Lucian
I watched Lexi gather her things, shoving clothes into her worn duffel bag with sharp, angry movements. Every item she packed felt like another step away from me.
"You don't have to leave," I said from the doorway of her room. "This is your space. I gave it to you for a reason."
She didn't look up. "What reason, Lucian? To keep your pet close by?"
The words stung more than I wanted to admit. "That's not what this is."
"Isn't it?" She finally turned to face me, her green eyes blazing. "I've been living in your house for weeks, eating your food, wearing clothes you bought me, working a job you created for me. How is that not being a pet?"
"Because you earned your place here." I stepped into the room, careful to keep my distance. "The day you confronted Harrison about his embezzl
