While sitting there… trapped in that car… crying so hard my chest hurt—
An idea hit me.
Kavira, you’re so stupid, I told myself bitterly.
Why are you begging him to let you go? Of course he won’t.
If I wanted freedom…
I would have to take it.
My sobs slowed. My breathing steadied—just a little.
And then—
I smirked.
It was small. Almost invisible.
But karl saw it.
He always did.
He opened the door on my side, stepping closer, his shadow falling over me. His voice dropped, curious… dangerous.
“My princess,” he said softly, “did you just smile?”
The word snapped something inside me.
I looked up at him, eyes still wet, voice sharp as broken glass.
“Don’t call me yours.”
The air went still.
His jaw tightened. Slowly. Deliberately.
“You’re angry,” he said, studying me. “Good. Anger keeps you alive.”
“I’m not angry,” I replied quietly. “I’m done.”
That was when he realized—
This wasn’t fear anymore.
This was calculation.
Karl stepped back slightly, giving me space—too much space.
“Go,” he said, gesturing toward the open door. “If you want to step out, do it calmly.”
My heart raced.
This is it.
I placed one foot on the ground. Then the other. The night air hit my face, cold and sharp. I straightened, brushing my hair back, acting composed—obedient.
Karl watched me closely, eyes narrowed.
The second his attention shifted—just for a fraction of a second—
I ran.
Bare feet slamming against stone, lungs burning, adrenaline screaming through my veins. I didn’t look back. I didn’t think. I just ran toward the darkness beyond the garden lights.
I almost made it.
Almost.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind, lifting me off the ground like I weighed nothing. I screamed, hitting his chest, fighting with everything I had.
“Let me go!” I cried. “I hate you!”
Karl didn’t shout.
He held me tighter, breathing hard, his control cracking.
“Do not ever do that again,” he said hoarsely. “Do you have any idea how many people would die if you disappeared?”
“I don’t care!” I sobbed. “I don’t want this life!”
He turned me to face him, forehead pressed to mine, his voice shaking for the first time since I’d met him.
“You think I smiled when I saw you run?” he whispered.
“No, Kavira. I was terrified.”
That stunned me.
His grip loosened—but he didn’t let go.
“I don’t call you mine because I want to cage you,” he said. “I call you mine because this world will tear you apart if I don’t stand in front of it.”
Tears streamed down my face, exhaustion replacing rage.
“I just want to breathe,” I whispered.
Karl closed his eyes for a second.
“Then breathe,” he said quietly. “But you will breathe inside, where I can keep you alive.”
He lifted me gently this time—no force, no anger—and carried me toward the mansion.
And as the doors opened wide—
I realized something terrifying:
I hadn’t lost this battle because I was weak.
I lost it because
Karl Casanova was willing to lose the world
before he ever lost me.
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