e last, each one designed to strip away the last remnants of her independence. Killian's presence in the mansion was like a shadow, always there, always watching, always

their wedding night, or the suffocating rules he imposed on her every move but whate

oday, something inside Elena snapped. He spoke, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "You'll be attending a dinner meeting with my associates tomorrow night. I expect you to behave properly. Wear something appropriate."Elena glanced up from her plate, meetin

a held his gaze, refusing to look away, even as her insides screamed at her to back down, to apologize. But she didn't. She wouldn't."I'm not asking you, Elena," Killian said,

et. I'm not going to let you break me."The silence between them was thick with tension. For a moment, Elena wondered if she had made a mistake, if she had just sealed her fate. But to her surprise, Killian didn't lash out. Instead, his li

to being obeyed, to having everyone fall in line with his demands. But now, for the first time, someone she was standing up to him.Her defiance stirred something in Killian. His emotions were a tangled mess irritation, an

ian did not storm in with anger. He stood there, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever."You have a meeting today," he said, his tone flat, devoid of any emotion. "I will accompany you."Elena didn't respond right away.

ossing his face. But his eyes never wavered. "You think you can walk around freely, Elena? You think I'll allow you to make decisions on your ow

going to let him see her crack. Not yet.She dressed in silence, the weight of his presence in the room almost unbearable. But there was a new resolve in her movements, a quiet determination that she hadn't felt before. She was going to fight. She didn't know

the tension between them. Elena could feel the weight of his control pressing down on her like an iron vice, but she refused to let it break her.But Killian wasn't done. He couldn't let her think that a simple act of

. Elena's heart raced as she tried to break free, but his hold only tightened, his strength overwhelming her."You

. Killian's eyes flashed with something dark, something far more dangerous than the fury she had expected. "You should be," he murmu

park to a flame, and in that moment, Elena realized that this game they were playing had only just begun. Killian's lips curled into a slow,

wasn't going to let him control her, not anymore. The spark in her chest burned brighter than ever,