CHAPTER 45

"If you break any one of these rules, there will be severe consequences. Do you understand?" he asserted, his voice filled with a chilling seriousness.

She nodded her head frantically, not wanting to provoke his anger any further. Her whispered response, barely audible, confirmed her compliance.

"I-I un-understand," she managed to utter.

A sinister smile spread across his face, a twisted satisfaction evident in his eyes. "Good girl," he remarked, relishing in her submission.

After a brief pause, he continued, his voice dripping with condescension. "Not quite what you had expected, was it? You thought you could control my life, my home. But here you are, bound by my rules that will dictate your every move." He let out a mocking laugh, reveling in his words.

Xavier's heart skipped a beat as he caught Aurora's teary gaze, her doe eyes piercing through him.

"Fuck!" he muttered under his breath.

He shook his head, his expression turning cold as he met her gaze.

"And now the rules have bee