​Rebecca’s POV

​The guards stood back, their faces flat.

​"Seven minutes," one of them barked coldly, before both of them walked a few steps away to give us space.

​"Rebecca!" Stephanie gasped, rushing over to the iron bars as fast as she could. "You’re here!"

​I opened my mouth to speak, but the words got stuck in my throat. I couldn’t say anything.

​Why? Because what I had imagined her to look like was totally different from what I was seeing right now. Yes, she had lost a few pounds, and her face looked tired. But beaten? No. She had not been beaten at all.

​There was absolutely no trace of injury on her skin. No bruises, no cuts, nothing. The brutal Alpha King actually didn’t hurt them?

​Honestly, I was so shocked.

​I finally found my voice, swallowing hard. "How... how are you?"

​"I’m fine, Rebecca. Truly," she said, her voice soft but tired.

​Tears instantly spilled into my eyes, blurring my vision. I reached through the cold bars, my hands shaking.

​"I am so sorry. It’s my fault. Because you wanted to help me, you got thrown into this horrible place."

​She shook her head gently, reaching out to squeeze my fingers. "It’s okay. I knew the risks of what I was doing when I helped you. Don’t blame yourself."

​I leaned closer to the bars, dropping my voice to a low whisper. "Why didn’t you tell him that I already knew the plan? Why did you take all the blame?"

​She shook her head again, looking at me like I was being silly. "And make your condition even worse? Kaden would have destroyed you, Rebecca. No, I couldn’t let him know you were a part of it."

​I felt deeply touched by her loyalty, but the fear was still there. "What do you think they will do to you? To both of you?"

​She looked back at the man sleeping on the floor, then sighed. "I have no idea yet. But don’t worry, Kaden won’t kill us."

​I blinked, confused. "How do you know that?"

​"Rebecca, if Kaden wanted to kill us, he would have done it the very first night," she explained logically. "The fact that we are sitting here unharmed means something else. I think we will just serve some jail time. It’s that obvious."

​"You won’t serve time," I told her fiercely, my jaw tightening as a sudden spark of fire burned in my chest. "I won’t let you. I am going to do everything in my power to get you out of here."

​Stephanie’s eyes widened in panic, her grip tightening on my hands. "Rebecca, no! Don’t put yourself in more danger. Whatever you do, do not anger him!"

​"I won’t anger him," I whispered back, a dark, heavy plan already forming in my mind.

​I thought about the way Kaden had just lost his mind over my body, the way he was practically begging to hear my moans and feel my wetness. He was addicted to me, even if his stupid royal pride wouldn’t let him admit it.

​"But I will do something."

​I held her hand tightly, looking straight into her eyes with absolute certainty. "I promise you, Stephanie. In one week, I will get you out of here."

​She stared at me, her voice trembling with a mix of hope and fear. "How? How will you do it?"

​I looked away for a split second, thinking about what I would have to do in Kaden’s bed to make this happen. I had to use the only power I had over the beast. And that is my body.

​"I have to play dirty," I told her, my voice turning completely cold and determined. "That is the only way."

​Before Stephanie could ask another question, the heavy sound of boots clicking against the stone floor echoed down the hall. The seven minutes were up.

​The two guards appeared beside me like shadows, their faces completely blank.

​"Time is up. Move," the guard on the right commanded, his voice dropping like an icicle.

​I gave Stephanie’s hand one last, tight squeeze, looking deeply into her eyes so she knew I meant every single word.

​"Hold on. Just one week," I whispered quickly before letting go.

​She nodded, her lips parting as if she wanted to say more, but the guards were already stepping between us, cutting off our view.

​I turned around and let them lead me away, my bare feet pacing quickly over the cold dungeon floor as we headed back up to the main levels of the mansion.

​My mind was spinning with a million thoughts.

​But think about it. Kaden just proved to me that he has a massive weakness, and that weakness is his desire for me.

​He doesn’t want a slave or a doll anymore; he wants my mind, my passion, and my submission. He wants to hear his name on my lips. If he wants the real me so badly, then I am going to give it to him—but it’s going to cost him.

​Every single groan, every single moan, and every time I let him stretch me out on that bed will be a bargaining chip to buy Stephanie’s freedom.

​If I have to use my own body as a weapon to destroy his cold walls, then so be it.

​The guards led me back into my room and closed the heavy double doors, locking them from the outside with a loud, final click.

​The quietness of the room hit me instantly, but I didn’t feel like a hopeless prisoner anymore. I walked over to the large windows, watching the sun climb higher into the sky.

​I had exactly seven days to make the Alpha King fall completely to his knees.

​Suddenly, a knock sounded on my door, making me flinch. I turned around, my heart leaping into my throat.

​The door opened slowly, and a maid stepped inside, carrying a small tray of food. But it wasn’t the usual plain porridge I always got. It was a fresh plate of sliced fruits, roasted meat, and a cup of sweet tea.

​"The Alpha King ordered that you receive better meals from now on," the maid said quietly as she set the tray on the reading table—the same table Kaden had just thoroughly bent me over.

​A small, victorious smile touched my lips as the maid left the room.

​Oh, yeah, I thought, picking up a piece of the fruit. The game has officially started, Kaden. And I am going to play to win.