CHAPTER 10

Selena

My legs felt like they were made of glass shaky, fragile as I forced myself down the hallway to my room. Every step sent a dull ache rippling through my thighs, a cruel reminder of what Stephen had done.

I should be screaming. Throwing things. Tearing down every inch of this cursed house. But all I could do was walk like a ghost trapped between walls that had seen too much.

I’m his sister.

His sister.

How could he? How could he touch me like that hurt me like that? The way his fingers bruised their way inside me, like he owned my body... like I was his to ruin.

My hands trembled as I shut the door behind me. The silence of the room wrapped around me, but it offered no comfort. I stumbled into the bathroom, skin crawling, and turned on the tap so hard the handle clicked against the metal.

I scrubbed myself raw.

Soap. Water. Hot. Scalding.

Still not enough.

It didn't wash off the way he looked at me, with those eyes that saw nothing human in me only possession. He told me I wasn’t really his sister. That his father just adopted me. As if that made it okay. As if that erased every boundary.

Tears blurred my vision. I dropped the soap. My knees gave out. I sank to the tiles and let the water wash over me like rain that couldn’t cleanse.

By the time I crawled back into bed, the sheets felt too clean for a body that didn’t belong to itself anymore. I curled in on myself and let exhaustion drag me under. Maybe in sleep, I could escape him.

But even dreams weren’t safe.

—--

Light cut across my face. I flinched, heart leaping before my eyes adjusted. The curtains had been drawn open. A girl in a pale blue uniform stood by the window, smiling.

“Good morning, ma’am,” she said gently.

I blinked, confused and groggy. “Hi. Good morning,” I murmured.

She gave a slight bow. “My name is Jennifer. I’m Master Stephen’s housemaid.”

I sat up slowly, trying to make sense of everything. “I didn’t see you yesterday.”

“Oh, I don’t live here,” she said, stacking the pillows neatly. “I come to clean, then leave. Master likes his privacy.”

Of course he does.

As she moved around the room, she glanced at me with curiosity. “You know… you’re the first lady Master has ever brought home.”

I stilled.

“He doesn’t bring women here. Ever. So when he asked me to set up a room for you, and told me all the things you liked and didn’t like I just knew you had to be special to him.”

Special?

If only she knew. If only she’d seen what his kind of “special” looked like behind closed doors.

“Can I ask you something?” I said, my voice quieter now.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“What about Julia? His girlfriend. Doesn’t she come to visit?”

Jennifer rolled her eyes. “That devil? Master doesn’t even let her inside. She’s rude. Always acting like she’s already Luna of the pack.”

I watched her closely. There was no love lost between her and Julia. But she wasn’t wrong Julia was full of herself.

Still, hearing that Stephen never let her in while I was here... it made something cold sink into my stomach.

Then it hit me I had Stephen’s class this morning.

“Shit.” I threw the covers off and bolted upright, pain shooting through my lower body like a fresh wound tearing open.

I gasped and gripped the nightstand, my knuckles white. His touch had left bruises I couldn’t see.

Jennifer noticed but said nothing, just hovered nearby.

“Master asked me to tell you,” she said gently. “You should wear the outfit he picked for you.”

My head snapped up. “Seriously?” I hissed. “Now he wants to control what I wear too?”

I slammed the bathroom door behind me and gritted my teeth. Who does he think he is? Controlling my body, my clothes, my life?

But deep down, I knew I had to play his game, at least for now. He had power I didn’t. And I was tired of losing.

When I came back out, the bed had been made and the outfit laid out: a sleek black gown, simple but elegant. His favorite color.

Of course.

Does he expect me to dress to please him?

I added a touch of blue a silk scarf tied around my neck just to feel like me again. Just to push back, even a little.

Outside, a black car was already waiting. No time to think. I climbed in and let the driver take me to the academy.

---

I was late. The classroom door creaked as I slipped inside, all eyes on me including his.

Stephen stood at the front of the room, mid-sentence, chalk in hand. His eyes flicked straight to the blue scarf on my neck.

His jaw tightened.

I looked away and hurried to my seat, the weight of his stare pressing against the back of my neck like a knife. Did I mess up again? I wore the dress. What’s the problem now?

I sat stiffly, barely able to focus as the lesson went on. I could feel his gaze linger, like he was burning holes through my skin. I tried not to tremble. Tried not to cry.

When the bell rang, I bolted upright. I almost made it out the door.

“Selena,” his voice stopped me cold, deep and commanding.

I turned slowly.

“Meet me in my office,” he said, eyes locked on mine.

Whispers filled the classroom as everyone turned to stare at me.

I could feel their eyes. Their judgment. Their curiosity.

And the fear building in my chest like a rising tide.

What did I do now? Why can’t I stop getting in trouble?

One thing was clear: I wasn’t invisible anymore. Not here. Not with him.

And I wasn’t sure if I’d survive the attention.