“Elisa.”
The voice was deep, steady, and commanding. It didn’t need to be loud to carry weight.
Elisa’s hands were still clenched at her sides as she turned, her eyes burning with defiance. Kieran stood in the doorway of her new room in the packhouse, leaning against the frame like he had all the time in the world.
She didn’t know how long he had been watching her.
“I told you to be ready,” he said simply.
Elisa swallowed hard. The room was grand—too grand. The bed was massive, covered in deep red sheets, the kind that looked expensive. She had no idea why she even noticed that detail, but maybe it was because everything about this situation felt so… surreal.
“I didn’t agree to this,” she said, her voice cold.
Kieran’s lips twitched, but it wasn’t a smile. “You didn’t have to.”
She
