Chapter 16 – A Taste of Power
613 Words
Elena lay awake in the massive bed, staring at the ceiling as the weight of Damon’s words settled over her.
"You were always meant to be mine."
She clenched her fists, fighting against the surge of emotions threatening to consume her. Fear. Anger. And something far more dangerous— an undeniable attraction.
Damon had stolen her choices, manipulated her life before she even knew his name. But if he thought she would accept that, he was wrong.
If she couldn’t escape outright, she would outplay him at his own game.
But first, she needed to understand him.
She needed to know why.
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The next morning, Elena found Damon in the dining room, sipping coffee as if he hadn’t just turned her world upside down.
She straightened her shoulders and approached, forcing herself to appear composed.
He glanced up, dark eyes scanning her carefully. “You didn’t try to run.”
Not yet.
She met his gaze without flinching. “Would it have worked?”
A smirk tugged at his lips. “No.”
She inhaled deeply, then sat across from him. “Then why waste my energy?”
Damon studied her for a moment, as if trying to unravel her thoughts.
“I want answers,” she said, voice firm. “If I’m trapped here, at least give me that.”
His expression remained unreadable, but after a long pause, he nodded. “Ask.”
She didn’t hesitate. “Why me?”
A shadow flickered across his face.
“You already know,” he said simply.
“My father’s debt,” she pressed. “You said he made a deal. What exactly did he promise you?”
Damon set his cup down with deliberate slowness.
“Your father was desperate. He came to me when he had no one else left to turn to.” His gaze darkened. “He offered collateral.”
Her breath caught. “Collateral?”
His eyes held hers, unwavering.
“You.”
A cold chill ran down her spine.
“He was a gambler, Elena. Reckless. He took money from dangerous men, but he had no way to pay it back. So he came to me, offering something far more valuable than money.”
Her heart pounded. “And you agreed?”
Damon leaned forward, his presence suffocating. “I didn’t just agree. I made sure it was ironclad. Your father signed his rights away the moment he put your name on that contract.”
Elena’s hands clenched in her lap.
“My entire life… was decided by a piece of paper?”
Damon’s jaw tightened. “No.” He exhaled slowly. “I was going to leave you alone.”
She scoffed. “That’s a lie.”
“It’s not,” he countered. “I had no intention of collecting. You weren’t supposed to matter to me.”
Something in his voice sent a shiver through her.
“But then I saw you.”
His eyes darkened with something dangerous.
“You walked into my world, Elena. And suddenly, I couldn’t stay away.”
The air between them grew thick, the intensity suffocating.
Elena forced herself to breathe.
“So, what now?” she asked, voice cold. “I’m just your possession? Something you keep locked away until you grow bored?”
Damon’s lips curled into something unreadable.
“No, Elena.” His voice was a quiet promise. “You are mine. And I never get bored with what’s mine.”
A tremor ran through her.
This was more than control. More than obsession.
Damon Blackwell wasn’t just keeping her there.
He had claimed her.
And she wasn’t sure she would ever be free again.
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- Writer
