Chapter Five

My eyes bulged out of their sockets, and my hands became sweaty and clammy.

“Wh-why?” I spluttered.

She shrugged, her eyes not giving anything away. “Get ready and meet me downstairs in ten minutes,” she said and snapped the door shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” I cussed under my breath and buried my head in my hands, thinking of a way out.

My breath came out in short pants, and I was seconds away from a panic attack.

“Breath, Sophia,” I reminded myself, and slowly forced air down my windpipe.

It’s nothing serious.

He didn’t see me.

He probably just wants to meet me formally. Adaline had said so herself that he would send for me.

That has to be it.

I convinced myself with my words, and dragged myself into the bathroom, not wanting to be late and piss him off further.

I did the quickest shower routine in history, not bothering to use the hot bath I’d been fascinated with since I came here.

I let my hair down to air dry, and got dressed in a tank top and sweatpants.

Or what would one wear to officially meet their hot as hell uncle?

I cringed at my thoughts, but for some reason, my simple lazy dressing didn’t look so appealing anymore.

I changed into a pair of jeans and crop top, vaguely wondering why I was doing too much.

I liked this look a bit better anyway, so I decided to go with it.

I walked out of the room, and headed downstairs, looking around and wondering where to find Adaline.

Do I shout her name? Yeah, no.

“Sophia!” I heard my name, and whipped my head back so fast I heard a crack.

“Geez, Adaline!” I sighed and placed my palm over my erratically beating heart.

“You seem jumpy,” she tilted her head to the side, a hint of concern and something else I couldn’t quite place, filled her eyes.

“I…I didn’t hear you coming,” I said, flustered.

“Sorry for the jump scare. Your uncle is waiting,” she smiled curtly, and led the way to a part of the house I hadn’t seen yesterday.

We walked through a maze of identical hallways with rows and rows of doors, letting me know the house was way bigger than I thought, till we got to a door.

Adaline knocked once, and a gruff voice from inside asked us in, before she opened the door.

Everything in the house screamed wealth and luxury, and this study wasn’t any different.

The study was a luxurious oasis with walls lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, crafted from rich, dark wood, stretching towards the ceiling, housing a vast collection of leather-bound classics, rare volumes, and modern literature. Plush, velvety armchairs and a comfortable reading nook inviting relaxation, sat on one corner.

The curtains were drawn, but soft, warm lighting emanated from table lamps and floor lamps, casting a golden glow on the room. The air was thick with the scent of old books, wood polish, and a hint of vanilla.

On one end of the room was a sleek, black half-moon shaped desk, and behind that desk was none other than my uncle, staring at me with dark, soulless eyes that made my breath hitch in my throat.

“Leave us,” he said, not taking his eyes off me.

His voice was rich and deep like a gentle breeze on a summer day, but with an undercurrent of steel that vibrated through my body, settling on the bundle of nerves in between my thighs.

I was lost in the piercing green eyes of the man in front of me that I didn’t hear the door open and close. The temperature of the room dropped drastically, a chill running through my spine, only then did I realize we were truly alone.

“Come here,” he commanded.

Power and dominance flowed through his tone, and one would mistake it for arrogance.

I hesitated, my feet rooted to the spot. But something in his eyes drew me in, and I found myself moving towards him, my heart pounding in my chest.

I stopped a few feet away from the desk, and he stood up, his long legs eating up the distance between us till he was a hair’s breadth away from me.

His domineering aura rolled out of him in waves, such that it almost brought me to my knees.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

I gulped, and slowly raised my head till I was lost in the deep pool of green ocean that was his eyes. His icy eyes held me in place, and I felt frozen.

“How old are you?” He asked.

“Ni-nineteen,” I stuttered.

Real smooth, Sophia.

“A fucking child,” I heard him mutter under his breath, and my blood boiled.

“I’m not a child!” I snapped.

“Of course she’ll have her mother’s fucking temper.”

I lost it then.

“Don’t talk about my mother! You never cared about her. About us!” I yelled, hot tears welling in my eyes.

“I put a roof over your head now, haven’t I?” He said nonchalantly.

“I will not live at your mercy,” I said through gritted teeth.

He was just as infuriating as he was good looking.

“Right, or you could live in the streets, and be a slut,” he said easily.

I gasped. “Fuck you!”

The words were barely out of my mouth when he gripped my chin. Hard.

“Look, princess, you better watch that mouth of yours, or you won’t like what I’ll do to you,” his eyes darkened till they were almost black.

I was shaking with fear inwardly, because if he applied just a bit more pressure, my jaw would break in half, but I maintained the glare in my eyes.

He finally let go of me, and I angrily wiped my tears with the back of my palms and balled my hands in fists.

“Now, in this house, there are rules. You must not speak to any of my guests. You must not go past your boundaries. You must never come to me unless I categorically send for you. All your meals will be in the dining room. You must not leave the house without informing anyone of your whereabouts, and lastly, you must never be in my space. Am I clear?” He growled.

“You forgot something. I must ask your permission to breathe.”

I must have grown a set of balls last night, because I didn’t know where the defiance came from to challenge this hulk of a man, whose eyes practically screamed “don’t mess with me!”

“Am I clear?” He growled dangerously, ignoring me.

“Of course,” I forced out.

“Now, get out!” He commanded and returned to his seat.

What? I gawked at him, wondering how rude a person could be.

“I’m sure you’re not deaf,” he said in a low, but dangerous voice.

I swallowed the rest of my words and stormed out of the study. He was so grumpy and an asshole, and I started regretting being there in the first place.

I was angry at his demeaning words, but I couldn’t stop my heart from beating furiously in my chest.

One glance at the closed door, and I knew I was in trouble