Cecelia's POV
The water burned against my skin. It was
just… too much. My whole body shook as the maids scrubbed my arms, my shoulders, my back.
Dirt washed off in thin brown lines. My skin looked pale underneath. Bruises showed more clearly now. One maid held my wrist up.
"This one is deep,"
She said, another nodded.
"Clean it properly. The Don doesn't like damaged things."
My chest tightened at that word. Things. Not a person. Just… something owned.
I stayed quiet. I didn't fight them. I didn't speak. I just stood there while they washed me like I didn't belong to myself anymore.
They poured water over my head. It ran down my face, into my eyes. I blinked fast. My hair felt heavy against my back.
"Stand still,"
One said sharply.
"I am,"
I whispered. She didn't respond. They finished quickly. Too quickly. Like this was normal. Like girls who come here all the time.
They wrapped me in a soft towel. Then pulled me out. The room outside felt colder. One of them brought a dress.
It was simple but expensive. Way too expensive for me.
"Wear this,"
She said,
I took it slowly. My fingers trembled. I dressed quietly.
The fabric felt strange on my skin. Too smooth. Too clean. Not mine.
When I finished, they stepped back and looked at me. One crossed her arms.
"She'll do."
The other shrugged.
"For now."
My chest tightened again. They didn't look at me like I mattered. Just like something that would be used. Then replaced.
"Come,"
One of them said, I followed. The hallway stretched long and quiet. My bare feet made soft sounds against the floor.
I felt small walking there. Like the walls watched me. We passed a group of workers. They stopped talking when they saw me. Then the whispers started.
"That's her?"
"The new one?"
"She looks weak."
"She won't last long."
I lowered my head. My fingers curled into the fabric of the dress. I kept walking. Faster. Like if I moved quickly, the whispers would stop. But they followed.
"The Don's new plaything."
"Another desperate girl."
"She'll be gone in a week."
My chest hurt. I bit my lip hard. Don't cry. We reached a door. One of the maids knocked once. A guard opened it slightly.
"She's ready."
The guard looked at me. His eyes didn't stay long.
"Send her in."
The door opened wider.
"Go," the maid said.
My legs felt weak. But I stepped forward. The door closed behind me. And everything changed. The room felt dark and heavy.
The lights were low. Shadows filled the corners. The air felt thick. Hard to breathe. Then I saw him.
Marcus. He stood near the window. Back to me. Power filled the room because of him.
I didn't move or speak. I just stood there. Waiting. My heart pounded so loud I thought he could hear it. Seconds passed.
"Come closer."
His voice was low.
I swallowed. My feet moved slowly. Step by step. I stopped a few feet away.
"Closer."
I stepped again. My hands shook at my sides. My chest rose and fell too fast. I stopped again. He turned slowly. His eyes landed on me instantly.
Watching everything. I froze. His gaze moved over me. From my face. To my neck. To the dress. Then back to my eyes.
"You clean up well,"
He said. My throat felt tight.
"Thank you,"
I whispered. He didn't respond to that. He stepped closer. Not fast. Just… certain.
Every step felt like pressure on my chest. Then he stopped in front of me.Too close. I couldn't breathe properly.
"Strip."
The word hit me hard. My body froze. My fingers tightened slightly. I looked at him. Maybe I heard wrong. But his expression didn't change.
"Now."
My stomach dropped as my hands trembled more slowly…I reached for the edge of the dress. My fingers felt weak. I pulled it up, carefully.
My breathing turned uneven. The fabric slid off my shoulders. Then down my arms. Then lower. Until it fell to the floor. I stood there.
Feeling naked and exposed as my skin felt cold. My body shook. I wanted to cover myself. I couldn't.
His eyes stayed on me. Watching without making a move. He didn't even touch me. He just watched.
It felt worse somehow. My chest rose quickly. My arms stayed stiff at my sides. I didn't know where to look. Not at him because nowhere felt safe.
"Look at me."
I forced my eyes up. Slowly. His gaze held mine. Strong.
"Come here."
My legs moved again, a step closer. I stopped when I was right in front of him. I could feel his presence.
My heart was beating fast. Something strange moved inside me. Not just fear. Something else, something I didn't understand.
Heat spread slowly through my chest. Then lower. I swallowed hard. As I stared at him confused.
Why did my body feel like this? I was scared. I should only feel scared. But this was different.
"Closer,"
He said again.
"There's nowhere else to go," I whispered.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Closer."
I took one more step. Now there was no space between us. My breath caught. I could feel the heat from his body. My fingers trembled harder.
Then, he touched me. Just my chin. His fingers lifted my face slightly. Simple. But everything inside me reacted. My breath hitched.
My body became tense. But not fully. Something else moved again. That strange heat. It was stronger now.
My chest rose sharply. My lips parted slightly. I didn't understand. Why did it feel like this?
Why did his touch make my body react like that? His eyes stayed locked on mine. Watching closely. Like he noticed everything. My breathing.
His thumb brushed lightly against my jaw slowly. But it sent a sharp feeling through my body.
I gasped softly. My knees felt weak. My fingers curled slightly. My body leaned forward without thinking.
Just a little. His eyes darkened more. Something changed in them. Something dangerous. My chest rose faster now.
"I…"
I tried to speak. But nothing came out properly. My body felt strange. Like it wasn't fully mine. Like it was reacting on its own. His hand moved slightly lower.
To my neck. My breath caught again. I couldn't stop the sound that left my lips.
A small gasp. My eyes widened with confusion, embarrassment and fear. And something else.
His grip tightened slightly. Not hurting. Just enough to take control. To feel. His gaze dropped briefly.
Then I returned to my eyes. His breathing changed. Just a little but I noticed. And that made my heart race even more.
The air felt thicker now. Harder to breathe and even harder to think. Everything felt focused on him.
On his touch. On the way my body reacted. I didn't understand it. But I couldn't stop it.
My fingers reached out slightly. Then stopped. I didn't know what I was doing. Didn't know what I was supposed to do.
"Marcus…"
I whispered. His name felt strange on my tongue. His eyes darkened fully now. Something dangerous and intense moved in them.
Something I didn't understand. But I felt it.
Strong and clear. And then I saw it. The realization. He looked at me differently.
His jaw tightened slightly. His grip on my neck stayed firm. My body reacted again. Another soft gasp escaped me.
And his eyes locked onto my face. Focused and sharp. Wanting too much.
Something had changed. Something I didn't understand. Something I couldn't stop.
And something he didn't expect. His voice came out lower now.
"Stay still."
I nodded quickly. I couldn't do anything else. My body already felt like it belonged to him. And that scared me more than anything. And that scared me even more.