Moksh's P.O.V
"Wh-what are you doing?"
She barged in after banging on my door for five minutes straight. I had no choice but to let her in—I knew how volatile her temper could be.
It had been two days since I was brought here, and she hadn't even looked in my direction. But today, she was stepping up. Why today? She had previously warned me that she would make my life miserable. Was she finally putting those words into action? After all, she had bought me at that auction.
My heart hammered against my ribs as she strided directly toward me. My feet felt anchored to the floor, and my conscience grew frantic under her piercing glare.
"Keep quiet, or things will get much worse for you," she ordered, shoving me firmly onto the bed. She grabbed my wrists and secured them above my head, setting a heavy locked box on the side table.
I struggled against her hold, but in my weakened state, I couldn't resist her strength for more than a few seconds.
Her eyes never softened. She looked vicious, as always, her jaw clenched tight.
"Wh—what is this? What are you doing?" I had no idea what she was planning. I pulled against the restraints as she locked my arms to the headboard.
"You know what this household is built on?" She smirked, unbuttoning my upper collar to inspect the lingering bruises on my chest. "Structure. Discipline. Obedience."
"W-what are you doing? Stop," I choked out. Her dominant hold on my chest, my bound hands, and her overwhelming presence left me completely immobilized.
"You think you can just refuse to eat and defy my household staff?" She pulled a leather gag strap from the box, holding it up. "This is for when you refuse to comply quietly. You will learn to listen, one way or another."
Before I could protest, she fitted the restraint securely over my mouth and buckled it tightly behind my head. She smirked in satisfaction.
I muffled a sound, trying to speak, but she cut me off immediately. "Don't bother trying to talk unless you want to make this harder on yourself."
She leaned in close to my face, her voice low and dangerous. "You will stay right here and reflect on your place in this house. Thirty minutes. Consider this the start of your discipline."
"And don't worry—I'll be right here watching until the thirty minutes are up."
She kept her word. She sat in the chair nearby with a book in her hand, reading as if nothing unusual were taking place.
The next day, she had me kneeling on the floor beside her desk while she worked on her laptop. I was instructed to stay completely still with my hands resting flat on my knees.
I had been on my way to the laundry room when she called me in. The panic from the previous session still lingered in my mind, and now this.
She glanced down at me with those same intense eyes. When I shifted slightly to relieve the pressure on my sore joints, her foot came down sharply against my shin, making me wince in pain.
"Keep still. I do not want a single sound out of you," she commanded coldly.
I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling to remain motionless on the hard wooden floor.
"I-I'm... I'm sorry," I managed to murmur.
"Hmm. I see we're making progress. You're learning how to apologize," she said, a faint, mock smile touching her lips.
I looked down, consumed by embarrassment. Why didn't I fight back harder? I hated being under her complete control, yet the fear of what she might do next kept me pinned to the spot while she worked silently above me.
It was late at night, and my water mug was empty. I needed to fill it up, but when I stepped into the kitchen, Kira was standing right there in the dim light, holding a glass of wine and staring straight at me.
"What are you doing up this late?" she demanded.
"For... for water." I held up the empty mug, hoping to avoid another confrontation.
I felt her cold eyes tracking my movement as I filled the glass at the counter. Suddenly, her hand came down, pressing the mug firmly back against the surface.
"Don't move," she murmured, stepping up behind me.
My knees were still aching from sitting on the floor earlier, and my body instantly tensed.
"You still haven't learned how to follow simple instructions, have you?" Her hand gripped my shoulder with harsh force, forcing me to stand straight. "You think you can ignore the house rules just because I gave you a room?"
"What... what are you talking about?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"I told you to eat your meals and stay in line. If you keep causing trouble for the staff, I will make sure your routine becomes much stricter. Do you understand me?"
I gripped the edge of the counter to steady myself. "Yes..."
"Good. Remember it," she said cold-heartedly, releasing her grip and stepping back.
"What are you doing?" Kira's sharp voice broke through my thoughts as she walked into the foyer, Rahul by her side as usual.
I was sitting on the bench in the main hall with my hands folded, waiting for her arrival.
As she stepped closer, Rahul whispered something in her ear before walking off toward the study.
"I asked what you are doing out here," she said, her voice rising.
"Aunty is not feeling well," I replied softly, drawing back slightly to keep my distance. "She asked me to serve you dinner when you returned."
Her expression shifted instantly from cold annoyance to visible concern. "What? What happened to her?"
She turned to head toward the staff quarters, but I stopped her. "She's sleeping now. I don't think you should disturb her."
She paused, exhaling a heavy sigh. "Did she take her medicine?"
"Yes," I answered. "I can heat the food for you if you'd like."
"You aren't trying to poison me, are you?"
The question caught me off guard. "No! Why would I?"
Her lips curled up slightly into a faint, dry expression. "Relax, I'm making a joke. Look at your face."
A joke? Who jokes with such an unreadable face and zero emotion? My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.
As I heated the meal in the kitchen, she walked back in wearing a comfortable robe, her hair still damp from a quick shower.
"Have you eaten yet?" she asked.
"No," I replied softly.
"Then why haven't you?" Before I could answer, her hand reached out from behind, gripping the back of my neck firmly. "Did you finish the tasks Aunty gave you for today?"
"Yes, I did everything," I stammered, holding onto the edge of the stove.
"You'd better have," she whispered near my ear. "Because as long as you are under this roof, you answer to me. The sooner you learn to obey without pushback, the easier your time here will be."
I nodded quickly, not wanting to provoke her further. I hated this place and I hated her control over me, but if keeping my head down was the only way to survive until I could leave, then that was what I had to do.