The ride back to the mansion was cloaked in silence, broken only by the rhythmic hum of the car. The night outside seemed darker than usual, as if the shadows themselves were pressing closer.
The events of the night churned in my mind, i dared to glance at Ren.
His gaze was fixed ahead, his jaw tight, and one of his hands rested on his thigh , the faintest trace of tension visible in his knuckles.
We reached the mansion, the towering structure illuminated by moonlight. The staff were quick to greet us, bowing in silence as we stepped inside. Ren's coat was whisked away before he even broke stride, his steps deliberate as he headed toward his study, I reached upstairs.
---------------
Next day as usual ren wasn't presented all day.
I found myself standing before a mirror.
The reflection staring back at me was no longer the same woman before.
There was a new tension in my posture.
It had been weeks and nearly a month and half since the night i saved Ren's life. Weeks filled with dark whispers, i remember them all.
The quiet moments of peace had become rare. What had started as an unwilling rescue had quickly spiraled into something far more complicated, something dangerous, something that tied me to ren in ways i couldn't yet fully comprehend.
My gaze wandered to the door, where the faintest sound of footsteps echoed down the hall.
Max. His visits had become regular now, always in the background, always keeping watch.
The silence he carried with him was more telling than any words he could have spoken.
I didn't know how to feel about him, whether his loyalty to Ren made him an ally or another chain binding me to this nightmare.
A soft knock broke my reverie, and i turned to the door just as it creaked open.
Maria entered, her presence as composed and deliberate as ever.
"miss Elena" Maria's voice was calm but firm. "Dinner is ready."
I nodded, a hollow feeling settling in my chest. There was nothing left of my old life.
Here, every moment felt calculated, every action controlled.
But beneath that, something darker stirred. Ren's dominance, his need to possess, weighed on me like an unspoken promise.
I could feel it in my bones, that ever-growing sense of being trapped in a web i couldn't escape.
As i followed Maria down the hall, my mind wandered back to the party, to Valeria's calculating gaze.
That woman, with her sharp edges and veiled intentions, had thrown me off balance in a way i didn't expected.
What had Valeria seen in me? What game was she playing, testing my place in Ren's world?..
The dining room was just as grand and imposing as everything else in the mansion.
The long, table was set meticulously, the silver gleaming under the soft light of the chandeliers. Ren's absence was the only thing that felt unusual. Usually, he was present, watching from the head of the table, his eyes never leaving the people he controlled. Tonight, though, he was nowhere to be seen.
Maria's expression softened slightly as she observed me. "You'll get used to this" she said, though there was a sadness in her voice.
"In time, the shadows will feel like home."
I forced a smile, though it didn't reach my eyes. Shadows. That's all this life had been for me lately.
The clink of silverware interrupted my thoughts as Dmitri entered the room. His eyes swept across the table, a glance of disapproval before settling on me. I stiffened, uncertain whether the old man's silent judgment was directed at me or at something more.
He hadn't said much to me since my arrival, and i had quickly learned not to trust his quiet demeanor.
"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" Dmitri's voice was gruff, his eyes sharp as he regarded me.
I didn't respond immediately, unsure of how to approach the question. Was it a challenge? A warning?
"I don't fear the dark" i replied carefully, my gaze steady.
Dmitri chuckled darkly, but there was no humor in it. "Good. You don't fear the dark, but do you fear ren?"
" I don't " i said after a long pause, looking away from him.
Dimitri chuckles softly, a sound like dry leaves rustling in the wind.
"Ah, Elena. Brave words for a captive creature."
"Be careful with such bold declarations. In this house, they can be... misinterpreted."
Max entered shortly after, taking his place at the far end of the table. The moment he sat down, i couldn't help but notice the way the room seemed to shrink in size. The tension was palpable, as though everyone present was holding their breath, waiting for something to happen.
I glanced up, my heart skipping a beat when i caught sight of Ren's silhouette in the doorway.
He stood there,
His presence commanding the room, his eyes settling on me with an intensity that made me feel both exposed and protected.
As the dinner proceeded, the conversation felt like a distant hum in my ears. As im sitting to the right chair next to ren as usual.
My eyes flicked to him. His tailored suit seemed out of place tonight, his pristine white shirt marred by smudges of what looked like soot, and his blonde hair was disheveled as though he'd been through some physical ordeal. He looked... untamed,
like someone who had just stepped out of chaos.
I broke the silence, my voice cutting through the tension like a blade.
"What's wrong with your shirt?" I asked, tilting my head slightly.
He chuckled, a low amused sound that sent an unintentional shiver down my spine.
"You're observant, I'll give you that."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "I expect everything evil from you, Ren. You trained your personal wolf to bite me, remember? What else should I think?"
He laughed again, this time more genuinely, as if my audacity was a rare form of entertainment for him.
"Sharp tongue" he said, his lips curling into a smirk. "And just as observant. My apologies for that."
I rolled my eyes, leaning back slightly in my chair. Talking to him felt like walking a tightrope dangerous, but oddly thrilling.
"Save your apologies. I'm not buying it" I said flatly, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of rattling me.
Ren chuckled once more, his gaze gleaming with something between amusement and intrigue.
He seemed to savor every word I threw at him, every refusal to bow to his authority.
"You certainly are full of spirit, hm?" he mused. "Most people can't even form a sentence in front of me, yet here you are, talking back .. it's refreshing "
I met his gaze evenly, refusing to flinch under the weight of it. If he thought I'd back down, he was sorely mistaken.
Ren leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as his fingers steepled together. His gaze never wavered, locking onto mine like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Refreshing" he repeated, his tone soft yet brimming with unspoken authority. "But dangerous, Elena. Spirited women like you often find themselves caught in... precarious situations."
I swallowed, determined not to let him see how his words rattled me. "And whose fault would that be? You're the one who trapped me here, Ren. Don't pretend I asked for this."
His smirk deepened, but there was a flicker of something darker in his expression, something possessive. "You didn't ask, but you needed it. Tell me, Elena, what did your life offer you before? Freedom? Independence? And yet here you are, alive because of me."
I stiffened at his words, but he was relentless, his voice lowering to a dangerous murmur. "You saved my life, yes. But don't mistake that act for control. You belong to me now, Elena. Every step you take, every breath you draw .. it's mine."
The weight of his declaration hung in the air, suffocating and electric. I clenched my fists beneath the table, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "I belong to no one" I bit out, the defiance in my voice betraying the rapid thrum of my heart.
Ren's eyes darkened, and he stood, his chair scraping softly against the floor.
When he reached me, he placed his hands on the back of my chair, leaning in so that his presence enveloped me.
His voice was a whisper against my ear, velvet and steel.
"You can tell yourself that, Elena, but you'll see. The more you fight, the tighter the chains become."
I turned my head, meeting his piercing gaze despite the closeness that made my pulse race. "Chains can break, Ren."
His lips quirked into a faint smile, though his eyes remained cold. "Not these. You'll learn soon enough that no one walks away from me. Especially not you."
I wanted to snap back, to tear through his arrogant confidence, but my voice betrayed me. The truth was, his words ignited a strange mix of fear and exhilaration within me .. a pull I couldn't fully understand, let alone resist.
Ren straightened, his eyes raking over me like I was a puzzle he intended to solve. "Finish your dinner, Elena."
With that, he walked away, my appetite was gone, replaced by a tumult of emotions I didn't know how to untangle.
I glanced at Max, who remained silent and unreadable at the far end of the table.
I sat there, trying to calm the storm inside me.