Chapter 18: Chapter Seventeen

“I will never go to your house, why should I do as you say?"

The moment she repeated those words again, the air in the room grew heavy. Hunter grew impatient with her constant refusal disobedient. He was getting angry now. For a long moment, the silence was thick, broken only by her nervous breath.

“You,” he said in a low voice, almost amused, “are the only one who has ever dared to disobey me this much. Continuously. Over and over. Do you know what that makes you?”

She swallowed hard, refusing to look away from him. “What does it make me?”

His lips curved into something that wasn’t a smile. “It makes you totally mine. Because no one else has ever had the courage…or the stupidity…to test my patience the way you do. And patience is not something I have in abundance, little dove. Don’t try me further.”

Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “What would you even gain by trying to control me this way? By keeping me locked close to you?”

Hunter’s eyes burned with a fire that made her chest tighten. “Everything,” he whispered harshly. “You were always meant to be by my side. Always. From the first day I saw you, you were mine. You don’t belong to the world. You don’t belong to that filthy club. You don’t even belong to yourself.”

She was tired of saying the same things over and over again. “That’s insane. I don’t belong to anyone.”

“You belong to me,” he said firmly, the words like chains. “You were born to be mine. You’re going to be my plaything, my weakness, my obsession. And one day, you’ll accept it. Whether you want to or not.”

Her heart pounded. “I don't accept…”

He cut her off with a sharp laugh, but his voice grew darker, harsher, every word dripping with his obsession. “Do you think I spend my time like this for just anyone? Do you think I waste nights touching, teasing, playing with some pussy like I have with you? I don’t. I never do. But with you…” his eyes swept over her, heated and hungry “—I’ve been preparing you for me. For my manhood. For what will be yours to take. When I finally have you, it won’t be in some cheap room. It’ll be under my roof. In my bed. And the day I fuck you, the day I take your virginity, it’ll be the day you’ll never escape me again.”

Her face burned, anger and shame colliding. “I’m not a virgin.”

Hunter’s lips twitched as if he almost pitied her for trying. “You’re lying. I already know. No one has touched you. No one has seen what belongs to me. That untouched little body is mine. And when I finally split you open, it’ll be with pride, because I’ll be the only man you’ll ever remember.”

Her stomach twisted, her chest aching with fury. “You’re delusional.”

“And yet,” he murmured, standing, “you still tremble when I’m near. You still melt when I touch you. Deny it all you want.”

When she refused again, Hunter’s jaw hardened, his expression unreadable. Then, without another word, he grabbed her arm—not hard enough to bruise, but firm enough that she couldn’t fight him off—and pulled her out with him.

“Where are we going?” she snapped, pulling at his grip.

“Home,” he said simply.

It wasn’t the glass penthouse this time. Instead, the car rolled through iron gates that opened onto a massive property hidden behind tall walls. The mansion loomed like something out of a storybook—grand, old, and intimidating with wide steps, tall windows, and sprawling grounds lit with garden lamps.

Her eyes widened in shock. This wasn’t just a house. It was a fortress.

Hunter didn’t look at her as the car stopped. He simply pulled her out and led her inside.

The front doors opened before they even reached them. A woman in her late fifties, with silver-streaked hair tied in a bun and a kind smile, stepped forward.

“Welcome home, sir,” she said warmly before her eyes shifted to the girl clutched in Hunter’s grip. Something softened in her expression, almost protective.

“Maria,” Hunter said curtly. “This is Mirabella.”

Maria’s smile widened kindly. “Ah, so she’s the one I’ve been hearing about.”

The girl’s brows furrowed. “Hearing about?”

Hunter ignored her question, releasing her arm. “Maria oversees the mansion. She’ll take care of you. Show her to her room. The one beside mine.”

Her head jerked toward him. “Huh?”

“Yes,” Hunter said, his tone final. “Close enough for me to hear you breathe at night.”

Maria’s eyes flickered with curiosity but she said nothing, simply gesturing kindly. “Come, dear. Let me show you to your room.”

Maria led her up a grand staircase, down a long hallway with polished floors and paintings that probably cost fortunes. The room she opened was unlike anything she expected.

It was soft. Feminine. Girly. Pastel curtains hung over wide windows. A large bed with white sheets and soft pink throws dominated the room. There was a vanity by the wall, a bookshelf with carefully chosen novels, even a small armchair near the window.

It felt like… a room prepared for her.

Her heart twisted uneasily.

And then she noticed it: a connecting door on the far side of the room. She moved closer, touching the golden handle.

“That leads to the master’s room,” Maria said gently. “Don’t worry, it's locked.”

Her breath hitched. She hated that even in this beautiful space, he had tethered her to him.

“Rest well, dear,” Maria said kindly, patting her shoulder. “Dinner will be ready downstairs if you wish.”

But she didn’t see Hunter again that evening.

Night fell. She bathed and dressed for work, slipping into her uniform and grabbing her bag. When she reached the main doors, however, her hand froze on the handle. Locked.

She tugged harder. Still locked.

“Mrs Maria!” she called, her voice sharp.

Maria appeared, wringing her hands nervously.

“The doors,” she said quickly. “Unlock them. I have to leave for work.”

Maria hesitated. “The boss gave instructions…strict instructions…that you’re not to leave the house without his permission.”

Her jaw dropped. “What? He said that?…”

“I’m sorry, dear,” Maria said softly, her eyes apologetic. “But I can’t disobey him. It’s more than my job. His rules are law here.”

Fury rose hot in her chest. She stormed upstairs, straight into the hall, and threw open the Hunter’s room door. Empty. But she didn't fail to notice how masculine the room was. Neat and clear.

“Where is he?” she demanded.

Maria flinched but answered. “He hasn’t gone out since you both arrived. He must be in his study.”

It took her five tries to find it. When she pushed open the heavy wooden doors, the smell of leather and smoke hit her first. The room was vast, lined with shelves heavy with books. A wide desk sat in the middle, sleek and intimidating, and behind it sat Hunter, his face illuminated by the glow of a laptop.

He didn’t look up when she entered. His fingers tapped on the keys, calmly and unbothered.

She glared. “I need to go out. Open the doors. Now.”

His voice was smooth, quiet. “Come here.”

Her fists clenched. “I said, let me out. I have to go to work.”

“I don’t want you working at that club anymore.”

Her heart pounded. “You don’t get to decide that for me!”

“I do,” he said, finally lifting his gaze to hers. His eyes burned with certainty. “You’re not leaving this house again. You’ll stay indoors. Safe. Close. Where I can keep you.”

She felt like strangling his neck. “You’re totally insane!”

He leaned back in his chair, unshaken. “Maybe. But insanity is what keeps you mine.”

Her voice broke with rage. “Go fuck yourself!”

Something snapped in him then. He pushed back his chair so violently it scraped the floor and stood, his jaw clenched, his eyes blazing.

“Instead of fucking myself,” he growled, stepping toward her fast, “I’d rather fuck you.”

She gasped as he lunged forward, his hand reaching for her. Panic lit her veins like fire. She spun on her heel and bolted out of the study, her heart hammering.

“Come back here Bella!” His voice thundered behind her as his footsteps pounded after hers fast.

She ran down the hall, her pulse wild, her mind screaming. She darted into the kitchen, skidding across the polished floor, and scrambled behind the counter just as Hunter stormed in after her.

Her chest heaving. The counter was the only barrier between them now.

And his eyes were dark, furious, hungry and were locked on her.