Vivie sat on the edge of the bed, the weight of what she had just learned pressing down on her like an iron cage. The knowledge that she had been watched, tracked, and hunted for years was suffocating. Every image, every note in the file haunted her, playing in her mind like a horror film on repeat.

Ashton stood across the room, his back to her as he poured himself a drink. The tension between them was suffocating. He had given her answers, but not all of them. There were still shadows lurking behind his guarded expression, secrets he was unwilling to share.

She finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

His shoulders stiffened, but he didn’t turn around. "Because you weren’t ready to hear it."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "And you thought now was the right time? After trapping me here? After making me hate you?"

He turned then, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her breath hitch. "You were never safe, Vivie. Not before me. Not even now. But at least here, I can control what happens to you."

She shot to her feet, rage bubbling up inside her. "You don’t get to decide what I need, Ashton! You don’t get to control my life!"

In two strides, he was in front of her, his presence overwhelming. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I already do."

Her pulse pounded against her throat, but she refused to back down. "I’m not one of your men, Ashton. You don’t own me."

His hand lifted, and for a second, she thought he might touch her. Instead, he clenched his fist and stepped back. "I don’t need to own you, Vivie. But I will protect what’s mine."

She flinched at his words, anger and something else—something more dangerous—churning inside her. "And what if I don’t want to be yours?"

His lips curled into something between a smirk and a warning. "You already are."

Silence stretched between them, thick with unsaid words and unspoken desires. Vivie hated the way he affected her. Hated that beneath all her anger and resentment, there was something else—something she wasn’t ready to name.

She turned away, needing space, needing to breathe. But before she could take another step, Ashton spoke again.

"You went into my room, Vivie. You crossed a line. And now, there are consequences."

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to remain defiant. "What kind of consequences?"

His eyes darkened. "You’ll see."

A chill ran down her spine, but she refused to show fear. Whatever game Ashton was playing, she wasn’t about to lose.