The room smelled of lavender and silence. Sera sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the locked window. Her ankle still throbbed, but the pain was dull compared to the ache in her chest. She hadn't seen Vince all day, and that unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.
Then came the sound.
Raised voices. Sharp, angry tones. One of them—female.
She stood, limping toward the door. Pressed her ear against the wood.
"I want to see her! She's my niece!" a woman shouted from down the hall.
"That's not going to happen," came Vince's cold reply.
Sera's heart dropped.
---
Downstairs, Juliana stood with her chin raised, surrounded by Vince's men. Though older, her presence was fierce. She wasn't here to beg—she was here to demand.
"You think you can hide her from me?" Juliana hissed. "Do you even know who I am?"
Vince stepped closer, hands in his pockets. Calm. Dangerous.
"I know exactly who you are," he said. "A woman who used a child as a servant. Who fed her scraps—if anything at all. Who raised her on cruelty."
"I gave her a home!"
"You gave her chains," Vince shot back. "And now you want to drag her back to that hellhole?"
Juliana's eyes burned with rage. "She belongs with family! Not locked away by a criminal in a mansion like this."
Vince's smile was slow. "You think she's a prisoner? She's safer here than she ever was with you."
"Then let her speak for herself!"
"No."
The single word dropped like a hammer.
Juliana pointed at him. "You can't keep her forever. People will ask questions. I'll go to the authorities, the media—"
"I hope you do," Vince interrupted smoothly. "I'd love to show them hospital records, photos of bruises, statements from neighbors. You think I didn't investigate you before taking her?"
Juliana faltered.
Vince's eyes narrowed. "You lost your rights to Sera the moment you laid a hand on her."
---
Upstairs, Sera backed away from the door, her breaths shaky.
That voice… it was her aunt. And Vince had kept her away.
Was he… protecting her?
Or controlling her?
She didn't know anymore.
---
"You're just like the rest of them," Juliana spat. "You pretend to care, but you're just another man who wants to possess her."
That hit deeper than Vince expected.
He stepped in, eyes locked on hers. "The difference is, I don't break what I claim."
"And what do you do instead? Chain it in silk?"
Vince didn't answer. He nodded to his men. "Escort her out."
Juliana struggled as they grabbed her arms. "This isn't over, Vince Reviano! You hear me?! I will come back! I will burn this house down if I have to!"
"You'll try," Vince said, voice cool. "But if you do… you won't walk out next time."
---
That night, Sera stared at the ceiling. The mansion no longer felt quiet—it felt tense. Tighter.
When Vince finally entered the room, she sat up slowly. He didn't speak. He simply walked to the window, checking the lock, then turned to her.
"She came, didn't she?" Sera asked.
Vince looked at her. "Yes."
"What did she say?"
"That she wants you back."
Sera lowered her eyes. "Did you… tell her no?"
"I told her the truth," Vince replied. "That you're not hers to take anymore."
A long silence.
"Am I yours, then?" she whispered.
Vince walked over and knelt beside the bed. His gaze held hers, unwavering.
"You don't have to be," he said. "But if you stay… no one will hurt you again."
Sera didn't respond. Her fingers clutched the blanket tighter.
He stood slowly. "Get some sleep."
But as he reached the door, her voice stopped him.
"Why are you doing all this for me?"
Vince paused, his back still to her.
"Because the world already tried to break you," he said softly. "And I won't let it happen again."
Then he left, the click of the lock following him.
And Sera lay awake, torn between fear… and something far more dangerous.