Chapter 186 — Liam's POV
The dim light above flickered as Liam stepped into the underground cell, the scent of damp concrete and silence welcoming him like an old friend. He walked slowly, every step echoing against the stone walls. He wasn't in a rush. After all, she had waited this long. A little suspense wouldn't kill her.
The heavy metal door groaned as he pushed it open. Inside, Valkyrie sat on the far side of the room, chained—not by the cuffs around her wrists, but by the exhaustion written in her bones. Her dark hair was a mess, face bruised slightly from when she tried to fight his men earlier that week. But her eyes—those sharp, calculating eyes—still held fire.
"You finally remembered me?" she said, her voice rough but proud. She didn't stand. She didn't beg. She looked at him as though she hadn't been kept like a prisoner for weeks.
Liam smirked. "I never forgot you, Valkyrie. I was just waiting for the right moment."
She scoffed, pulling her knees closer to her chest. "Save me the drama. If you're going to kill me, just do it."
"I'm not going to kill you," he replied calmly, stepping closer until they were only a few feet apart. "In fact, I'm going to let you go."
Her brows pinched in suspicion. "What?"
"You heard me," Liam said, crouching before her. "I'm setting you free. No more shackles. No more cold floors or dark rooms."
She looked at him, eyes narrowed, silent for a beat too long. "What's the catch?"
A wicked grin spread across his face. "You'll belong to me."
Valkyrie blinked. "I already belong to myself."
Liam tilted his head. "Not anymore. You'll live where I say, wear what I approve, go where I send you. You'll follow my orders, without question. In exchange, I'll give you freedom... just not the kind you're used to."
"You want a slave," she said flatly.
"No," he said, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. "I want obedience. Loyalty. Control. You see, Valkyrie, you were trained to be lethal. You were Marcus's blade—but I want to reshape you. I want to break and rebuild you."
She jerked her face away from his touch. "So that's your plan? Humiliate me because I outsmarted you years ago?"
He leaned in close, so close she could feel the weight of his breath. "No. My plan is to make you mine, completely. Every move you make, every breath you take, will be under my hand. It's not revenge, Valkyrie. It's power."
A bitter laugh left her lips. "And if I say no?"
Liam stood and walked toward the cell door. "Then you rot here. Until your body gives up. No sunlight. No food. No hope."
She remained quiet.
He glanced back. "Or... you stand up, walk out of this cell, and start a new life. One where I control everything."
"You expect me to trust you?" she spat.
"I don't care if you trust me. I only care if you obey me."
Her body trembled—not with fear, but fury. Her pride was fractured, her spirit bruised. But she was tired. Tired of the cold, of the silence, of the nothingness. Was it better to be free in chains than die in defiance?
Valkyrie lowered her head. "Unchain me."
Liam pulled the key from his coat and walked toward her. As the metal clicked and the cuffs released her wrists, she didn't flinch. She didn't thank him.
"I want clothes. Real ones. Food. And a room with light," she muttered, rubbing her raw skin.
"You'll have all of it," Liam said smoothly. "But remember: you're not a guest, Valkyrie. You're property."
Her green eyes met his. "Keep telling yourself that, Blackwood. One day, I'll remind you who taught me to fight."
Liam smirked. "I'm counting on it."
He led her through the dim hallway, guards watching silently as they passed. Valkyrie walked with slow steps, each one heavier than the last. She wasn't walking toward freedom—she was walking into a new kind of prison.
But Liam felt nothing. No guilt. No remorse. Only satisfaction. Everything was falling into place.
She was exactly where he wanted her.
And now, the real game would begin.