The study was like a grand cathedral made of dark mahogany and cold glass, filled with the comforting scent of old leather and a hint of mystery. Roman didn't just lead me there; he moved ahead confidently, his shadow stretching across the Persian rug like a dark stain.
"Sit," he gestured, pointing to a plush velvet chair that looked more like a throne of thorns.
He stepped behind a desk that seemed fit for a conqueror. Instead of a ring or bouquet, he pulled out a leather-bound folder.
"This is the 'Master-Servant' clause," Roman said quietly. "You stay for one month. You attend every event with me. You smile when I smile. You eat when I eat. And in return, Leo Anderson stays safe, and his records stay clean."
I looked at the heavy, gold pen he offered. It felt sharp and dangerous.
"Do you really think a signature can make someone love you, Roman? You're delusional more than I thought."
"I don't need your love, Eva. I just need you to be far from poverty. Secondly, this city knows that I can get anything I want." He leaned back, watching the pulse in my neck. "Even a woman who claims to have a soul like you."
I took the pen, my hand trembling. As I leaned over the desk to sign away my life, my elbow nudged a stack of folders, sending them falling to the floor.
"Clumsy," Roman said softly, reaching down.
But I was quicker. I bent to pick up the papers, my eyes catching on the top page of a blue file that had slipped under the desk. My heart gave a jolt.
It wasn't a contract. It was a termination report from six months ago, which read:
'Employee: Leo Anderson Reason for Termination: Gross Misconduct / Whistleblowing Authorized by: Roman Claudius.'
Below that was a handwritten note in sharp, aggressive ink: "Crush him. Ensure he never walks again. Make an example of his 'morals.'"
My breath caught. So it wasn't just an accident at a factory. Roman hadn't just fired Leo—he had actively hunted him. He had blacklisted the man I loved so much.
"Give me that," Roman said roughly, reaching out to snatch the file.
I pulled back, holding it out of his reach, my eyes burning with fresh anger.
"So you didn't just meet me at the gala and decide you wanted me, did you? This was never about me, Roman."
I stood up, clutching the blue file to my chest like a shield.
"You've been destroying Leo for years. The factory 'accident'? The denied insurance? The blacklisting? That was you. All of it."
Roman stood up slowly, his face hardening into a mask of pure, unadulterated coldness. The 'bored billionaire'was gone. In his place was the man who had broken Leo's life.
"He was a fly in the ointment, Eva," Roman said, his voice dropping to a terrifying whisper. "He thought he could change the way I ran my empire. He thought he could protect 'vulnerable women' from my corporate policies. He was a nuisance. So, I swatted him."
"He was a hero!" I screamed, the sound echoing off the high ceilings. "He stood up for people who couldn't stand up for themselves. People like me__!"
"And look where it got him," Roman countered, stepping around the desk until he was inches away. "He's a cripple in a slum, and the woman he loves is standing in my study, wearing my silk, signing my contract in my terms."
He reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. "I didn't just choose you, Eva. I chose you because when I saw you at that gala, I realized you were the only thing he had left. Taking you wasn't just about possession. It was about the final destruction of the man who dared to defy me. Besides, a beautiful damsel like you shouldn't be suffering with a hopeless man"
I felt a chill wash over me that had nothing to do with the air conditioning. This wasn't a romance. It wasn't even an obsession. It was a war.
"You're a monster," I whispered.
"I'm a winner," he corrected. "Now. Sign the paper. Or I call the men in the alleyway and tell them that your Leo is no longer of interest to me alive."
I looked at the pen. I looked at the blue file. And then, I looked at Roman Claudius.
"I'll sign," I said, my voice suddenly as cold as his. "But know this, Roman. You haven't won the final piece of the puzzle. You've only been careless with fire"
I leaned down and scrawled my name—not in a delicate script, but in bold, jagged letters.
"Thirty days," I said, tossing the pen onto the desk. "Let the countdown begin."
Roman picked up the contract, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Welcome home, Eva. Your room is at the end of the hall. Don't bother locking the door. I own the keys. And get ready for tonight's event"
I walked out of the study, my head held high, but as soon as I reached the hallway, I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. I sneaked a look at it. It was a message from Leo.
'Eva, I'm sure you are coping well. I have found the event center for the gala night. I must be there tonight. I miss you.'
The pain in my chest increased. A text message from a man who could sacrifice anything for me. Leo could barely stay a day without me, now, he will learn how to stay with me for one month. Tonight, he's about to take a very big risk just to see me in Roman's cage. I was excited to see him but I was scared of the possible outcome