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Chapter 187
Valkyrie's POV
The heavy steel door creaked shut behind me, the cold clang echoing through my bones like a final verdict. For a moment, I stood still—blinded by the brightness of the corridor compared to the dim dungeon I'd been trapped in for what felt like eternity. The air outside smelled different too—fresher, sharper, like freedom just beyond reach.
I took a step forward, muscles aching with every motion. My body was free, yes, but I wasn't. Not really.
Not after what Liam just did.
His words still rang in my ears.
"You're free now. But from today on, Valkyrie… you're mine."
I'd never felt more humiliated in my life.
I could've fought back—cursed at him, lashed out—but I didn't. Not because I was weak. No, Liam hadn't broken me. He couldn't. But he'd outsmarted me. And that stung far more than any whip, any bruised rib or sleepless night in the dark.
I should've expected it from a Blackwood. Especially from him.
As I walked slowly through the hallway, I ran a trembling hand through my tangled black hair. My fingers snagged on a knot, and I hissed softly. Every inch of me felt raw—like I'd been skinned and stitched back up again.
A mirrored panel on the wall caught my reflection. I stopped.
For a second, I didn't recognize the woman staring back at me.
My grey silver eyes were still defiant, yes—but there was a tiredness behind them. A scar cutting across my lower lip I hadn't noticed before. My once-smooth skin now bore scratches, bruises, reminders of the fight I gave.
But what haunted me most wasn't what I looked like—it was what I'd become.
A slave to Liam Blackwood.
I wanted to spit just thinking about it.
I turned sharply from the mirror and kept walking, faster now. The hallway twisted around into a wide foyer. Guards watched me from the corners, their eyes cautious. No doubt they'd been warned about me. Valkyrie Vex—Marcus Vex's little sister. The one who never followed orders, never knew fear. They were smart to be wary. I still had venom left in me.
But none of it mattered if I couldn't escape.
I found the room Liam had told me to go to. Guest quarters, he called it. It was luxurious—velvet drapes, a king-sized bed, a gold chandelier above. I nearly laughed. Was this supposed to make me feel better? To distract me?
I wasn't some naïve girl impressed by glitter and silk.
I shut the door behind me and stood in the silence.
This wasn't just about me anymore.
If Liam thought he could tame me, he'd just declared war.
I walked to the window and peeked out. Forests surrounded the estate like a fortress. No sign of life except nature—and cameras. Lots of them. He wanted to keep me close. Watch me like a hawk.
Fine. Let him.
But I'd play the game now—smile when I needed to, nod when it served me. I'd play slave, if that's what he wanted.
Until the day I didn't.
Because Valkyrie Vex never stays caged for long.
I sat on the edge of the bed and exhaled slowly. My mind drifted—flashes of the dungeon flickering like broken film. I remembered the nights I screamed and no one answered. The days I paced like a ghost in chains. I'd told myself stories in the dark, trying to cling to something human.
Sometimes I thought of Marcus. Wondered if he even knew I was gone. Wondered if he cared.
He did. He had to. Marcus would burn this whole damn world if he found out what Liam did to me.
Unless… he already knew. And let it happen.
The thought stabbed at something in my chest I didn't want to name.
I pressed my palms to my face. Breathe. I needed a plan. Emotion was weakness.
I wasn't going to crumble now.
Suddenly, the door creaked open behind me.
I didn't need to turn to know who it was. That scent—clean, sharp, expensive—and the silence that followed it, heavy and calculated.
Liam.
He stepped in slowly, closing the door behind him. I didn't turn.
"I see you've made yourself at home," he said calmly.
I gave a small scoff. "You expect me to thank you for the hospitality?"
"No," he replied simply. "But I do expect you to understand the terms."
I finally turned to look at him. He was wearing a crisp black shirt, sleeves rolled up, his expression unreadable. Power clung to him like a second skin.
I stood up, lifting my chin. "You think I'm scared of you?"
"I don't need you to be scared," he said, walking closer. "I need you to obey."
"Then you don't know me at all."
He smirked, the kind of smirk that made you want to slap it off. "No, Valkyrie. I know exactly who you are. That's why I chose you."
I hated the way his voice sounded—like he knew something I didn't. Like he was playing chess while I was still reading the rulebook.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin silver collar. "Wear it," he said.
I stared at it, then back at him. "Go to hell."
Liam stepped closer, voice low. "You already agreed to this, remember?"
My jaw clenched. I wanted to scream. To fight. To burn this place down.
But instead, I held out my hand.
His eyes flickered—just for a second.
I took the collar and snapped it around my neck.
Then smiled.
Let him think he'd won.
Because the war had just begun.
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