Chapter 13

Richard's POV

I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. Tyler. That idiot. I should’ve known he was playing some kind of game, sneaking around, pretending to care about Lena. He thinks he’s smart, but he’s not. He’s a fool, and worse, he thinks he can outplay me.

As if I wouldn’t find out.

My foot pressed harder on the gas, the car speeding down the dark streets. My head was a mess, buzzing with anger. Betrayal. Tyler of all people. And then Lena, sitting there, probably smiling behind my back, letting him get close to her. Like I wouldn’t notice.

I laughed bitterly. Did she really think I wouldn’t see through her? That I wouldn’t realize she’s just like everyone else, pretending to be innocent, but always scheming.

By the time I pulled up to the house, my mind was racing. I had to get control back. Everything was slipping through my fingers, and I wasn’t going to let that happen. Not with Lena. Not with anyone.

I slammed the car door shut, storming into the house. Kayla was lounging on the couch, flipping through some magazine like she had no care in the world.

“Where the hell have you been?” she asked, not even bothering to look up. “I’ve been waiting for hours.”

I didn’t answer right away. I just stared at her, the anger boiling inside me. It was her fault too, somehow. Everything felt off the rails, and I could feel her slipping away from me too.

“Richard?” She finally looked up, frowning. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” I repeated, stepping closer. My voice was sharp, barely holding back the rage. “You’re my problem, Kayla. You and everyone else in this damn house.”

She scoffed, flipping the magazine shut and tossing it on the coffee table. “Oh, here we go. What now? Is this about Lena again? Because I’m getting sick of hearing about her.”

“Of course it’s about Lena!” I shouted, my hands clenching into fists. “It’s always about her. She’s ruining everything.”

Kayla rolled her eyes and stood up, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’re the one letting her ruin everything. You’re obsessed with her, Richard. And for what? She’s not worth it. She never was.”

I took a step closer, my breath coming in sharp bursts. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that.”

“Or what?” Kayla snapped, glaring up at me. “You’re losing it, Richard. Everyone can see it. You can’t control her, and it’s driving you crazy.”

I grabbed her by the arm, yanking her closer. Her eyes widened in shock, but she didn’t pull away. “You think I can’t control her?” I hissed. “You think I’m losing control? I am in charge here. I always have been.”

Kayla laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. “Yeah? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re falling apart.”

I shoved her away, the fury bubbling over. “You don’t know anything. None of you do.”

She stumbled back, rubbing her arm where I’d grabbed her. “You’re right. I don’t. But I know you’re paranoid. You’re seeing things that aren’t there. You think everyone’s plotting against you.”

I opened my mouth to shout again, to throw more blame at her, but her words hit a nerve. I turned away, pacing the room, my mind spinning. She wasn’t wrong.

I was paranoid. I could feel it. Everywhere I turned, it felt like someone was whispering behind my back, plotting to take me down. Even my own mother, with her cold, calculating gaze. She had been quiet lately, too quiet. And Tyler. That betrayal stung the most. He’d been my friend for years, and now he was sneaking around behind my back with her.

And then there was Lena. Every time I thought I had her under control, she slipped through my fingers. She wasn’t like the others. She didn’t break the way I expected. Even after everything I’d done, she still had that look in her eyes. That look that said I hadn’t won yet. That I never would.

But she was wrong. I would win.

Kayla sighed from behind me. “Richard, you need to let this go. She’s not worth all this... anger.”

I spun around, pointing a finger at her. “You don’t get it. It’s not about her. It’s about control. My control. No one, not her, not Tyler, not even my mother, is going to take that from me.”

Kayla raised an eyebrow. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that? By shouting at everyone until they listen?”

I stared at her, my chest heaving. She didn’t get it. None of them did. This wasn’t just about Lena. This was about everything. The company. The family name. My place in all of it. If I lost control of this, I lost everything.

“I’m going to make her submit,” I said quietly, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

Kayla frowned. “What?”

“I’m going to break her,” I repeated, louder this time. “She thinks she can defy me. That she can escape. But she won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”

Kayla took a step back, her eyes narrowing. “Richard, you’re talking like a lunatic.”

“Am I?” I asked, tilting my head. “Maybe that’s what I need to be. Maybe that’s the only way to get what I want.”

Kayla shook her head slowly, her arms wrapping around herself. “You’re losing it, Richard. And if you’re not careful, you’re going to lose everything.”

I laughed, the sound harsh and empty. “I’m not going to lose anything. You’ll see. When this is over, I’ll have everything under control again. Lena. The company. All of it.”

She didn’t say anything for a long time, just stood there, staring at me like I was some kind of stranger. Maybe I was. Maybe that’s what I had to become to fix this mess.

Finally, Kayla let out a long breath and shook her head. “Do what you want, Richard. But don’t expect me to stick around and watch you destroy yourself.”

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone in the silence.

Good. Let her leave. I didn’t need her. I didn’t need anyone. All I needed was a plan.

I paced the room, the anger still simmering just beneath the surface. Lena. She was the key to all of this. If I could get her under control, everything else would fall into place. But how?

My thoughts drifted back to the boathouse, to Tyler’s face as he tried to talk me down, as if he thought he could reason with me. As if he thought he could take Lena from me.

I clenched my fists, the rage flaring up again. Tyler was part of the problem. He was getting too close, interfering where he didn’t belong. I had to deal with him, too. But not yet. Not until I had Lena where I wanted her.

The house was quiet, the ticking of the clock on the wall the only sound. I stared out the window, my mind racing. What was she doing now? Was she sitting in her room, thinking about how she could escape? Did she think Tyler was going to save her?

I smirked. Let her think that. Let her believe she still had options. It would only make it sweeter when she realized she didn’t.

I walked over to the phone on the table and dialed the housekeeper’s number. “Bring Lena to me,” I said, my voice calm, controlled.

There was a pause on the other end. “Now, sir?”

“Yes, now,” I said through gritted teeth. “I want to see her.”

I hung up the phone and leaned back in the chair, my mind already spinning with plans. I’d show her. I’d show all of them. No one defies me. No one escapes me. Not Tyler. Not Kayla. Not Lena.

Especially not Lena.

The door opened a few minutes later, and there she was. Pale, fragile, but still holding her head up like she wasn’t afraid of me.

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “Come here, Lena.”

She hesitated, her hands clenched at her sides.

“I said come here,” I repeated, my voice harder this time.

Slowly, she stepped forward, her eyes locked on mine. There was something in her gaze that unsettled me. She wasn’t broken. Not yet.

But she would be.

“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” I said, standing up and walking toward her. “You think you can get away from me? That Tyler’s going to save you?”

Her eyes flickered, but she didn’t say anything.

I stopped in front of her, leaning in close. “No one is coming for you, Lena. No one. You belong to me. And I’m going to make sure you never forget that.”

She flinched, just a tiny movement, but I saw it. And it was enough.

I smiled, the satisfaction swelling inside me. “You’re going to submit to me, Lena. You’re going to beg me for forgiveness. And when you do, I’ll remind you just how powerless you really