CHAPTER 64
Eva crouched by the couch, her breathing heavy and uneven with anger as she watched Klaus zip up his belt with a practiced, careless motion.
Every movement he made felt like a slap to her face, a reminder of what she’d allowed to happen, of the power he still held over her. Her stomach churned, the bitter taste of shame rising up as she thought about what she’d done. She felt trapped, humiliated, and furious, all at once.
“Let me go,” she demanded, her voice firm but laced with a restrained anger she struggled to hold back. “I have something to take care of.”
Klaus barely looked at her, his attention focused on straightening his shirt and smoothing out a wrinkle on his sleeve. It was as though her words didn’t reach him at all.
He was dismissive, detached, as if what had happened between them was merely routine, meaningless. She could hardly breathe, disgusted by his indifference which added to her shame.
When he finally met her gaze, there was a flicker of something she couldn’t read, but he quickly hid it, his face cold and unreadable. Silence hung between them, heavy and tense, and Eva could feel her patience slipping.
“Where is Elena?” she asked, her voice sharper, louder than she’d intended. She knew the question would irritate him, but she didn’t care. She needed to know. If Elena was hurt…
Klaus shot her a hard glare, his jaw tightening. “Shut up,” he spat, voice low and venomous. His tone cut through her leaving her stunned with pain. She hadn’t expected such harshness, but she forced herself not to show it.
A second passed, then two, as she gathered herself, clenching her fists and taking a deep breath. She wasn’t about to let Klaus know he’d gotten to her. No, she needed to stay composed, needed to find a way out of here. She needed to get to Elena, or at the very least, make sure the woman was taken care of, or out of the way.
But she couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped like a pawn in his game of chess. She’d let him manipulate her, let herself be caught in his web, all while she held leverage against him, one he was blissfully unaware of.
His child.
Only she knew her location, a secret she’d held close to her chest. And yet, she’d let him take advantage of her, manipulate her into a situation that made her skin crawl. The shame and self-loathing twisted within her, making her feel weak, foolish even.
Klaus adjusted his tie, the faintest smirk playing on his lips as if he knew he’d won. Finally, he turned to leave, his eyes flicking to her with a cold, assessing look. She could feel her pulse quicken, the frustration building up as she tried to plan her next move, trying to find a way to regain control.
But before she could even react, he stepped forward, his hand reaching out to grab her wrists in an iron grip. She struggled, twisting against him, but he was too strong, his grip unbreakable. In one swift movement, he yanked her arms to the side, securing them in heavy chains that locked around a metal pole beside the couch.
“What the hell are you doing?” she snapped, voice sharp with anger and frustration.
He simply tightened the chains, ignoring her as if her words were nothing more than a mild inconvenience. Then he looked her square in the eye, his expression unreadable. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said, his voice dangerously calm.
Eva glared back at him, her mind racing. She could feel her anger simmering, bubbling just beneath the surface. But she couldn’t show it and right now, she had no choice but to play along, to wait for an opening, however small.
Klaus gestured to the guards at the door, and two men stepped forward, standing watch with cold, emotionless expressions. Eva felt her heart sink. He was making sure she couldn’t leave, that she couldn’t escape.
“Why are you doing this?” she demanded, her voice almost breaking down.
Klaus turned to her, his gaze hardening. “Because I need you to stay put,” he replied simply. “You’re… important, Eva. More than you think.”
He said it with such cold detachment that it sent a shiver down her spine. She had seen his ruthlessness up close, but this was different.
However, Eva wasn’t one to back down. “You think chaining me here is going to change anything?” she scoffed, a bitter smile forming on her lips. “You may think you’ve won, but you’re only delaying the inevitable.”
Klaus smirked, the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes. “Think what you want, Eva. But you’re staying right here until I decide otherwise.”
With that, he turned away, already dismissing her as he walked to the door. She could hear him calling in more men, giving orders in that low, commanding tone of his. She strained to hear, catching snippets about Mario and something about reinforcements. A few men had already left, he mentioned, and others were assembling for what sounded like an attack.
Eva felt her chest tighten. Mario. She hadn’t thought about him, hadn’t considered how he might play into Klaus’s plans. But if Klaus was planning something on that scale, it meant he was ready to escalate. And if she was involved… that only meant more danger for everyone close to her.
Klaus glanced back at her one last time, “Stay out of trouble, Eva,” he said with a mocking smile, as if daring her to try anything.
The door shut behind him, and Eva was left alone, chained, her mind racing with anger and frustration. She tugged at the chains, testing their strength, but it was no use. She was locked in, and the guards stationed at the door showed no sign of loosening their watch.
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, forcing herself to think clearly. She couldn’t panic, couldn’t afford to let him see any weakness. Klaus thought he’d trapped her, thought he could control her, but he didn’t know the lengths she was willing to go to, the risks she was ready to take. If he underestimated her, it would be his downfall.
As she sat there, plotting her next move, the image of Elena flashed through her mind. She didn’t know where the woman was, didn’t know what Klaus’s true plans were, but one thing was certain, she wouldn’t let Klaus have the last word. One way or another, she would escape. She would find Elena, and she would make Klaus regret ever thinking he could control her.
And as the anger and determination burned within her, she felt her focus sharpen. Klaus may have had his men, his chains, and his plans, but Eva had something far more powerful, resolve. And she would use every ounce of it to bring him down.
Klaus on the other hand knew Eva was important to Angelo. Likewise Elena, and to win this war, he needed to have them both.