Page 47 of Condemned By Pain
She looks at me and grins. The heat inside me intensifies, burning hotter in my chest. She moves toward me. My eyes drop to her thighs. Her pale inner thighs peek through the gap below the last button of the shirt.
I clench my fists and jaw and force my gaze away from her—though my focus remains fixed in my periphery, where I can still see her. Whether I’m looking directly at her or not, she’s the only thing I can concentrate on.
“Umm... are you mad that I stole your shirt?” She asks timidly.
I turn my head to her face again.
“You’re stealing too much from me,” I say, my voice hard.
She catches a small corner of her lower lip between her teeth. My jaw tightens. I want nothing more than to capture those pink lips between my teeth. To bite them—to punish her for what she’s doing to me.
“Don’t get mad. I’ll return everything before leaving,” she offers with a smile.
“You won’t be able to.”
She sighs. “Then I’ll give you whatever you ask in compensation.”
“You won’t be able to do that either.”
She rolls her eyes. “It’s not like the things I’ve stolen are worth billions.”
“More than that.”
“Fine. I’ll ask my dad to give you whatever you want in return.”
This pulls me back to the reason I’m here.
“You told Nivi you’d have her killed.”
Her round eyes widen.
“When?” she gasps.
She snaps out of her confusion, gritting her teeth, her small face twisting in anger, and the urge to pull her into me surges even stronger.
“I said I’d make her regret it, not that I’d have her killed. But now I think I’d like that more.”
“Why did you say that to her?”
She watches me, eyes narrowing. “I’m so glad you care about your staff so much.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“She called me a whore. But I’m sure you must have authorized everyone here to call me names, so it’s not surprising to you. But know this—I don’t have a heart of gold, and I won’t forgive anyone who disrespects me. Neither will my father or my brother.”
I frown. “I don’t approve of any such thing.”
I made it fucking clear to Nivi after what they did that first day that no one would say or do anything disrespectful to her. Even knowing what happens to those who disobey me, Nivi dared to do it. And then she fucking dared to lie to me.
That’s why she’d hesitated before nodding.
I turn without wasting a second and head downstairs to the servants’ quarters.
I press the intercom and order Nivi to come out.
After a minute, she rushes out.
Elowen
