"Their Queen, Their Captive"

The bruises had begun to fade, but the shame still lingered like a fresh wound. My cheek no longer burned, but every time I caught my reflection in the mirror, I could still feel Leo's slap and Adrian's lips on mine.

I had underestimated them.

These men weren't just cruel—they were relentless. Each one pulling at me, testing me, pushing me further into the corner they wanted me to inhabit.

I told myself that I'd survive this. That I could outlast them. But the days were bleeding into one another now, and I wasn't so sure.

Adrian's Provocation

It started in the afternoon. I was in the garden again, walking along the path that wound through the hedges. This was the only place where I could breathe—where I could almost forget about the men waiting inside.

But of course, I wasn't alone for long.

"Well, look at you," Adrian drawled, his voice slicing through the quiet like a blade. "Playing princess in your little garden again."

I froze, fists clenching at my sides as he approached. He looked too smug, too satisfied, like he already knew how this would end.

"I came here to be alone," I said sharply, turning my back to him.

"Is that how it works now?" Adrian teased. "You tell us what you want?"

His footsteps crunched against the gravel behind me. I didn't turn to look at him—I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. But suddenly, he was there, his hand catching my wrist as he spun me to face him.

"You don't get to ignore me," he said, his smirk gone, his storm-gray eyes sharp and predatory. "We've been too nice to you."

"Too nice?" I shot back, wrenching my arm out of his grip. "Is that what you call this? Leo slaps me, you force yourself on me, and Nico—"

"Careful, sweetheart," Adrian interrupted, his voice dropping lower, darker. "You're making me sound like the villain here."

"You are the villain," I spat, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

The air between us turned electric. Adrian's smirk returned, but there was no humor in it—just something cruel and dangerous. He stepped closer, crowding into my space until my back hit the hedge.

"You should really learn when to shut that mouth of yours," he said softly. "It's going to get you hurt."

"Then hurt me," I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. "Isn't that what you want?"

Adrian stared at me for a long moment, his silver hair falling into his eyes as his grin widened. "You've got some bite in you, don't you? Fine. Let's see how long it lasts."

Before I could react, his hand gripped my jaw, his fingers pressing into my skin as he tilted my face up. His lips brushed against my ear, his voice dropping to a whisper that made my blood run cold.

"You'll break eventually, Sophia," he murmured. "They always do."

He released me suddenly, stepping back as though nothing had happened. I stayed pressed against the hedge, my breath ragged, my heart pounding as Adrian turned and strolled back toward the mansion, whistling softly to himself.

Leo's Lesson

I didn't make it far before I ran into Leo. He was waiting at the foot of the staircase, arms crossed, his cold blue eyes locking onto mine the moment he saw me.

"Where have you been?"

"In the garden," I said, my voice shaking despite myself.

Leo stepped closer, and I fought the urge to move back. "Did I not tell you yesterday that you're not to leave the house without permission?"

"I needed air," I replied, my tone brittle.

"And I gave you rules," Leo said. His voice was calm, but it was the kind of calm that comes before a storm.

"Rules that only matter because you think you own me," I shot back, my frustration boiling over.

Leo's expression didn't change. He just grabbed my arm—firm, unrelenting—and pulled me forward.

"Let me go!" I cried, struggling against his grip.

Leo ignored me, dragging me toward his office. The moment we were inside, he pushed the door shut and released me with enough force that I stumbled.

"You will learn," he said softly, stepping closer until I could feel the cold bite of his presence. "You will follow my rules. And you will not speak to me like that again."

"You can't keep me here forever," I said, glaring up at him.

Leo's lips curled into a faint smirk. "Watch me."

Before I could process what was happening, his hand gripped the back of my neck, forcing me to meet his gaze. His touch wasn't violent, but it was firm—possessive.

"Defiance will get you nowhere, Sophia," he said softly, his eyes narrowing. "You're not strong enough to fight me. To fight us."

"Then kill me," I whispered, my voice trembling. "If that's what you want, just do it."

Leo's grip tightened, his thumb brushing the bruise on my cheek from the day before. "I don't want to kill you. I want you to understand."

"Understand what?"

"That you're mine."

He released me abruptly, stepping back as though he hadn't just claimed ownership of me like I was an object. I stood there, shaking, my breaths coming too fast as Leo walked past me, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

Nico and the Truth

That night, I found Nico in the library. He was sitting in his usual chair, a book balanced in his hands, his expression as blank as always.

"What do you want?" he asked without looking up.

"I need answers," I said quietly, stepping closer.

"Answers won't change anything."

"I don't care," I replied. "I need to know."

Nico sighed, closing the book with a soft snap. His emerald gaze met mine, steady and unreadable. "What do you want to know?"

"Why?" I whispered. "Why do you hate me so much?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. Then he stood, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the room as he stepped closer.

"I don't hate you," he said softly. "I hate what you represent."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you were forced on us," he replied. "And because of you, everything we wanted was taken away."

"I didn't choose this," I shot back, my voice breaking.

"I know," Nico said, his voice almost too quiet. "But that doesn't change what it cost us."

He turned away, leaving me with nothing but silence and the weight of his words.