His Prisoner, His Ruin.

A Warning in Red

CHAPTER FOUR

Roxanne couldn't believe it. Did he seriously want her out the door half naked?

“Please…”

“You have three seconds to walk out that door.” He calmly spoke as he poured himself a drink.

His voice was calm, but beneath it was something dangerous. And Roxanne knew better.

She gulped down nothing and turned around, aiming for the door.

Slowly, she walked out, the door shut behind her.

The cold hallway air hit her skin first.

Then, the boring eyes of the guards followed.

They had been outside waiting.

Her breath caught sharply in her throat as panic surged through her chest. She could feel their gaze all over her body.

For a split second she considered running back inside, but the heavy door had already locked. There was no escape from this humiliation now.

She wrapped her hands tightly around her body, trying to cover herself up. Her head bent.

“Move,” one of the guards said flatly.

Roxanne swallowed hard and forced her feet forward.

The thin fabric clinging to her barely covered anything, and every step she took made her feel more naked than the last.

She bit her lower lip hard.

She could feel the eyes of the guards on her big bouncing buttocks.

Heavens!

Every step down the long corridor felt like a public parade she had never agreed to join. The marble floor felt icy beneath her bare feet, and the echo of each step only made her more aware of herself… of how little she was wearing.

A maid appeared at the far end of the hall.

Then another. And another. Their eyes lingered.

Some widened in shock. Others dropped quickly as if pretending not to notice, but Roxanne felt every single stare like a weight pressing into her skin.

A group of guards stationed near the stairwell paused their conversation as she passed.

Silence fell.

Roxanne’s cheeks burned so hot she felt dizzy. She wanted the ground to crack open and swallow her whole.

She wanted to disappear. To wake up. To undo every mistake that had led her here.

But the hallway never opened. The world never swallowed her.

It only stretched longer.

By the time they reached her room, Roxanne’s legs felt like they belonged to someone else.

The guard opened the door and stepped aside.

She walked in without a word.

The door shut behind her with a heavy thud, locked from the outside.

Roxanne barely made it two steps before her knees nearly buckled beneath her. She grabbed the edge of the table for support, chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.

Khalil’s voice echoed in her head.

“You are mine. I will do whatever I choose with you.”

Her fingers trembled as she pressed them to her lips, trying to steady her breathing. Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it in her ears.

This was real.

She was truly his prisoner.

A shaky breath escaped her as she hurried across the room, searching drawers and shelves desperately for something, anything at all to wear.

Her hands moved fast, clumsily, as if she stopped even for a second, the walls would close in on her.

How had her life become this?

Her mother’s face flashed through her mind. Her friends. Her home.

If only she had listened. If only she had been more careful and took her mother's words seriously. If only.

Roxanne squeezed her eyes shut and released a heavy breath that trembled on the way out. Tears followed. Her breath shook vigorously.

The door suddenly opened.

Roxanne jolted, spinning around in alarm.

A woman stepped inside carrying a tray.

“Hi, miss,” she said warmly, offering a gentle smile.

She looked to be in her early forties, her expression kind and calm in a way Roxanne hadn’t seen since being brought here.

The word "miss" felt strange. Out of place. Like it belonged to another life.

Roxanne only wiped her tears and looked at her.

“I’m Clarissa,” the woman continued softly. “I’ve been assigned to you.”

She set the tray of food on the table with careful movements, as though she didn’t want to startle her.

But Roxanne’s mind was too crowded to process kindness.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip as she looked away, blinking rapidly. Thoughts tangled together in her head until none of them made sense.

“I’ll prepare your bath now,” Clarissa said gently.

Roxanne blinked in confusion.

A bath? Care?

None of this fit with the reality she had prepared herself for. She was in the custody of a man who wanted to destroy her. Why was she being treated like a guest?

An hour passed.

And just when Clarissa was about to leave, the door slammed open so hard it struck the wall with a sharp crack.

Both Roxanne and Clarissa flinched.

Alaine stepped inside dressed in striking red, every movement controlled and precise. Luxury clung to her like a second skin, from the sharp heels clicking against the floor to the confidence radiating from her posture.

Her eyes moved from Clarissa… then settled on Roxanne.

And stayed there.

For a long moment, she simply stared. She was stunned by Roxanne's beauty.

Something dark and dangerous flickered across her chest.

Roxanne stared back, confusion and unease twisting in her stomach.

She had no idea who Alaine was. And clearly, she was not one of the maids.

“So it’s true,” Alaine finally said, voice smooth and cold. “I travel for a few days and return to the good news that Khalil has finally captured his enemy’s family.”

Roxanne frowned, confusion tightening her chest.

“Good day, ma’am,” Clarissa said quickly, bowing her head.

Alaine rolled her eyes as if the greeting bored her. She didn’t even respond. Instead, she flicked her fingers toward the door.

“Get out,”

Her voice was sharp enough to cut glass.

Clarissa froze for half a second before quickly nodding and leaving the room, the door shutting behind her once again.

Silence fell.

And suddenly, Roxanne realized she was alone.

With her.

Roxanne’s confusion deepened as Alaine began walking around the room, inspecting everything like a critic judging a hotel suite.

Her gaze swept across the bed. The curtains. The furniture.

“How… comfortable,” she murmured. “A furnished room, soft sheets, clean clothes.” Her eyes snapped back to Roxanne. “And the prisoner looks neat and very unharmed.”

A low chuckle escaped her lips, sharp and unpleasant.

In a flash, she crossed the distance between them. Her hand shot forward and tangled into Roxanne’s hair.

Roxanne cried out as Alaine suddenly grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked hard, forcing her head back.

“You’re prettier than I expected,” Alaine said softly, almost admiringly, but her grip tightened with every word.

Pain shot across Roxanne’s scalp as she struggled to free herself.

“Let go!” Roxanne yelped, twisting and fighting to free herself.

But Alaine only gripped harder, jealousy blazing openly in her eyes now.

It took everything Roxanne had to shove her away. When she finally broke free, she staggered back, breathing hard, chest rising and falling rapidly.

Alaine smirked.

“Who the hell are you?” Roxanne demanded, bitterness and anger finally pushing past her fear. “I don’t even know you!”

Alaine tilted her head, amused.

“Oh sweet heart, you have no idea what is coming for you.”

Roxanne’s heart pounded.

“Just so you know, my man is already deciding what to do with you.” Alaine added.

Roxanne couldn't feel her feet anymore.

“What does that even mean?”

Alaine smirked.

“I guess you'd find out…bitch!”

With that, she walked out of the room.

Roxanne stood motionless, staring at the door. Her hands lingered on her burning scalp.

It occurred to her: Alaine was Khalil's girlfriend.

Oh crap! The fight was just a warning from her, she knew.

She was so not going to have a break here, was she?