Juliette sat quietly on a king-sized bed covered with white sheets and blankets. Her eyes wandered around the room once more, taking in every detail. She was genuinely amazed to see that the entire room was accented in white. From the single sofa to the small table adorned with a vase of white roses, the nightstand, the carpet, the chandelier, the walls and floor, and even the curtains framing the two balcony doors, everything was painted white.
She never expected that the “white room” Robbin referred to would be a bedroom designed in all white-a white that symbolized purity. Juliette didn’t understand why Robbin had created a white-themed room for her. Had she not been inside it, she would never have known about its existence.
A soft sigh escaped her lips. Her entire body relaxed as a gentle breeze blew in from the balcony doors, which had been left open by a servant a few minutes earlier. She closed her eyes, and calmness slowly enveloped her. Unconsciously, her hand lifted and brushed against her bandaged head, her fingers touching the cut on the corner of her lip before tracing over the bruised cheek that still throbbed with pain. After being brought to the white room by Aldrich, a doctor had come to treat her wounds.
The man remained silent the entire time as he tended to Juliette’s injuries, acting as if he were neither surprised nor troubled by what lay before him. Juliette had been in disbelief when the doctor gathered his belongings and left without so much as a word, completely ignoring her as she sat there in confused silence. She guessed that Robbin had paid the doctor to keep quiet, and if that were true, she wouldn’t have been shocked. An hour after the doctor’s visit, two servants arrived with food and, at Juliette’s request, opened the balcony doors to let fresh air circulate. After the servants left, Juliette was left alone in the white room, as she had been ever since.
Slowly, she rose from the bed and walked toward the balcony. The sun was now setting in the west, signaling that night was about to fall. Juliette had no idea what would happen to her when Robbin came later. So far, the man hadn’t appeared before her, and Juliette hoped it would stay that way. But her wish was never going to be granted. The peace surrounding her was abruptly disturbed when she heard the door open and then close with a click, signaling the lock being turned. Reluctant to look back into the room, Juliette chose to gaze at the sky, her body leaning against the sturdy balcony railing.
Footsteps approached, and Juliette held her breath as a tall, muscular figure enveloped her small frame. The familiar scent of pine and masculine warmth surrounded her like a cocoon. A chin rested on one of her shoulders, and a warm breath brushed against the skin of her neck, sending an unfamiliar shiver through her body, making her uncomfortable. The man’s arms wrapped around Juliette possessively. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, both opting to feel the calm silence between them-a surprising occurrence for Juliette, given the recent turmoil between them.
“I’m sorry,” the man whispered in Juliette’s ear so softly. Juliette closed her eyes again, trying to block out the apology the man was offering, determined not to let it reach her heart. She didn’t want to forgive him. Not ever. “Kitten, talk to me.”
“What are you doing here?” Juliette muttered sharply.
“Are you planning to do what you promised me? To punish me? If you intend to do it, then do it now. Don’t act like you’re a good man who cares about me. It’s all a facade. I’m sick of you, Robbin.”
Robbin’s arms around her waist tightened upon hearing the venom-laced words that Juliette spat out. The words were like a razor-sharp knife stabbing his heart repeatedly. Robbin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to control the rising emotions. He didn’t want to make the same mistake again.
No.
He couldn’t lose control anymore. He wanted to hurt Juliette in pleasure, not in any other way. Juliette was too precious to him. He could do terrible things to others, but not to her. Robbin inhaled deeply, breathing in Juliette’s addictive scent.
“You’re right, you’re always right,” Robbin whispered flatly.
His closed eyes slowly opened, and Juliette was startled by Robbin’s whisper, which felt like the final verdict of her life. She felt Robbin’s body move away from hers. Turning around, she saw him standing there, his eyes cold as ice. His hands were tucked into his pockets.
Her instincts told her he was planning something to “punish” her, and they urged her to run. But as if hypnotized by Robbin’s deep, mysterious gaze, her entire body froze. She was rooted to the spot, spellbound, and no one could break the enchantment that held her captive.
“Robby…” Juliette whispered faintly, so softly it was barely audible.
“Go back inside the room, kitten.”
Juliette swallowed hard. “What are you going to do to me?”
Robbin glanced at Juliette’s bandaged head, the cut on her lip, and the bruise on her cheek-all evidence of his cruelty. He turned his back on her, facing away from the woman who was now looking at him with visible fear.
“Go inside the room, kitten,” he ordered firmly, leaving no room for argument.
Naturally, Juliette obeyed because the tone in Robbin’s voice made it clear he wasn’t interested in debating or hearing any defiance from her. Lowering her head, she slowly walked back into the room, passing Robbin, who remained where he stood. She glanced at him briefly, wincing at the calm expression on his face. But Juliette wasn’t naive. The calmness she saw was the stillness before the storm-Robbin was about to do something far worse than what he had done in his office.
Juliette couldn’t stop thinking of the worst possible scenarios. After all, the man she was dealing with was no longer the person she once knew. The man with her now was cruel, the one who had taken away those she held dear, like Leo. She flinched when she heard the balcony door slam shut. Her heart raced, and her breathing grew heavier. Juliette stood alert, bracing for whatever Robbin might do.
“You reminded me of this, Julie. If you had just kept your mouth shut and not provoked me, we’d be sleeping peacefully tonight.” Juliette clenched her fists tightly but chose to stay silent. She had said enough and provoked Robbin enough; now, she had to keep quiet and hold back the biting comments that sat on the tip of her tongue.
“Silent now? Where’s the Juliette I saw a few minutes ago?”
A hiss escaped her lips as she felt Robbin’s hand caress her arm. His touch was gentle and intoxicating, leaving Juliette confused by her feelings.
“Turn around,” Robbin commanded. Juliette complied and turned. Her warm, hazel eyes, filled with sadness and hatred, met Robbin’s dark eyes, now devoid of emotion.
“Give me your hands.” Unconsciously, Juliette bit her lower lip nervously as she extended her hands toward Robbin.
Robbin clicked his tongue softly at this. One of his hands reached up and freed Juliette’s lower lip from her bite.
“Don’t. Only I get to bite your lips and make them red and swollen. Understand?” Robbin then took both of Juliette’s hands and, at the same time, led her toward the bed.
“Do you know what this room is?”
“A bedroom,” Juliette squeaked softly, answering Robbin’s seemingly absurd question. After all, it was apparent there was a bed and a wardrobe in the room.
Robbin shook his head briefly. “Sometimes I can’t tell if you’re naive or just pretending to be.” He lifted Juliette and laid her down on the bed, following close behind, pinning her down so she couldn’t move. He didn’t want Juliette to try escaping from him.
Robbin wanted the night to end soon because tomorrow, he had much to prepare for the event he had been anticipating. Then, Robbin leaned in, his face so close to Juliette’s that their lips almost touched.
“Do you remember when I took you to that nightclub in Switzerland?” Juliette nodded briefly.
“This room. It functions similarly to that special room.” Juliette immediately understood what Robbin meant.
It was the room entirely in black, filled with BDSM equipment stored in the wardrobes. Juliette remembered how creepy she felt when she saw the contents of the wardrobes. Don’t blame her curiosity-it was Robbin who had left her alone in that room while he had stepped out briefly to handle something. Fortunately, he hadn’t used any of the tools in there; otherwise-just thinking about those tools made Juliette shudder.
“In this room-” Juliette couldn’t finish her sentence, seeing the smirk on Robbin’s face. He looked at her with the same expression she had grown all too familiar with.
“Don’t move. If I see you change your position even a little, don’t blame me if it’s Hannah who ends up feeling the consequences.”
“Ha… Hannah? What do you mean? What have you done to my friend?” Robbin gave a sinister smile and slowly sat up. He straddled Juliette and pulled a remote out of his blazer pocket.
“You want to know? She seemed so curious about your situation that she decided to visit the De Lavigne residence. Too bad she had to run into me.”
Immediately, Juliette thrashed violently, but Robbin’s weight on top of her and the way he pinned her down made it impossible for her to do anything.
“Robbin! What did you do to her? Robbin! Stop! She’s pregnant!” Juliette screamed, trying to bring the man above her to his senses, but her efforts were in vain. Robbin rambled incoherently, his gaze wholly altered.
….