His Laws, Her Chains

home wa

ched into tight fists on her lap. The weight of what had just

e was on tha

barely knew, a man who hadn't even

oat tig

d straight ahead, his massive frame taking up half the c

ne h

ce was su

y Alexander had barely acknowledged her, the way he had given

into the fabri

m. To curse. To dem

good woul

t the type of man who

, those cold blue eyes stripping away every

e wors

't even

eyes, but she refused to let h

e. The mansion loomed in the darkness, the golden glow

turned to her.

rough. Not unkind, b

p in her throat and fo

d, the cool night air hit

The house was quiet, too quiet. Normally, the staff would be b

ht, it wa

eady kn

was waiti

nodded once before closing the car door an

eath and pushed ope

r scent of her childhood home wrappi

two steps before he

ri

th relief, but all she

d stance was slouched, his eyes tired. The bruises on his face had faded sl

tomach t

one this

eir fa

t make it hu

t," she sai

xhaled shakily, running a hand down

w clen

thank her. That this wasn't a

st nodded. "I'm

wait for hi

e shut the door and locked it, pres

en, did she let h

floor as silent sob

as tr

e was no

-

e Nex

arely

was still lying awake,

ation sank in deeper wi

would officially bec

ht made h

door made her

er face quickl

, and Lorenzo s

with pleasantri

tomach t

moothing down her d

. Instead, he gesture

answer

idn't wait

en his

way through the house. The moment they stepped

lse po

in that car, there

s no turning

ep breath and

silent, just l

der's estate that Aria realized she ha

new

ew pr

s, darker, colder. It was surrounded by high ga

shive

asn't

a for

eavy doors shutting behind th

Dark marble floors, high ceilings, dim lighting.

he saw

d of the room, speaking in hu

rsation, he w

lickered to hers, the

ed in her

deliberate, before he dismissed his c

left imm

erself to kee

shrink under

e just studied her, as if deciding w

fina

re he

, smooth, but comp

. "I didn't h

lightly-not a smile, but so

ard her, slow

topped just inches away,

d. Smoke

that," he

h caught in

urned and walked away, disappear

g there, completely

-