I didn't move.
Even after they dragged the men away.
Even after the room emptied.
Even after the sound of their footsteps disappeared into silence.
I was still standing on the staircase.
Frozen.
Watching him.
Cyprian didn't look away from me.
Not once.
"Come down, Raven."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it carried.
Heavy.
Commanding.
Like it wasn't a request.
My body hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then I started walking.
Each step felt louder than it should have.
The marble beneath my feet cold.
The distance between us shrinking too fast.
By the time I reached the last step, my heart was beating so hard it felt like it might give me away.
But I refused to look weak.
Not in front of him.
Not after what I had just seen.
I stopped a few feet away.
Close enough to feel his presence.
Too close.
"You didn't answer my question," I said quietly.
His head tilted slightly.
"About Claire?"
"Yes."
"She is safe."
"That's not enough."
My voice came out sharper this time.
Stronger.
Even though my chest still felt tight.
"I want to see her."
A brief silence stretched between us.
Not empty.
Measured.
Cyprian stepped closer.
And just like that, the air changed.
"You are in no position to demand anything from me."
The words were calm.
But they landed like a warning.
My jaw tightened.
"And you're in no position to decide what I should or shouldn't care about."
For a moment...
just a moment....
something flickered in his eyes.
Interest.
Then it was gone.
Replaced by that same cold control.
"You saw what happens," he said quietly.
"To people who forget their place."
A chill ran down my spine.
But I didn't back down.
"I'm not one of them."
"No," he agreed.
His voice dropped slightly.
Lower.
More dangerous.
"You're not."
Before I could react, his hand reached out…..
and gripped my chin.
Firm.
Not rough.
But not gentle either.
My breath caught.
He tilted my face up slightly, forcing me to meet his eyes fully.
"And that," he said softly,
"is exactly why they are still alive."
My heart stuttered.
"What…?"
"If they had touched you," he continued,
his gaze darkening,
"you wouldn't have seen them this morning."
A cold wave rushed through me.
He released my face slowly.
But the feeling of his touch lingered.
Burning.
Possession.
I stepped back before I could stop myself.
"I'm not yours."
The words came out quickly.
Instinctively.
Like I needed to say them before they became untrue.
Cyprian went still.
Completely still.
Then….
he smiled.
Not warm.
Not amused.
Dangerous.
"You keep telling yourself that."
My chest tightened.
"I mean it."
"So do I."
Silence fell between us again.
But this time…
it felt different.
He walked past me.
Slow.
Unhurried.
Like he wasn't the least bit threatened by anything I said.
Then he stopped right beside me.
Close enough that I could feel his breath near my ear.
"You're still here, Raven."
My pulse spiked.
"You're still under my roof."
My fingers curled slightly.
"And whether you like it or not…"
His voice dropped into something darker.
Something that wrapped around my spine and held tight.
"You were taken from my enemies."
A pause.
"That makes you mine."
My breath caught.
Before I could respond….
a sharp knock echoed from the front door.
Both of us went still.
One of the guards rushed in moments later.
Urgent.
Tense.
"Sir…"
He hesitated.
Just for a second.
Cyprian's voice turned cold instantly.
"Speak."
The guard swallowed.
"They're here."
The air shifted.
Something dangerous.
Immediate.
Cyprian's eyes darkened.
"Who?"
The guard glanced at me briefly.
Then back at him.
"The men you've been expecting."
A pause.
"They said… if you don't hand her over…"
My stomach dropped.
"…they'll come in and take her themselves."
Silence.
Heavy.
Explosive.
Cyprian didn't look at the guard again.
He looked at me.
And this time…..
there was no hiding what burned in his eyes.
Violence.
Possession.
War.
"Go upstairs," he said quietly.
I didn't move.
"Cyprian…."
"Now, Raven."
The command snapped through the room.
And for the first time…
I realized something even more terrifying than before.
This wasn't over.
It was just beginning.