Chapter 4 SUBMISSION TO THE CEO

The mansion was oppressive. Not because of its size-it was enormous, a palace built on wealth and power-but because of its presence. The air itself felt thick, heavy upon Ava as she made her way through the seemingly endless corridors.

She kept her head down, fists clenched at her sides, fighting to drive from her mind the memories of the previous evening. Of Dylan . Of his words.

_You belong to me now._

She hadn't been able to sleep. She saw him every time she closed her eyes, those silver eyes cutting through all defenses, his voice encircling her like a velvet noose.

A voice inside of her told her to protest, to fight. But another voice, one that had endured far too much up until this point, told her it was pointless. Dylan Blackthorn always got his way.

And he suddenly felt himself desiring her.

***

She was assigned Dylan 's study to clean that day. She dusted the shelves, shaking as she did so, and she was preoccupied. The room smelled of him-leather and expensive cologne and something else, something dark and unmistakably masculine.

She should not be here. She should not be alone in his place. But she had no other option.

She heard the door behind her squeak.

She tensed up.

His presence filled the room before she even turned around. He moved as a shadow would, silently but all-encompassing. When she finally turned around, he was standing against the doorway, watching.

"Ava."

She swallowed hard. "Sir."

His lips curled, as though he found it funny. Moving deeper into the room, his keen eyes glanced toward the half-dusted shelves. "You did not get much sleep, I take it?"

She hesitated. "I... I slept fine."

He made a soft noise-in disbelief.

She turned back to work, as if his arrival did not ruffle her composure. But he did not leave. Instead, he came closer, his voice softer now, more controlled. More menacing.

"You're afraid of me."

She froze.

Dylan circled around her, his step slow, measured. "I can see it in your movement. In your breathing. You think I would hurt you."

She struggled to answer. "I don't know what to think."

His fingers trailed over the cover of a leather-bound book. "I am not an easy man, Ava. But I am not cruel without reason."

She dared to glance at him. "Not reassuring at all."

Dylan smirked and took a step closer. "Good. I don't want you to be reassured."

She gasped as he moved toward her, his knuckles grazing against an errant lock of hair. A featherlight touch-but it burned.

"Do you know why I hold you close?" he whispered.

Her lips parted, but she did not make any sound. She shook her head.

His fingers traced the shape of her jaw, and a chill ran down her body. "Because I'd like to know how long you can hold up before you shatter."

A chill ran down her back, but she did not waver. "I won't crack."

His eyes darkened. "We'll see."

And then, as abruptly as it had begun, he stepped back, turning from her as though the encounter never happened.

"Finish the cleaning," he ordered, his tone sharp once more. "Report to the kitchen afterward."

She exhaled, the tightness in her body intolerable. "Yes, sir."

At the door, Dylan hesitated, cocking his head to one side.

"And Ava?"

She looked up.

His lips twisted into an unreadable smile. "I don't appreciate dishonesty. You did not get much sleep."

And then he vanished.

She clutched the dust cloth so tightly that her fingers turned white. She stood there for quite a while.

Maybe he was right.

Perhaps she was already cracking up.

Ava sat frozen, Dylan 's words ringing in her ears.

_You belong to me now._

The weight of that statement pressed down on her like iron chains. He wasn't being figurative-he meant it. Every syllable felt like a lock clicking into place, sealing her fate. She had seen how Dylan Blackthorn operated. He never made empty claims.

She swallowed hard, keeping her gaze lowered. "What do you mean, sir?"

Dylan tilted his head slightly, watching her like a predator sizing up its prey. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, revealing a hint of ink across his chest-marks of a man who lived by his own ruthless code.

"I mean exactly what I said," he replied, stepping closer. "You will stay where I tell you. You will serve only me. You will answer only to me."

Ava's hands clenched into fists. "I was already assigned to you."

A slow smirk curved his lips, but his silver eyes remained cold. "Not like this."

Her breath hitched. The way he looked at her made it clear-this wasn't about household duties. This was something else entirely.

"I-" she started, but the words stuck in her throat. What could she even say? That she refused? That she had no choice? That she would run if she could?

Dylan reached out, tilting her chin up with his fingers, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Speak freely, Ava."

She hesitated, then whispered, "Why me?"

Something flickered in his expression-something unreadable. "Because you intrigue me."

Her stomach twisted. That wasn't the answer she wanted.

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to something quieter, more dangerous. "And I don't like unfinished business."

Her pulse pounded in her ears. _Unfinished business._ Was that what she was to him? A puzzle he hadn't solved? She wasn't sure what was worse-being invisible or having his undivided attention. Either way, she was trapped.

Dylan suddenly stepped back

. "Get some rest," he said smoothly. "You'll need it."

Ava swallowed. "For what?"

A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Tomorrow, you start learning the real rules of this house."

---

Ava barely slept. Lying in the unfamiliar bed in the servant's quarters attached to Dylan 's room, she stared at the ceiling, her mind racing.

She had always been a survivor, enduring hardship after hardship. But this... this wasn't just survival. This was submission. And she wasn't sure if she had the strength to accept it.

By dawn, she forced herself up, washing quickly before dressing in her uniform. As soon as she stepped into Dylan 's private wing, she found him waiting in the lounge, sipping his coffee as if last night hadn't just upended her world.