The next morning, I woke up with a sense of determination that refused to loosen its grip, even after I had washed, dressed, and forced myself through the first dull minutes of the day.
Darius had given me a schedule, guards, restrictions, and the calm assurance of a man who had already decided what shape my life would take inside his house.
I did not intend to challenge him loudly. That would have been foolish. But I was not willing to accept everything without understanding where the lines actually were.
If I was going to live here, then I needed to know the difference between a rule, a threat, and a habit that everyone obeyed because they were too afraid to test it.
I dressed simply, careful not to choose anything that would make my intentions too obvious. I did not want to look like I was preparing for rebellion.
I wanted to look like a man trying to settle into an unfamiliar household. There was a difference, and I hoped the people watching me would believe it.
