Chapter 3 The Rules

Chapter 3: The Rules

Emily Pov...

---

The room was silent when Michael entered once more. I hadn't slept, not really. The shadows were tending to creep around me; the silence heavy, too strange. He walked in with a stack of papers in hand, his expression unreadable as always.

"You and I need to set some things straight," he said, his voice as cold as the rain outside. He held out the papers. "These are your rules, Emily. I suggest you learn them."

He handed them over and I forced myself to look down, my hands shaking slightly as I read the list.

---

Michael's Rules

1. Don't speak unless I ask you to.

My eyes slitted. Not even my speech was allowed, unless he was in the mood to hear me. This was going to be insufferable.

2. Do not enter my bedroom without permission.

I looked up, locking gazes with him, but he merely raised an eyebrow, expecting me to continue reading. I knew he wasn't going to bend.

3. Do not leave the house a mess.

So, I was supposed to be his servant, too? Great. I swallowed back the surge of frustration.

4. Always look sexy for me.

My cheeks inflamed as I read that one. I felt his eyes on me, awaiting a reaction. I bit my lip and forced myself to keep going, ignoring the wave of anger and embarrassment rising in me.

5. Say "yes" when you need to and "no" when you need to.

"What does this even mean?" I muttered, looking up at him.

"It means use your common sense," he said icily. "Don't make me repeat myself. You know what those words mean."

I ground my teeth and kept reading.

6. Stay away from the basement.

A chill ran down my spine as I read that. The basement... Why would he want me to avoid it? I looked up at him, but his face was impassive.

7. Don't look me in the eye when I'm speaking to you.

I rolled my eyes and made myself focus again. "So I can't even look at you now?" I asked, frustration lacing my voice.

"That's right," he returned without missing a beat. "Keep reading."

8. Be good, and there will be no punishment. Be bad, and there will.

I swallowed, a knot having formed in my stomach. The way he had said "punishment" had left little to the imagination. This was a warning; it was a promise.

9. Answer any question that I ask you truthfully.

My heart was pounding. So I had to tell him the truth about everything? He didn't seem like the kind of man who accepted lies, but still... it made this all feel so much more invasive, as if he wanted to own even my thoughts.

10. Never try to escape.

This one stopped my heart for a beat. I made myself lock gazes with him, my voice barely above a whisper. "So, I'm... I'm really your hostage."

"You're mine," he returned, his voice low, even, unshakeable. "The sooner you grasp that fact, Emily, the less difficult this will be for both of us."

I looked down at the list again, a slight quake beginning to make my hands jerk as I held the paper. "These... these rules... you expect me to just follow all of this without a word?"

"Yes. And I suggest you don't test me." He stepped closer, looming over me. "You can either follow these rules, or you can suffer the consequences. It's up to you."

For a moment, my rebellion flared, a real spark within me. "You know, there's only so much you can control," I said to him, my voice shaking barely. "I am not some puppet for you to-

His hand seemed to lock around my chin within an instant, yanking it upward as he struggled to meet his gaze. An attack of cold air came to me in his stare. "Emily," he said low-voiced but with an uncompromising gravity. "This isn't a negotiation. You're mine now, and you'll follow these rules or you'll regret making me have to punish you for that.

A shiver ran down my spine, and I drew back, heart racing. The strength in his grasp, the earnestness in his stare-it was all so different from what I had ever known. He meant every word-and I knew that.

He stood upright, releasing my chin, and stepped back. "You have two options, Emily. Either you learn to take your place here, or you suffer the result. That's as simple as it gets.

I looked down at the list again, my mind racing. Each rule felt like another chain, locking me into this twisted life. But the way he stared at me, the calm, almost bored expression on his face-it told me everything I needed to know. He was in complete control.

"Do you understand?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

I nodded to myself, as if that would be enough, barely meeting his gaze. "I understand."

"Good," he said, one side of his mouth curling into a slight smile. "Then you'll start following these rules immediately.

He said nothing more, turned, and strode out of the room; his footsteps echoed down the hall. The door shut softly, clickingly behind him, leaving me in solitary silence with the list, as my heart raced and struggled to fathom what had just happened.

There was no getting around this, no trapdoor. I was dug in, limited to his rules, his control.

And somehow, I had to survive it.