Chapter 6:
ALESSIA
“You’re ours.”
The words didn’t just echo in the room—they settled into me, heavy and unyielding, like something that refused to be ignored no matter how hard I tried to push it away. My breath came out uneven as I stood there, completely still, my fingers curling slightly at my sides as if grounding myself was the only thing keeping me from losing control.
No.
That wasn’t right.
That couldn’t be right.
“I’m not yours,” I said, my voice quieter than I intended, but firm enough to carry the weight of my resistance. My eyes lifted to meet theirs one after the other, forcing myself not to look away despite the intensity behind their gazes. “This is a contract. One month. That’s all this is.”
Silence followed.
Not the kind that meant hesitation.
The kind that mean
