Chapter 3 - The Price of Admission
Two burly guards escorted me down the long, dimly lit corridor away from the dining room, their heavy footsteps echoing against the paneled walls. I didn't fight them; resistance was pointless in a place like this. They deposited me in a small, windowless study lined with leather-bound books and heavy mahogany furniture. The air smelled of old paper and leather, a quiet tomb compared to the blazing crystal light of the dining hall.
The heavy oak door clicked shut behind the guards, leaving me alone with my racing thoughts and the steady thrum of my own pulse. I rolled up the sleeve of my white button-down shirt, staring down at the small black falcon tattoo on my right wrist. It was more than ink; it was a shackle and a badge of honor combined.
Ten minutes later, the door swung open, not with the heavy thud of the guards, but with the quiet, deliberate turn of a brass handle. Ronan Cain entered alone. He had shed his suit jacket, leaving only the black dress shirt unbuttoned at the top, the dark ink of his neck and chest tattoos stark against his pale skin. He didn't sit down. He leaned against the edge of the heavy mahogany desk, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied me with unnerving stillness.
"You've caused quite a stir, Miss Cole," he said, using my last name with a polished, dangerous precision that suggested he had already run a full background check on me before I even stepped past the front gates. "In fact, security tells me you bypassed the perimeter sensors entirely using an old service code that hasn't been active since my brother left this country."
I lifted my chin, meeting his dark gaze head-on. "I didn't sneak in to steal anything, Mr. Cain. I came to fulfill an obligation."
"Obligations to my family usually end in financial ruin or a shallow grave," Ronan remarked smoothly, pushing off the desk and taking a slow step toward me. He stopped just inches away, tall enough that I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. "My mother is fragile. If you're here to dredge up old ghosts for a payout, I will ensure you never leave this estate."
May you like
"I don't want your money," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my chest. "I want to honor the man who saved my life when your family threw him away."
Ronan’s eyes flashed with a dangerous heat, his jaw tightening as the words hit their mark. For a second, I thought he might reach out and shake the truth out of me, but instead, a strange, grim curiosity settled over his severe features.
