CHAPTER TEN: I'LL NEVER BE YOURS

Leah sat on the edge of the large bed, her fingers curling into the silk sheets beneath her. She stared at the door, waiting-unsure of what exactly she was waiting for. Since arriving at Ethan's penthouse, the tension between them had only grown. She felt trapped, not just by her circumstances but by his presence, which filled the space around her, heavy and inescapable.

Ethan entered the room without a word, his tall figure casting a shadow across the floor. He removed his jacket, moving with a calm control that only irritated Leah further. He always seemed in control, like everything was part of some plan only he knew.

"Are you going to ignore me forever?" Leah's voice broke the silence, her frustration boiling over. She had been stuck here since the wedding, and Ethan had barely said anything to her about what came next.

Ethan paused, his back still turned to her. "I'm not ignoring you, Leah." His voice was quiet but firm.

"Then what is this?" she asked, her voice rising. "You drag me from my wedding, bring me here, and now what? Am I just supposed to sit here and accept this?"

He turned slowly to face her, his gaze intense. "You don't have a choice."

Leah stood up, her hands shaking with anger. "I won't let you control me."

Ethan took a step closer, his eyes locking with hers. "Control? Is that what you think this is about?"

Her heart pounded in her chest as she glared at him. "What else would it be about? You don't care about me-you don't even know me. I was just some tool in whatever deal you made with my father, right?"

Ethan's jaw clenched, but he didn't deny it. "You're right. I don't know you." His words were cold, calculated. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're mine now. And as long as you are, you'll do as I say."

Leah's fists tightened at her sides. "I'll never be yours, Ethan."

A brief flicker of something-annoyance, maybe frustration-passed through his eyes before he took another step, closing the distance between them. He towered over her, his presence dominating the space. "You already are, Leah. Whether you like it or not."

Leah lifted her chin, refusing to be intimidated by his size, his power. "This doesn't change anything. You don't own me."

Ethan's hand moved to her chin, tilting her face up so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. "I own everything in this city, including you. But if you think this marriage is a game, you're mistaken."

Leah's breath caught in her throat, the heat of his touch sending a shiver through her body despite the anger burning inside her. She hated the way he made her feel-trapped, powerless, but also drawn to him in ways she couldn't explain. His dominance both terrified and fascinated her.

"What do you expect from me, Ethan?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "To just... submit?"

His eyes softened, just a fraction. "I expect you to stop fighting me. The more you push, the harder it will be for you."

Leah's heart pounded louder. "And what if I can't stop fighting?"

Ethan's grip on her chin loosened, his thumb brushing against her skin for a brief, intimate second before he let go and stepped back. "Then you'll suffer the consequences."

Her throat tightened, the weight of his words sinking in. "I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be."

His cold response left her speechless, a chill running down her spine. Leah swallowed hard, refusing to let him see how much his words affected her. "I won't live like this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan's gaze hardened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You don't have a choice, Leah. This marriage isn't about love or trust. It's about survival."

"Survival," Leah repeated bitterly. "For who? You?"

"For both of us," he said, his voice flat, matter-of-fact. "Your father gave you to me, and now you're under my protection. I suggest you start getting used to it."

Leah stared at him, her heart racing. She didn't know whether to feel anger, betrayal, or fear-or maybe all three at once. But she knew one thing for sure: she wasn't going to let him break her.

"Protection?" she scoffed. "I don't need your protection, Ethan. I need my freedom."

"You're not getting it," he said, turning away from her and walking toward the door. "Not yet."

"Then what do you want from me?" she demanded, her voice shaking with the weight of everything she had been holding back. "What is this all really about?"

Ethan stopped at the door, his hand resting on the handle. He didn't turn to face her this time. "I want you to survive."

With that, he left, the door closing behind him, leaving Leah alone in the suffocating silence once again.