OLIVIA"You should shower, eat, and rest. It's not easy being a thief."
The words hit me like a slap.
I blinked up at him, my entire body stiffening. "What?"
Was he mocking me? Did he think this was funny?
"I'm not staying here," I snapped, forcing my voice to stay steady. My fists clenched at my sides as I glared at him.
But he just smirked, his expression unreadable yet far too knowing. "Yet, you can't leave."
I sucked in a sharp breath.
The audacity.
The arrogance.
His red eyes gleamed like embers, watching me with that maddening mixture of amusement and certainty. As if he had already decided everything. As if my protests were nothing more than background noise.
"Tomorrow, we'll announce our bond." His voice was smooth, deep, and authoritative.
I frowned. "Excuse me?"
Then he said it.
"I pick you, Olivia."
I felt those words in my bones, heavy as stone, sinking into the pit of my stomach.
For a second, I could do nothing but stare.
