"Their Queen, Their Captive"

Chapter 8: Rules Were Made to Break

The mansion was quieter than usual that day, but the silence didn't bring peace. It was the kind of quiet that warned of a storm, the kind that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

I should have stayed in my room. I should have kept my head down, followed their stupid rules.

But that wasn't who I was.

The Forbidden Room

It started with curiosity. The long, dark hallway on the second floor always seemed to call to me, its heavy doors shut tight, secrets locked behind them.

Leo had told me not to wander. "Don't touch what doesn't belong to you," he'd said. As if anything in this house belonged to me.

But I was suffocating in that gilded cage. I needed to breathe.

I didn't know what drew me to the door at the end of the hall. It wasn't marked, but something about it felt forbidden. The knob turned easily under my hand, and I slipped inside, my heart racing.

The room was dark, lit only by the faint glow of the afternoon sun filtering through heavy curtains. Papers were scattered across a massive desk, maps pinned to the walls, red strings connecting locations I didn't recognize.

It wasn't just a room. It was a command center.

I stepped closer to the desk, my fingers brushing against the edge. That's when I saw it—a folder with my name on it.

Sophia De Luca.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. What was this? Why did they have a file on me?

I flipped it open before I could think twice. Inside were photos—of me, of my father, of places I'd been. Dates, times, details about my life that I hadn't even shared with anyone.

"What the hell is this?" I whispered to myself.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The voice was cold, sharp enough to make me jump. I spun around to find Leo standing in the doorway, his icy-blue eyes burning with fury.

Leo's Punishment

"I—I was just—" I stammered, stepping back as Leo crossed the room in two long strides.

"Did I not tell you to stay out of this part of the house?" he said, his voice low and dangerous.

"I didn't know," I lied, my back hitting the desk.

"Don't lie to me," Leo snapped, his hand slamming down on the desk beside me. The sound echoed in the room, and I flinched.

"I didn't mean to—"

His hand shot out, gripping my chin and forcing me to look up at him. His grip was firm, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me of who held the power here.

"You didn't mean to?" he repeated, his voice dripping with mockery. "You think that excuses disobedience?"

"I just wanted to know—"

Leo didn't let me finish. He released my chin and grabbed my arm instead, pulling me forward with enough force to make me stumble.

"You think you can just do whatever you want?" he growled. "You think the rules don't apply to you?"

"Let me go!" I cried, struggling against his grip, but it was useless.

Leo dragged me to the center of the room and spun me around to face him. His eyes were colder than I'd ever seen them, his jaw tight with barely restrained anger.

"You're going to learn," he said softly, his voice deadly. "One way or another."

Before I could react, he shoved me back against the desk, his hands gripping the edge on either side of me. I was trapped, his presence overwhelming.

"You don't touch what isn't yours," he said, his voice low and menacing. "Do you understand me?"

I nodded quickly, my heart pounding in my chest.

"I asked you a question, Sophia," he said, leaning in closer. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes," I whispered, my voice trembling.

"Good," he said, stepping back abruptly. His icy gaze lingered on me for a moment before he turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Adrian's Game

I barely made it down the hallway before Adrian found me. He was leaning against the wall, his storm-gray eyes alight with mischief.

"Well, well," he said, his voice teasing. "What did you do this time?"

"Leave me alone, Adrian," I muttered, brushing past him.

He caught my wrist, spinning me to face him. "Not so fast, sweetheart. You don't get to walk away from me."

"I said, let me go," I snapped, yanking my arm free.

Adrian's grin widened, but there was no humor in it. "Feisty today, aren't we? What did Leo do? Yell at you? Scare you?"

"None of your business," I shot back.

Adrian laughed, a low, dangerous sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Oh, it's definitely my business. You're part of this family now, remember? That means you're ours."

I tried to leave again, but Adrian blocked my path, his smirk turning cruel.

"You should really watch that attitude of yours," he said, stepping closer. "Leo might tolerate it, but me? I don't mind breaking you a little."

His hand brushed against my cheek, and I flinched, my stomach twisting in fear and anger.

"You're disgusting," I spat.

Adrian's grin faltered, and for a moment, his storm-gray eyes darkened. He grabbed my chin, his grip firm but not painful, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"Say that again," he murmured, his voice low and dangerous.

I stayed silent, my heart pounding in my chest.

"That's what I thought," Adrian said, releasing me with a smirk. "Run along, sweetheart. Before you get yourself into more trouble."

Nico's Warning

I stumbled into the library, desperate for air, for space, for anything that wasn't them. Nico was there, as usual, his emerald eyes lifting to meet mine as I entered.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice calm but curious.

"Nothing," I said quickly, collapsing into a chair.

Nico's gaze lingered on me, sharp and unrelenting. "You're lying."

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

"You need to be more careful," Nico said finally, closing the book in his hands. "Leo won't tolerate this kind of behavior. And Adrian—"

"I know," I interrupted, my voice sharper than I intended.

"Do you?" Nico asked, his emerald eyes narrowing. "Because if you did, you wouldn't keep pushing them."

"I'm not pushing them," I said defensively.

"You're breathing," Nico replied simply. "And for them, that's enough."

He stood, tucking the book under his arm. "Stay out of trouble, Sophia. Or don't. It's your funeral."

The Promise

That night, as I sat on the edge of my bed, I stared at the faint red marks on my wrists from Leo's grip. The girl in the mirror looked tired, scared—but her eyes burned with anger.

They think they own me. They think they've won.

I clenched my fists, my resolve hardening.

They're wrong.