I swallow hard, knowing he’s right but not wanting to give in so easily. Is this what he wanted all along? For me to be so completely dependent on him that I couldn’t leave? How could I have been so stupid?
“I’ll find a job. I did it before you, and I can do it without you. I don’t need your things. I don’t need any of it.”
He laughs in disbelief before he grins down at me as if I’ve just said the most amusing thing. His hand, thank God, moves from my throat up to cup my cheek. “Oh, my sweet, sweet Gabriella. So na?ve. So compliant. So trusting. Just as I knew you’d be from the moment I saw you.”
My brow wrinkles in confusion. “Excuse me?” Does he mean at The Daily Grind? Is that why he was so keen to find out about me? My family life—or lack thereof? Oh my God. Was this all planned from the very start? Did he read me that easily? Did he know I was lost, alone, and craving affection?
My mind reels as I wonder if everything between us has been a lie. It couldn’t be, could it?
Before I can collect my thoughts, he interrupts, laughing me off. “Where will you go? Who will help you? Poor, little orphan Gabriella. No parents. No friends. No one but me. I am all you have, and while I may not be perfect, I have always treated you well. Have you ever wanted for anything?”
Lately? Your affection, I think, but I know better than to do anything other than shake my head. His words replay in my head, and my shoulders slump because I know he’s right. Without Adrian, I have nothing. I have no one. And if I’m totally honest, I don’t think I even have myself anymore.
“Exactly. Who takes care of you?” he prods.
Queasiness forms in my stomach, but I play along in the hope that this will end quickly. “You, Adrian,” I whisper, knowing that every single penny in my bank account has his fingerprints on it. Nearly every piece of clothing I own was purchased by him. My car, the blue Honda Civic my parents surprised me with on my sixteen birthday, is probably in a junkyard somewhere, being dismantled for spare parts, while I now drive around in a Lexus courtesy of my no-longer-beloved Adrian.
Everything I own . . . I actually don’t.
I realize he’s right. I’m on a leash and he’s the one holding it. There is no way I can leave him. But now, instead of feeling like that queen in the castle, I feel like a common whore—and not the Pretty Woman kind. A na?ve idiot who fell for the charming smile, the beautiful promises, and completely missed the treacherous snake lying beneath the surface.
He nods, apparently blind—or uncaring—to the mental anguish rising within me. “Good. You’d be wise to remember that.” He releases my face and steps back, glancing at my Coach bag lying on the floor. No longer is it my lifeline, my escape. It’s now my proverbial chain, binding me to him. “I will forget this minor lapse in judgment, but see that it doesn’t happen again. I do not usually take kindly to such accusations. Especially when you should know me better. Nor, Gabriella, do I appreciate your threatening to leave.”
I have no idea how he can even say that to me. As I study him, I’m aware that I don’t know him at all. Maybe I never did. Still, I nod my compliance, swallowing the bile that threatens to rise in my throat with the knowledge of how weak and pathetic I’ve become. I may not recognize Adrian, but I no longer recognize myself either. Can I fault him for that when I, as he said, was so na?ve, trusting, and compliant? Did I want someone to love me so much that I was willing to give my independence away? And for what? Material possessions? Someone to take away the loneliness only to make me lonelier than I ever was before?
All signs point to yes, and I don’t understand.
“Words, Gabriella,” he snaps impatiently, and I know better than to argue when he’s in this mood. Grin and bear it—just like I’ve been doing for months.
“You’re right. Thank you, Adrian. I will return those to the dry cleaners in hopes they can find their rightful home,” I tell him, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. I smile brightly, like a girlfriend who actually believes her boyfriend’s ludicrous excuse. Anything to get him to leave. It doesn’t escape my attention that, instead of wishing he’d stay, I’m practically ready to push him out the door. “It won’t happen again. Have a safe trip.”
He chuckles and shakes his head, apparently pleased with my compliance. It’s as if I’m finally seeing him for the first time. Or at least finally allowing myself to acknowledge the change in him. I no longer believe that my Adrian is in there. All traces of the charming man who loved me, cherished me, and treated me like I was his whole world are gone. Instead, there’s a stranger looking down at me with gleeful ownership just as a master would look upon his servant. I’m almost waiting for him to pat me on the head and say, “Good dog,” before he offers me a treat as a reward for my obedience. Except this time, no treat is given.
Without even so much as a kiss, he turns and picks my bag up—apparently to take it with him. Still unmoving from my rigid position on the counter, I watch as he walks away from me. Just as he gets to the door, he turns and looks at me.
“Oh, and, Gabriella?” he calls, pausing to ensure he has my full attention.
My eyes meet his cold, narrowed ones.
“Remember yourself. I have eyes and ears everywhere. I do not like to spy, so please don’t make me feel like I have to. You are mine, Gabriella, until I say you aren’t. You will be here when I get back, and you will do just as we discussed last night. You will oversee the building project to my specifications. It’s imperative they follow the blueprints to a T. Regardless of your little tantrum earlier, I trust you more than anyone, and I need someone I trust here. Do not let me down.”
Biting my lip, I nod, torn between wanting to hate him and wanting to preen because he trusts me. I hate myself for it.