Page 56

The water that cascaded down on her from the shower head grew cooler as the minutes stretched on, but the coldness couldn't touch the icy grip of reality around Ivy's heart.

Had she allowed herself to be fooled by a monster's kindness.

"What have I done?" she whispered to herself, the echo bouncing off the stone walls of the opulent shower.

She had promised herself she would do anything for Alice, and now that promise had become a prison for both of them.

Her body shivered as she turned off the water and stepped onto the cold stone floor.

She wrapped herself in a towel, her eyes red and puffy from crying.

The mirror reflected a woman who looked more broken than the shattered pieces of her soul felt.

"Why did he have to bring Alice into this?

" she murmured, her voice hoarse from the sobs.

Her thoughts swirled like a tornado of regret and despair.

She had been so naive to believe that Vice had any intention of letting her go, of letting any of them go.

Now, not only was she trapped, but her daughter was as well, in this twisted fairy tale with a villain who had no intention of playing the hero.

She dried her hair with trembling hands, trying to tame the storm within her.

She Dressed and stepped out into the cool darkness of the bedroom. The castle was eerily quiet, the only sound the occasional hoot of an owl outside.

Her mind raced with the weight of her decision.

She had been a fool to think that she could manipulate a monster like Vice.

The realization that he had played her from the start was a bitter pill to swallow.

The love she felt for Alice had been twisted into a noose around her neck, and she had willingly let him tighten it.

"I've made a deal with the devil," she thought to herself. "What kind of mother does that?"

Now even more determined to protect Alice, Ivy had agreed to stay forever, to be his...his what? His lover? His plaything? His hostage? She didn't know.

But she did know one thing for certain: she could never leave.

Was this truly a gift from Vice, or was it now a prison for Alice, ensuring her own compliance?

The bedroom door creaked open, and Vice stepped in, his eyes lingering on her.

He wasn’t wearing his mask or coat. He was dressed in a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black pants.

This was only the second time she was seeing the face of the man who had captured her.

His eyes searched hers, looking for something she wasn't sure she wanted him to find.

"This feels different, seeing you like this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vice stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "I was finally ready for you to see the real me," he said, his voice low and gruff. "The man beneath the mask."

The vulnerability she saw in his gaze was disarming, a stark contrast to the monster she had painted him to be in her mind. "Why now?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Vice took another step closer, his hand reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from her cheek. "Because you've seen the truth," he replied, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. "You know what I am now."

Ivy stepped back, her heart pounding in her chest. "What are you?" she whispered. "A man or a monster?"

Vice's expression darkened, the softness of his voice replaced by something more sinister. "I am both," he said, closing the space between them.

Ivy felt the warmth of his hand as it wrapped around her wrist, pulling her closer. She tried to resist, but his grip was unyielding. His eyes searched hers, and she saw the hunger for power, for control, the need to own her.

"Let go," she whispered, her voice shaking with fear and anger. "I'm not you're toy."

Vice's grip tightened, his eyes narrowing. "You're not a toy," he said, his voice a low growl. "You're what I've been waiting for."

Ivy felt a spark of anger ignite within her. "And what about Alice?" she demanded, jerking her hand free from his grasp. "What happens to her when you're done with you're games?"

Vice stepped back, his expression unreadable. "Your daughter's fate is tied to yours," he said calmly. "As long as you stay with me, she will be safe." The words sent a cold chill through Ivy's body. She knew she had no choice. For Alice, she would endure whatever horrors he had planned for her.

"But why?" she asked, her voice strained. "Why go through all of this just to keep me here?"

Vice leaned against the doorframe, his eyes piercing hers. "Because you're the only one who's ever seen beyond the monster," he said, his voice laced with something she hadn't heard before - vulnerability. "You see the good in me, the part of me that I’ve never allowed anyone to see."

Vice's expression softened for a moment before it was replaced by his usual cold, calculating stare. "But don't get any ideas, Ivy," he warned. "I may have moments of weakness, but I won't let you or anyone else exploit them."

Ivy took a deep breath, her mind racing with the safety of her daughter. "I just want to understand," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What do you want from me?"

Vice's gaze never wavered. "I want to watch the world burn," he replied, his tone devoid of emotion. "And I want you by my side as I do it."

Ivy felt a knot form in her stomach. This was the truth she had been trying to avoid, the reality of the monster that lurked beneath the gentle gestures and moments of tenderness.

She had allowed herself to be drawn into his twisted world, to believe that there was a shred of goodness in him.

"And if I refuse?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Vice frowned. "Then you leave Alice without protection," he said, his words a knife twisting in her heart.

Ivy's eyes widened with fear, and she took a step back. "You wouldn't," she whispered, her voice shaking.

Vice's smile grew, but his eyes remained cold. "Would I," he asked simply. "The world is a cruel place, and I've learned that the only way to survive is to be cruel in return."

Ivy felt the color drain from her face as the weight of his words settled upon her. She knew he wasn't bluffing. The thought of Alice suffering was more than she could bear. "What must I do?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Vice stepped closer, his hand reaching out to trace her jawline. "You will be my queen," he said, his voice low and seductive. "By my side, ruling over the ashes of the world we leave behind."

Ivy's eyes searched his, looking for any sign of mercy. "And if I can't?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vice's hand dropped from her face, and he took a step back. "Then you will be my prisoner," he said, his voice hardening. "But make no mistake, Ivy, I’ll never let you go."

Ivy's thoughts swirled like a tornado, a maelstrom of doubt and confusion. "What is it that you want from me?" she demanded, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear.

Vice leaned in closer, his breath hot on her neck. "I want everything," he whispered, his voice a dark promise of passion and pain. "Your body, you're mind, you're soul. I want you to crave me the way I crave you."

Ivy's heart raced, and she knew she had to be careful. "What was the last thing you said?" she asked.

Vice's smile faded, his eyes dark with desire. "I said that I want everything from you," he repeated, his voice a low, seductive purr. "Your body, you're mind, you're soul."

Ivy stepped back, her eyes narrowing. "That wasn't the last thing," she said, her voice shaky. "You said "the way I crave you."

Vice's expression darkened, his eyes boring into hers. "Did I?" he asked, his voice a low growl. "Or perhaps you're just hearing things you wish were true."

Ivy swallowed hard, her pulse racing. "What do you mean?"

Vice stepped closer, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "You want to believe there's something more to me than just a monster," he whispered. "But don't fool yourself. I'm a man who takes what he wants, and right now, what I want is you."

Ivy felt a tremor of fear mingle with a surprising thrill at his words. Despite her better judgment, she couldn't deny the attraction that had been growing between them. “Don’t lie to me I heard what you said" she breathed, her voice a tremulous whisper.

Vice's gaze grew intense, his grip on her wrist tightening almost imperceptibly. "It doesn’t matter" he whispered into her ear, his voice a dark caress. "It doesn't change our arrangement."

Ivy felt a mix of anger and frustration at his evasiveness. "Why are you so worried about keeping me at an arm's length?" she demanded, her voice shaking with emotion. "What are you afraid of?"

Vice's expression grew thoughtful, his gaze never leaving hers. "You really want to know?" he asked, his voice low and deliberate. "I'm afraid of feeling something other than anger, something other than the desire for revenge. I've built my world around those emotions, Ivy. They're all I know."

Ivy reached up and cupped the side of his face, her thumb brushing against the roughness of his jaw. "Would it really be so bad?" she whispered, her eyes searching his. "To feel something else?"

Vice's expression was a mix of surprise, confusion and anger as he stared down at her. His hand, which had been resting on her waist, tightened slightly. "You don't understand," he murmured, his eyes searching hers.

"Then make me understand," she said, her voice soft and insistent.

Vice's eyes searched hers, a flicker of something unidentifiable passing through them. He took a deep, ragged breath, his chest rising and falling beneath her hand. For a moment, Ivy thought she saw a glimpse of the boy he once was, lost in the sea of anger and pain that had become his existence.

"You don't know what you're asking," he murmured, his voice strained.

Ivy searched his eyes, desperation in her own. "Please," she whispered, her voice trembling.