that white lace dress on the bed like it was a pile

d clamped around my wrist earlier. I paced the roo

he room, trying to

I saw m

led out, relief f

ou. I can't believe he'd do that

to sign the contract. We saw the way he looked at you at the cor

er. "Jaxson threatened to exile you! That's the

wly, his eyes full of a pity

his intentions. He promised us that under his rule, our family would never wan

me like a physical

have to lift a fin

our own daughter, and you sold me

Ava! You were sleeping with a man who couldn't even protect you from a comm

iles long, the wallls closing in. They had don

houlder. I didn't have to tu

Ava," Jaxson murmured, hi

bullied me in highschool, he was a monster who had systematically dismantled

choked, looking from my pa

He just stared at my parents

e said finally. "Now go into that dam

ng for a second before they clea

I said,

narrowed

t my parents. They were dead to me now. I only looked at him. "Give me five minutes alone to

He thought he had finally broken me. He thought

ded, stepping back to let

ng against my ribs. I closed the doors and loc

the bed where th

d for th

r. My fingers brushed over velvet boxes and expe

-handled dress

from the afternoon light. I walked over to the bed, staring down at the white

he door. "Ava? It's t

ved when he talked about pinning me down. I thought about the way he

under my hand. I wanted to see him look at me and feel

hispered, my voice as shar

about the cost. I didn't think about the consequences. I just

t rooom, Jaxson wouldn't