The walk to the guest wing was a blur of minimalist architecture and oppressive silence. Sloane didn't use a key; she simply pressed her thumb against a biometric scanner, and the heavy oak doors clicked open with a sound that felt like a prison cell locking behind them.
The room was beautiful, filled with soft silks and warm lighting, but Maya couldn't appreciate it. Not when Sloane was standing in the center of the space, her eyes tracking Maya's every move like a hawk watching prey.
"This is your space," Sloane said. Her voice was deeper up close, a gravelly vibration that seemed to settle in Maya's chest. "Vivienne expects you at the workstation in the library by 08:00. I will be here to collect you at 07:45."
Maya turned, her back hitting the edge of a velvet lounge chair. "And what if I want to go for a walk? Get some air?"
Sloane took a single step forward, invading Maya's personal space. She was taller, broader, and smelled of cold rain and leather. She reached out, her gloved fingers catching a stray lock of Maya's hair and tucking it behind her ear. The touch was slow, deliberate, and entirely too personal for a bodyguard.
"You don't go anywhere without me," Sloane whispered. Her gaze dropped to Maya's lips for a fraction of a second before meeting her eyes again. "You belong to the Vance estate now. That means you belong to me."
Maya's breath hitched. She wanted to push Sloane away, to scream that she wasn't a piece of property, but the physical intensity radiating off the other woman was paralyzing. Sloane didn't move her hand; she let her knuckles graze down Maya's jawline, a silent reminder of the power she held.
"Get some sleep, Maya," Sloane murmured, her voice dropping an octave. "You'll need your energy for tomorrow. Vivienne is not a patient woman."
With a final, lingering look that felt like a brand, Sloane turned and exited the room. The door clicked shut, leaving Maya alone in the luxury of her new cage, her heart hammering against her ribs.