Chapter 26: I had To Play To Win.
Gia’s POV
I ran up the stairs so fast my legs hurt. The guards at the bottom were still watching me, trading looks I didn’t like, smirks like they’d just witnessed justice served.
Oh God.
Did that mean they heard?
Heat rushed to my cheeks. Embarrassment slammed into me so hard my stomach turned. I clutched the railing and kept moving, refusing to look back.
The hallway upstairs seemed to stretch on forever, wide and lined with door after door, each one identical enough to confuse me. My heart pounded faster, my breathing ragged, but I caught sight of the familiar one. My fingers fumbled at the handle before I pushed it open, slipped inside, slammed it shut, and hurried to my bed.
I yanked the duvet over my head, trying to block everything out and hide from the world, but it couldn’t hide me from myself, from the shame or the guilt pressing heavy against my chest.
My eyes burned, and the tears came fast. My mind wouldn’t stop replaying what happened in Dante’s office.
Dante was a brute.
Shit… I’d tried to fight back with my words, hurling every ounce of hate I had at him.
I hated him.
He bent me over his desk, yanked my panties down, and spanked my bare skin until it burned, until sweet sensations I couldn’t explain shot through me.
And then, just to prove some cruel, vindictive point, that I was his plaything and my body belonged to him, he began to caress and soothe the tender skin.
He lifted me into his arms like he cared, and I foolishly let myself believe it… only to be turned over on his lap as his hand stroked my core, coaxing reactions I had never felt before, until I was wet and aching, begging for more of whatever it was his touch was doing to me.
So why had my body betrayed me?
Was it because I was inexperienced? Because he knew it and took advantage, touching me in ways he knew my body would respond to? He’d called me out for being wet, for enjoying it. And God help me, I had.
Somewhere in the middle of all that humiliation, I’d felt a pleasure so intense, so new… it nearly shattered me.
My first orgasm, given to me by the monster who kidnapped me.
And when I closed my eyes, I saw it all over again. Me, sprawled across his lap, moaning, my ass arching up to meet every thrust of his fingers.
His smirk still haunted me, arrogant and sure.
I wanted to disappear. Crawl under the bed. Fade into the floor. Anything to escape the truth pulsing inside me.
But even now, lying here, my butt still stung from the strikes, and my eyes were swollen. Yet, the ache between my thighs hadn’t gone away. No matter how hard I clamped my legs together, it refused to stop.
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Chapter 20 Cow To Pay To Win
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Damn you, Dante.
“Forgive me, Dad…” The words slipped out against my pillow, hoarse and trembling. “I tried to fight him off. I really did. But he… he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew how to touch me. How to make me feel things I didn’t want to feel. How to pull something dark out of me I didn’t even know was there.”
Ashamed, I pulled the duvet tighter, curling into myself until exhaustion finally dragged me under.
A soft shake on my shoulder pulled me from sleep. My body stretched before I could stop it, a yawn slipping out as my lashes fluttered open.
When my vision cleared, Grace was standing over me. Her eyes were warm but watchful, like she’d been there for a while, quietly making sure I was alright.
“Grace…” I mumbled, my voice still heavy with sleep.
“Forgive me for waking you, Gia,” she said gently. “But you’ve been sleeping all day, and Don Dante is already on his way home.”
My eyes widened. “All day? What time is it?”
Her lips curved into a faint smile. “It’s past nine in the evening.”
“Shit,” I muttered, sitting up too quickly. “I didn’t know I’d slept that long.”
Grace tilted her head, still wearing that calm, almost motherly expression. “I understand. You had a rough day, so it was much needed. But now, you must eat before Don Dante returns, or he’ll be upset with me for letting you starve.”
“Don Dante doesn’t have to control every part of my life,” I shot back before I could stop myself.
Her gaze softened. “Gia, I know this is hard. Your life was turned upside down overnight. With your father gone, and Don Dante as your new owner… the transition can’t be easy. But if I may give you advice, stop challenging him and just… submit. It will make things easier for you.”
I pushed the duvet aside, my voice rising as I sat up. “Easier for who? How can you tell me to just submit to a man who bought me, who wants to use me as some revenge tool against my father for crimes I know nothing about?”
“Gia, calm down.” She placed a hand on my shoulder and sat beside me on the bed. “I know all of this is hard, but right now it’s the only path you have. Dante doesn’t take well to defiance, and being stubborn will only bring more punishment.”
My breathing grew heavier. Grace reached for my hands, holding them gently in hers.
“We all heard what happened,” she said softly. “The spanking Don Dante gave you. It will only get worse if you keep pushing. You don’t know how far he can go. He’s changed over the years… he’s no longer the man he once was. Don’t push him, do it for your own sake.”
I pulled my hands free. “If he wants to punish me, spank every inch of my skin until I bleed, that’s still better than submitting to a monster like him.”
“He wasn’t always a monster, Gia.” Her tone carried a sadness, like she was clutching a memory. “As much as Dante seems dark, he still has a heart. The only way to reach it is by submitting. So… play to win, not to lose. Because you will lose against a man like Dante Deluca.”
Her words stayed with me. He wasn’t always a monster? What had happened to break him this badly? But I couldn’t dwell on that now.
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Chapter 28 That in Pay To Win
There was something else, another phrase that pressed harder against my thoughts. Play to win.
The question slipped out before I could stop it, my mind racing for an escape.
“What do you mean by ‘play to win‘?”
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Grace straightened, her face guarded again. “Gia… I’ve said too much. My daughter, Mira, is outside waiting with your food.”
She rose from the bed, but I caught her wrist. “Dinner can wait. Tell me what you mean by play to win.”
“Forgive me.” She pulled her hand from mine, her expression closing off. “Forget everything I said earlier about Don Dante, and eat, or else he’ll be upset with us both.”
There was no use pushing now. She wasn’t going to reveal anything more. I would have to be patient… watch her, listen, wait for the right moment to pry the truth out of her.
I sighed. “Fine. Your daughter can come in.”
Grace gave me a soft smile before leaving. Moments later, she returned with a young lady carrying a tray of covered dishes. She stepped closer and placed the food at the side of the bed, arranging it with care.
The girl’s dark hair framed a strikingly beautiful face. She looked close to my age, perhaps a year younger. The resemblance to Grace was clear in her features, but there was something different about her, an energy in the way she moved, a spark in her eyes.
“Mira,” Grace said warmly.
“It’s nice to meet you, Lady Gia. You’re even more beautiful than they described. Now I understand why the men have been talking about you all day.”
I was tempted to ask what exactly they had been saying, but then I remembered Dante’s bodyguard. They’d probably spent the whole day feeding on my humiliation. I wasn’t going to let that break me. If I had any chance of getting out of here alive, I had to stay strong.
I let out a small chuckle. “Thank you… It’s nice to meet you too, Mira.”
Mira’s lips curved in a playful smile. “Well… they say you’ve got a fiery mouth, that you stood up to Don Dante right there in front of all his men. Nobody’s ever dared that before. They claim he had to put you in your place… but honestly, I think you rattled him.”
“Mira!” Grace’s voice was firm, cutting in. “Stop. You would do well to respect the lady of the house.”
Mira’s expression dimmed, her head lowering slightly. “Apologies, Lady Gia.”
“It’s alright, Grace.” I waved it off. “Let her speak freely with me.”
Mira’s smile returned. “Thank you, Lady Gia.”
I met her gaze with a faint smile. “Men who try to control women often mistake self–defense for defiance, because deep down, they’re the weak ones.”
Her eyes brightened. “You’re right. Around here, men only want to keep women under their thumb. But some of us… we’re free birds, and we want to fly.”
“That’s right,” I agreed. “We live life on our own terms, without it being dictated by the men put in charge of us.”
Mira’s lips curved warmly as she extended her hands toward me. “Lady Gia… if you don’t mind… can we be
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Chapter 26 1 had To Ploy To Win
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friends?”
I reached out and took her hands. “To a good friendship… in this cold world.” Then I added with a faint smile, ” And I like to be called just Gia.”
Grace was right, I had to play to win. I hadn’t figured everything out yet, but something told me Mira was going to be instrumental, becoming my eyes and ears in this place… a key piece in whatever escape plan I would eventually set in motion.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
