I didn't want to leave my room.
The bruises on my face were swollen, pulsing with heat, a reminder of Nico's hand and Adrian's cruelty. My reflection looked back at me, but the girl in the mirror wasn't someone I recognized anymore. She was broken, fragile, barely holding on.
But they didn't care about that. They didn't care about anything except control.
The knock on the door came sharp and deliberate.
"Open the door, Sophia," Leo's voice commanded.
I hesitated, my breath catching in my throat.
"Don't make me say it again."
My hand trembled as I turned the handle, stepping back as the door swung open. Leo stood there, his icy-blue eyes scanning me with cold precision.
"Come downstairs," he ordered. "Now."
"I can't," I whispered, my voice trembling.
"You don't have a choice," Leo said, stepping inside. His presence filled the room, suffocating me. "Do you understand me?"
"I don't feel well," I lied, wrapping my arms around myself.
Leo's expression hardened, and he stepped closer, his gaze locking onto mine. "You're testing my patience, Sophia. And that's not a good idea."
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest.
"I won't ask again," Leo said, his tone sharp and unforgiving.
I nodded quickly, my body moving before my mind could catch up.
The Dining Room
When I walked into the dining room, the weight of their stares was crushing. Adrian leaned back in his chair, his storm-gray eyes lighting up with cruel amusement as he took in my bruised face.
"Well, look who finally decided to show up," he said, his grin widening. "Nice touch, by the way."
I kept my head down, my hands shaking as I sat at the far end of the table.
"Eat," Leo commanded, his voice cold.
The plate in front of me was piled with food, but the sight of it made my stomach twist. I couldn't eat. I couldn't even think about eating.
"I said, eat," Leo repeated, his tone sharper this time.
"I'm not hungry," I whispered, keeping my eyes fixed on the table.
The silence that followed was suffocating.
"Not hungry?" Adrian echoed, leaning forward slightly. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Adrian—" Leo started, but Adrian ignored him.
He stood, walking around the table until he was standing behind me. I felt his presence like a weight pressing down on my shoulders, my pulse quickening as his hand rested on the back of my chair.
"Let me help you," Adrian said, his voice dripping with mockery.
Before I could react, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist and forcing the fork into my hand. His grip was firm, unrelenting, as he guided my hand to the plate.
"Open your mouth," Adrian said, his tone playful but laced with cruelty.
"No," I said, my voice trembling.
Adrian's smirk widened. "Wrong answer."
He yanked my chair back abruptly, spinning me to face him. His storm-gray eyes burned with a dangerous light, his grip on my wrist tightening painfully.
"You think you can just say no?" Adrian asked, his voice low. "You think you can just sit there and defy us?"
"Adrian, that's enough," Leo said sharply, standing from his chair.
Adrian ignored him, his focus entirely on me.
"Eat the damn food," he snarled, shoving the fork toward my mouth.
I flinched, tears streaming down my face as I tried to pull away, but Adrian's grip was too strong.
"That's enough," Leo barked, his voice like a whip.
Adrian let go suddenly, the force sending me stumbling out of the chair and onto the floor.
"Fine," Adrian said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "She's all yours, Leo."
Leo's Lesson
Leo was on me in an instant, his icy-blue eyes boring into mine as he pulled me to my feet.
"You think this is a game?" he demanded, his voice cold and sharp.
I shook my head, my body trembling.
"Answer me," Leo snapped, his grip tightening on my arm.
"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"You don't get to make the rules here, Sophia," Leo said, his voice dropping lower. "You don't get to decide when you eat, when you obey, or when you cry. Do you understand me?"
I nodded quickly, my tears blurring my vision.
"I can't hear you," Leo said, his tone like ice.
"Yes," I choked out, my voice trembling.
Leo released me abruptly, and I stumbled back, clutching my arm as he turned to leave.
"Get to your room," he said over his shoulder. "And don't come out until you're ready to start behaving."
The Spiral
I locked myself in my room, my body trembling as I collapsed onto the bed. The tears came in waves, hot and relentless, until my throat was raw and my chest ached.
They're breaking me, I thought bitterly, my hands clutching the blanket like it could shield me from the weight of their control.
But as I stared at the ceiling, my body bruised and my spirit fractured, I felt something shift.
This wasn't living. This wasn't surviving.
This was suffocating.