threatened to tear through her chest. “You’re insane.”
He chuckled, low and lethal. “Maybe. But you, Angela, are making me this way.”
She sucked in a shaky breath, trying to steady herself. “Why won’t you let me go?”
Mikhail studied her for a long, unbearable moment before tilting his head slightly. “Because you belong here.”
Her stomach twisted. “I don’t.”
His eyes darkened. “Then why does it feel so right?”
Angela’s breath hitched as he leaned in, his lips hovering just above her ear. Her entire body burned with an emotion she couldn’t name, a war between fear and something far more dangerous.
Then, just as suddenly, he pulled away, his grip on her loosening but not releasing her entirely.
“Go back to your room,” he ordered, his voice cold, distant. “Before I decide to punish you for trying to leave.”
Angela hesitated, her legs weak, her mind screaming at her to run–to push past him and try again.
“Let me go.” She said with a mustered up courage and his brows drew together in anger.
“Don’t test me, Angel.” He growled but she wasn’t backing down despite the fear coursing through her veins.
“I want to leave,” She pleaded.
“Where will you go? You’ve nowhere, Angel and I’ve bought you. You belong to me,” His words were like a harsh slap across her face.
“I’ll return your money. Let me go,” She said in a small voice only to earn a sigh from him.
Chapter 9
Thirty million,” He said.
“It’li tako your
entire
lifetime to
pay me back.”
He was harsh.
Grabbing her wrist he
dragged her back to her room.
With a defeated breath,
she
silently hobbled
behind
him,
him allowing to lead her
back
into the
Into
the darkness from which she might never escape.
And just
like that he left
but
her
this time he locked roomroom, caging her in.
depths
of the
mansion.
もも
AD
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