CHAPTER 4

“Am I allowed to say my own rules or my expectations from you?” I asked, crossing my arms. If he got to impose rules on me, then I should at least get the chance to do the same.

He leaned back in his chair, watching me with an unreadable expression. “As long as they don’t oppose my rules and they aren’t stupid.”

I rolled my eyes. Typical Heinrich.

“Well,” I began, clearing my throat, “as you know, I’ll be completing my degree this year. I was hoping that we could wait until I’m done before we, you know… give your father an heir.”

For a moment, he said nothing. His dark eyes bore into mine, calculating, as if weighing the pros and cons of my request. The silence stretched, making my heart race. I braced myself for an argument, maybe even outright refusal.

Then, to my surprise, he nodded. “Okay. Sounds reasonable.”

I blinked. “Wait… really?”

He smirked slightly. “Were you expecting a different response?”

“Well… maybe.”

“I don’t see the point in forcing something that can wait,” he said simply. “As long as you’re committed to this arrangement, I have no reason to rush you. My father will get his heir in due time.”

I nodded slowly, still thrown off by how easily he had agreed. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as I had thought.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Uhm, the next thing… is uhm…” I hesitated, suddenly feeling awkward. “You should… uhm… treat me well.”

One of his eyebrows lifted. “Treat you well?”

“Yes,” I said, straightening my back. “Of course, I expect to be spoiled. And when I want to go shopping, you have to come with me. You should also take me out on dates, and I expect an allowance.”

He exhaled, rubbing his temple. “I can’t say I didn’t see that one coming.”

I smirked. “I do like nice things.”

His fingers drummed against the desk as he considered it. “Going shopping with you will depend on my mood and schedule. As for dates, I don’t mind them.”

I frowned. “No, shopping with you will depend on my mood, not yours.”

He scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”

I narrowed my eyes but decided not to push it. Yet.

Taking a deep breath, I continued. “And, I need my own space,” I said carefully. “You know… when I’m in a bad mood, or when I just need to think. I need a place just for myself, where I can be alone… far from you.”

His reaction was instant. “No.”

I blinked at him, taken aback by how fast and firm his response was.

“Why?” I asked, frustration creeping into my voice.

“Because I said so.” His tone was final, brooking no argument.

I clenched my fists. “That’s not an answer, Heinrich.”

His gaze hardened. “You don’t need space away from me.”

“Yes, I do,” I countered. “You can’t expect me to be around you twenty-four-seven. That’s suffocating.”

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, dark eyes locking onto mine. “You’re my wife. That means you belong to me. You don’t get to disappear whenever you feel like it.”

His words sent a cold shiver down my spine, but I refused to back down.

“I’m not asking to disappear,” I argued. “I just need a moment to breathe sometimes.”

He nodded, satisfied. “No. Now, your next request?”

“You are the worst.”

“But you are still here.”

“Because I don’t have a choice.”

“Exactly.”

Good gracious, I was five seconds away from beating the shit out of this imbecile.

“Whatever,” I said, exhaling. “The next thing I expect from you is loyalty. As much as I don’t want this, the last thing I want is to see my husband with another woman.”

He laughed. A deep, rich chuckle that made my blood boil.

“I’m serious,” I snapped.

He smirked. “My loyalty to you will depend on your behavior and performance.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he said lazily. “If you act like a proper wife and fulfill your duties, I won’t have a reason to seek pleasure elsewhere.”

My nails dug into my palms. “That’s disgusting.”

“That’s reality.”

I inhaled sharply, fighting the urge to slap him across the face. “So if I make you mad, or we argue, you’ll run off to another woman?”

“I never said that,” he mused. “But if you neglect your duties, don’t expect me to be a saint.”

I stared at him, my mind racing. This man was beyond infuriating.

“You do realize that loyalty isn’t something that should be earned, right?” I said, my voice tight with anger. “It’s something you give when you commit to someone.”

He chuckled again. “That’s cute. But in my world, loyalty is a privilege, not a right.”

I clenched my fists. “Then I expect the same from you.”

His smirk faded slightly. “Meaning?”

“Meaning if you misbehave, I’ll find someone else too.”

The air in the room shifted instantly. His jaw tightened, and his dark eyes burned into mine with something dangerous.

“You won’t,” he said, his voice dropping an octave.

“I will,” I challenged.

Before I could react, he was suddenly in front of me, his hand gripping my chin firmly. Not painfully, but with just enough force to make his point.

“You won’t,” he repeated, his voice low and possessive. “Because you belong to me. And I don’t share.”

My breath hitched, my pulse racing as his thumb brushed against my jaw. The intensity in his eyes was almost suffocating, as if daring me to defy him.

I forced myself to glare at him, even as my body betrayed me with a shiver. “Then don’t test me,” I said through gritted teeth.

For a moment, he just stared at me, the tension between us thick enough to cut with a knife. Then, finally, he released me, stepping back.

“Noted,” he said, his smirk returning. “Anything else, my dear wife?”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to regain my composure. “No,” I muttered.

“Good.” He turned away. “Then we’re done here. Get some rest.”

I watched as he walked toward the door, my heart still hammering in my chest.

“This is going to be hell,” I muttered under my breath.

He paused, glancing at me over his shoulder with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Welcome to my world, darling.”

And with that, he left.

I exhaled slowly, gripping the armrests of my chair. My life was no longer mine. I was now playing by his rules.

But one thing was certain—I would not break easily.

A few hours had passed, and I had spent most of that time buried in my books, trying to focus on my studies. But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept drifting back to him—to our earlier conversation, to the ridiculous rules he had imposed, and most of all, to his suffocating possessiveness.

With a frustrated sigh, I slammed my book shut and leaned back in my chair. I had managed to get through some reading, but exhaustion was creeping in. My head ached from staring at the pages for too long, and I needed fresh air.

Pushing my chair back, I stood up and stretched before walking over to the balcony. As soon as I stepped outside, the cool evening breeze greeted me, gently caressing my skin. I closed my eyes, letting the fresh air wash over me.

At least nature wasn’t as annoying as Heinrich.

I exhaled, gripping the railing as I gazed out into the night. The sky was dark, a canvas of scattered stars, and below, the lights of the estate flickered faintly in the distance. It was peaceful. Almost like a different world, one where I wasn’t trapped in a forced marriage with a controlling man who thought he could dictate every aspect of my life.

I leaned forward, resting my chin on my arms. How had my life come to this? Just a few months ago, I had been a normal college student, focused on my future, dreaming about what life would be like after graduation. Now, I was here—locked in a world I never asked to be part of, bound to a man who saw me as a possession rather than a person.

The weight of it all pressed down on me, making my chest feel tight. I had always been independent, making my own choices, following my own path. Now, my freedom had been stripped away, reduced to a set of rules designed to control me.

I gritted my teeth.

No.

I refused to let this situation break me. If Heinrich thought I was going to be some obedient, docile wife who followed his every command without question, he had another thing coming. I might not have a choice in this marriage, but I still had a choice in how I carried myself.

“I will not be controlled,” I whispered to myself, gripping the railing tighter.

“You talk to yourself now?”

I gasped, spinning around so fast that I nearly lost my balance. Heinrich stood in the doorway of the balcony, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with amusement.

I placed a hand over my racing heart. “What the hell? Ever heard of knocking?”

He smirked. “It’s a balcony. Should I have knocked on the air?”

I scowled. “You know what I mean.”

He stepped closer, his presence instantly making the air around me feel heavier. “What are you doing out here?”

“Standing.”

“I am not blind.”

“I never said you were.”

“And I never said you said I was.”

“Huh?”

He laughed—a deep, low chuckle that somehow irritated me even more. He stepped forward and leaned against the railing beside me, his arm brushing lightly against mine. I stiffened at the contact but refused to move away.

“Like the view?” he asked.

“None of your business.”

“Careful with your words.”

“Whatever.”

His smirk deepened, and he shook his head slightly, as if he found me amusing. That only made me angrier.

“Why do you always have to be so damn controlling?” I muttered under my breath.

“Because it keeps people alive,” he said simply.

I turned to him, frowning. “And by people, you mean you?”

He met my gaze, his expression unreadable. “You, too.”

I snorted. “Oh please. You don’t care about me.”

His jaw tightened. “Believe what you want.”

“Oww, so you care about me now?” I said in a provocative manner, tilting my head as I watched him.

“Behave,” he warned.

“I will try,” I said with fake innocence.

He let out a sigh and shook his head. “You sure are an interesting woman.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Observation.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what have you observed?”

He looked at me for a moment, as if debating whether he should answer. Then, his lips curled into a smirk. “You are… brainless.”

“Excuse me?” My voice shot up in disbelief.

He chuckled. “Did I stutter?”

I glared at him. “You wish I was brainless. But let me tell you something, Heinrich—” I poked him in the chest, “—I am very intelligent. In fact, I am smart enough to know that you are a manipulative, egotistical, control freak.”

He grabbed my wrist before I could poke him again. His grip was firm but not painful. “Careful,” he warned, his voice low. “You are testing my patience.”

I yanked my hand back. “And you are testing mine.”

He sighed as if dealing with me exhausted him. “You are reckless, impulsive, and have no sense of self-preservation.”

I scoffed. “Oh, forgive me for not cowering in fear before the mighty Heinrich.”

His eyes darkened. “Maybe you should.”

There was something in his tone that sent a chill down my spine. I swallowed but refused to let him see that he intimidated me.

“I am not afraid of you,” I said, my voice steady.

He leaned in, his face just inches from mine. “You should be.”

My heart pounded in my chest, but I held my ground. “No. What I should be afraid of is losing myself in this situation. But I won’t. No matter what you say or do, I will not become another one of your obedient little puppets.”

His gaze flickered with something I couldn’t quite place. Was it amusement? Frustration? Admiration? I couldn’t tell.

Then, just as quickly as he had stepped into my space, he pulled back.

“You’re exhausting,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.

“Likewise,” I shot back.

Silence stretched between us. The night air felt heavier now, thick with unspoken words and unresolved tension.

After a moment, Heinrich exhaled and turned towards the balcony door. “Don’t stay out too long. It’s getting cold.”

I watched him walk away, my mind spinning.

He confused me. One moment, he was suffocating, controlling, and impossible. The next, he was… something else. Something I couldn’t define.

I exhaled, leaning against the railing once more.