Page 20 of The King's Pawn
I swallow hard but force my spine to remain straight. If this house has taught me anything so far, it’s that hesitation reads like weakness and that’s simply not something I can afford when measuring up against a man like him.
Not if I hope to make it out of this alive.
I lift my chin. “I was looking for my things.”
His brow arches a fraction.
“You took my phone and my laptop,” I continue, my voice steadier than I feel. “I want them back.”
A soft huff of breath escapes him, almost a laugh but not quite. “They’ve been confiscated.”
My eyes widen despite myself. “That’s my personal property.”
Sasha studies me for a long moment, and something like amusement flickers beneath the surface of his expression. It’s subtle, barely there, but it’s enough to make my skin prickle.
Then he shifts.
It’s a slow, deliberate lean to one side. He rests his shoulder against the doorframe, both arms coming up to cross over his chest. The movement is casual and unguarded like he has all the time in the world and nowhere else he needs to be that would prevent him from finishing this conversation.
It makes my pulse spike.
Men like him don’t relax unless they already have the upper hand.
He lets the silence stretch between us, heavy and uncomfortable. I become acutely aware of every small thing, from the faint hum of the lights in his office behind him to the soft rustle of fabric as he breathes and the way my heart is trying to beat its way out of my chest.
Finally, he speaks again.
“Personal property,” he repeats, tasting the word. “That’s a generous interpretation.”
My jaw tightens. “They’re mine. You can’t go around stealing things that aren’t yours.”
“I’m not. I’m cutting you off from the outside world. I thought that was quite obvious.”
I take a step closer before I can second-guess myself. “You can’t just isolate me from everything. I have a life outside of here that I will get back to. What happens when people try to reach me and can’t? Won’t that look suspicious?”
“You’re under my roof. Anything that leaves this house, anything that connects you to the outside world, becomes a liability. That’s not a privilege I’m willing to give you to exploit, much less gamble on the possibility that you will behave yourself.” The certainty in his voice steals the air from my lungs.
“But—”
“No.”
The word is final.
Sasha straightens from the doorframe and steps forward just enough to close the distance between us. He isn’t exactly invading my personal space or touching me, but he’s close enough that I feel his presence like a heavy pressure weighing over me.
“Go back to your room, Alina.”
The way he says my name sends a shiver through me. I glance past him to his empty office behind him.
The door behind him remains open.
An invitation? Or a warning?
“And if I don’t?” I ask, my eyes flicking back to his.
“Then your consequences stop being hypothetical. It’s your choice whether you want to test my patience or not.” The words are unemotional and sound far more frightening than if he had shouted them at me.
I hesitate, just half a second longer than I should.
