MADDOX
The sharp knock on the door jarred me out of my focus. Seraphine’s trembling form was beneath me, her defiance finally subdued, her breath uneven. My hand gripped her chin, forcing her to hold my gaze even though I could see the hatred blazing in her eyes.
“Don’t look away,” I murmured, my tone low and commanding. This was the moment I relished the most—the moment when her loathing dissolved into submission.
But the knock came again. Louder this time.
Her gaze flickered toward the door, breaking my hold over her entirely. My teeth clenched. “Wait here,” I snapped, rising from the bed and leaving her as she sat upright, wrapping the sheets around her like armor.
I threw the door open with a scowl, my glare landing on the scrawny servant boy standing there, visibly trembling. His
