The stillness of the night weighed heavily in Scarle's room. She lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, her mind was full of thoughts. Every voice of the house made her jump, every rustle of the wind outside fasten her pulse. The events of the day had been tiring, and yet, her mind couldn't stop replaying the cold and possessive way Kier had spoken to her.
"You belong to us now."
His words were like an iron that were on her mind, burning like a fire that terrifies her. But she didn't belong to anyone. Her heart pounded as she clenched her fists, her resolve was hardening. She would fight. She had to. But how? In this large mansion, in a house dominated by the Ashford brothers, what hope did she have?
The room was far too luxurious to bring any sense of comfort. The large bed felt like a throne she didn't want, the silk sheets which was reminder of the wealth and power that was now around her. This was no place for someone like her who was a simple girl thrust into a dark cage.
She forced herself to rise from the bed, crossing the room to the window, there was endless acres of perfectly stylish gardens and dense woods in the distance. The night was still, but Scarle's thoughts were remain there.
Her eyes turn to the door, which stood closed but not locked. Should she try to leave? The brothers hadn't said she was confined to her room, but the way Kier had spoken to her earlier felt like a warning. A warning she should remember. Still, something inside her couldn't ignore her growing curiosity, and the desperate need to feel a sense of control in a situation.
Scarle took a deep breath and quietly opened the door. The hallway was dark, it was lit up only by the soft glow of moonlight coming in through the tall windows. She stepped out cautiously, her bare feet silent against the polished floors. Her heartbeat fastens as she crept down the hallway, unsure of where she was going, only knowing that she couldn't stay still any longer.
The mansion was so silent, like a tomb. She passed by rooms she hadn't seen yet, their closed doors offering clues to what lay inside. As she rounded a corner, she paused, hearing voices. The voices were low, coming from a room at the far end of the hall.
Her curiosity grows, she moved closer, her breath catching in her throat as she realized it was her brothers, Kieran, Daman, and Lucan. They were talking, and from the sound of it, they didn't expect her to be listening.
She pressed herself against the wall near the door, to hear.
"You think she'll last?" Daman's voice, which was laced with a hint of something darker. His tone was always playful, but there was always an undercurrent of danger lurking in it.
"She doesn't have a choice," Kier's cold voice cut through. "She's ours now. She'll fall in line, like everyone else."
There was a brief pause before Lucan's voice spoke up, softer, more measured. "What if she doesn't? What if she tries to fight back?"
Scarle held her breath, waiting for Kier's response.
"Then she'll learn," Kier said simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "They always learn."
Scarle's blood ran cold at the casual way he spoke. It wasn't a simple threat but it was a fact. She had no idea what kind of people she was dealing with, but she knew one thing for certain that these brothers weren't going to make this easy for her. If she resisted, they would push back harder. If she tried to escape, they would pull her back. She was trapped in their web, and every move she made would only tighten her.
She needed to leave before they realized she was there. Turning on her heel, she started to retreat back down the hallway when a hand shot out of the darkness, grabbing her wrist. She let out a sharp gasp, spinning around to find Daman standing there, his blue eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" His voice was low, the playful lilt in his tone sending a wave of chills. "Little Scarle sneaking around in the middle of the night. I wonder what Kier would say about this."
Her heart raced in her chest as she tried to pull her wrist free, but Daman held her firmly in place, his fingers like iron around her skin. "Ah…Let me go," she whispered, panic rising in her throat.
"Not so fast," Daman said, stepping closer.
Scarle was so close with him, "Let go of me....It hurts... Wait.. What are you doing?" She stops Daman with her other hand as he was getting too close to her face.
Their lips was just few inches apart.
His breath was warm against her cheek as he leaned in, his lips was brushing against the shell of her ear. "What were you doing out here? Eavesdropping, perhaps?"
Scarle shook her head, trying to ignore the way her skin tingle where his fingers touched her. "Who said I was eavesdropping...I wasn't.."
"Liar," he interrupted, his voice soft but dangerous. "You were listening, weren't you? What exactly did you hear?"
"Nothing," she insisted, her voice was trembling. "I didn't hear anything."
Daman's lips turn into a smile, but there was no humor in it. He leaned in even closer, his grip tightening slightly. "You should be careful, Scarle. This isn't yours house. If Kier finds out you've been sneaking around here and there, he won't be as forgiving as I am."
She swallowed hard, her pulse was hammering in her ears. "What do you want?"
Daman chuckled softly, releasing her wrist but not stepping back. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I want."
Scarle took a shaky breath, her mind racing. Daman was playing with her, pushing her boundaries, testing how far he could go. But she knows how to deal with him.
"I'm going back to my room," she said, her voice firmer than before. She took a step back, but Daman didn't move.
"Good girl," he said, watching her with those sharp eyes. "Run along, then. But remember, next time, you might not be so lucky."
Scarle turned and hurried back down the hallway, her heart was pounding in her chest. She didn't stop until she was safely inside her room, the door closed and locked behind her. Her hands was shaking as she leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath.
She had barely escaped tonight, but the warning was clear. They were dangerous, and they weren't going to let her go easily. Whatever plans they had for her, she knew one thing for sure, they would stop at nothing to make her theirs.
Her body still trembled from the encounter with Daman, and her mind buzz with a mix of fear and confusion. Why they were doing that to her? What was it about her that made them think they could control her?
As much as she hated to admit it, more she was drawn to the danger. There was something intoxicating about the way Daman looked at her, the way Kieran's icy control made her heart burst with both fear and excitement. Even Lucan, with his seemingly gentle eyes, wasn't innocent. They all had their own ways of manipulating her, pulling her deeper into their world.
But she wouldn't let them break her.
Scarle lay down on the bed, pulling the blankets up around her, trying to calm the storm inside her head. Tomorrow was a new day, and she would have to face them again. But she wouldn't let herself be a pawn in their world.
Tomorrow, she thought to herself, I'll find a way out.
To be continued...