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Then I caught my first glimpse of Maxim’s home. His mansion wasn’t anything like I’d expected, resonating with an old-world charm that seemed like it had come straight out of a period drama movie or something like that.
The house itself was massive, a sprawling three-story structure of aged brick and stone.
Ivy crept up the sides of the building, softening the imposing façade with green tendrils that wove across the stonework, while the roof, steep and made of slate, reflected the moonlight in sharp angles and shadows.
The gardens surrounding the mansion were meticulously kept, with neat hedges and rows of flowering trees that I could imagine bursting into life in the spring.
As we drove up the gravel driveway, the crunching sound under the tires seemed to echo through the quiet night, which only seemed to make me even more anxious.
Punished…
I tried to shake off the nervous feeling spiraling in the pit of my belly, but it stuck to me like glue. I didn’t get out of the car right away; instead I waited for Maxim to come around and open the door for me.
For whatever reason, it felt like the right thing to do.
Like the perfect gentleman, he offered me his hand, but I ignored it. Instead, I hopped out all on my own, lifting my chin in defiance as I strode straight toward the wide stone steps that lead up to a set of heavy oak doors set beneath an imposing stone archway.
Honestly, the place was more like a castle than a home.
Actually, more like a prison…
Fucking bastard.
I shook off the nervous feeling tightening inside my tummy and held my head high, crossing my arms back over my chest as I turned and waited for him to climb the stairs and open the front door.
When Maxim finally joined me, there was a trace of amusement flickering in his eyes at my open defiance. He didn’t comment, instead turning to lead the way into his home. Pushing open the heavy doors, he stepped inside, and I followed. Despite my determination not to be impressed, the interior took my breath away.
The grand foyer was bathed in the warm glow of a crystal chandelier that hung from the high ceiling, its light reflecting off polished white marble floors. Rich tapestries hung on the walls, interspersed with portraits that looked as if they belonged in a museum.
Maxim noticed my momentary awe and gave a slight, knowing smile as if to say, “I told you so,” without uttering a word.
Immediately I glared at him, wishing a black hole would open up beneath his feet and make him disappear.
He gestured for me to follow him up a grand staircase that spiraled upward, its railings carved from a beautiful dark wood that gleamed under the soft lighting.
“You really expect me to be impressed, don’t you?” I said, my tone dripping with false bravado. “What’s next, a tour of the dungeons?”
“No dungeons here, I’m afraid,” he replied with a quiet chuckle as he led me down an ornate hallway lined with beautifully stained wooden doors.
He stopped in front of one and opened it, revealing a spacious guest room decorated with soft carpets, a large, inviting bed covered in plush white linens, and windows draped in heavy dark blue curtains.
“This will be your room,” he announced, stepping aside to let me enter first.
I walked in but paused at the threshold, turning to face him with what I thought was a rather glorious pout.
“So, this is my cell? It’s a bit extravagant for that, don’t you think?” I snapped, but he didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stepped inside after me and closed the door behind him.
He closed himself in the room with me.
Taken aback, I narrowed my eyes and studied him much more closely than before.
“What are you doing?” I asked cautiously as his gaze leveled with mine. There was a certain darkness simmering within those stormy blue depths, and I retreated back a few steps, feeling like he was something of a hot stove that I wasn’t supposed to touch if I didn’t want to get burned.
“You made several very reckless decisions tonight, Riley, and I think it’s about time that you and I had a discussion about what happens to very naughty girls who constantly put themselves in danger,” he chided, his voice far too scolding for my liking.
I didn’t even understand why, but my stomach tightened with anxiety. His icy cold stare was hard and firm, and I got the sudden feeling that this is what it would feel like for a little girl to get in big trouble with her daddy.
I distinctly didn’t like it.
