Chained By Desire
me, but I pushed it down and k
a deep, familiar
Matteo sat on the same plush sofa he had occupied the day before,
ed away from the doorway, closing the doo
leaving no room for argument. He
he silence in the room felt suffocating, with no one else present. Matteo's
rves were stretched thin, dreading what his answer might be. I
alk to you,"
caught off
ging at the corners of his li
hen gestured fo
el your father's debt," he said, his
body stiffening as sho
d, his tone casual yet firm, "and
I stared at him, horrified. Every muscl
up entirely, just to erase a debt? What would h
ough my voice wavered. "
d, seeming more amused th
oing to sell myself to you. I'll work every nigh
k into the sofa. "The deadline for the debt is to
. My mind went blank, and I found myself
ked, leaning closer until his
, my throat too
he folded his arms across his chest. "Do you have any idea what
Ivy was my world-my reason for fighting. If a
begged, my voice breaking a
Matteo seemed to enjoy my vulnerab
ving you twenty-four hours. Agree to be mine, and I'll erase the
nty-four hours? That wasn't enough tim
dered, his tone
beneath me. My tear-streaked face was hot w
my mind like a curse: "Jus
-
moil. Matteo's deep voice played over and over in my head
ours, Elara," I repe
more than a possession-a tool to erase my father's debt. And what w
he might hurt us. H
r boiled over, and I felt like screaming. My hatred for my father burned hott
my vision as de
en, and Ivy stepped inside, h
d off, her eyes narrowing as she took in
, pretending to search for something inside i
Aren't you supposed t
"Ever since you came back last night, you've been
s, but they came anyway. Before I knew it,
rapped her arms around me, h
" she coaxed gently, pu
me to sell myself to him," I sai
arkened with
he deadline has passed, and now he wants me to agree to his te
you're some kind of object to be trad
.." I stammered, unable
's fault. He got us into this mess, not you. We shouldn't ha
e face of danger, she was unshakable, a
n hours, a spark of h
e city tonight,"
startled. "Whe
ane lives there-I'll ask her about it today. Maybe
ip, then nodde
ckly. "Don't tell anyone what we're doing. He gave me
I whispered, "I love you," and hurried out