Elena didn't speak as Alessio carried her through the estate.
She didn't scream.
Didn't struggle.
Didn't beg.
Because she already knew it wouldn't matter.
Fighting him had gotten her nowhere.
Running had gotten her nowhere.
Now, she was back where she started—a prisoner in his world.
And worst of all?
She had no one to blame but herself.
The Walk of Shame
Alessio didn't say a word as he carried her up the grand staircase, his grip firm but not punishing.
As if he wasn't angry.
As if this was inevitable.
The worst part?
He wasn't wrong.
Guards lined the hallways, their eyes flicking toward her, their expressions blank.
They had seen this before.
They had seen women try to escape, try to defy him.
And they had seen them fail.
Elena forced herself to keep her chin high, her back straight, even as shame burned through her.
She would not let them see her break.
She would not give him the satisfaction.
Finally, he reached his room.
Or maybe her room.
She wasn't even sure anymore.
Because the truth was—Alessio never locked her in.
He had never needed to.
Because no matter how hard she tried, she could never truly escape him.
He set her down inside, silent, controlled.
Then, he left.
The door clicked shut behind him.
No punishment.
No threats.
No demands.
Just silence.
Elena stood frozen, waiting for the anger.
For the cruelty.
For the moment when he would finally make her pay.
But it never came.
And that was worse.
The Weight of Failure
The clock ticked.
The wind howled outside.
Elena sat on the edge of the massive bed, staring at the door.
Waiting.
Waiting for him to return.
Waiting for the punishment that wasn't coming.
Waiting for something—anything—to break the silence pressing down on her.
But Alessio didn't return.
He had left her here.
Alone.
Not as a kindness.
But as a lesson.
He wanted her to sit with it.
To feel it.
The weight of her failure.
The humiliation of being caught.
The reality that no matter what she did—he would always win.
Her fingers curled into the sheets, a lump rising in her throat.
This was worse than any punishment he could have given her.
Because at least pain was something she could fight against.
But this?
This was suffocating.
This was a slow, creeping realization sinking into her bones.
That she had lost.
That she had never stood a chance.
And worst of all—
That Alessio knew it.
That was why he wasn't here.
Because he didn't need to be.
Because she would break on her own.
And when she finally did—
He would be waiting.
Just like always.
Because she belonged to him.
Even if she still refused to say it.
Yet.