Trapped!

She spun on her heel and marched determinedly toward the bedrooms, but paused when she heard him type a series of numbers into the elevator keypad. The odd sound and the fact that he’d never done so made her turn to face him with a frown.

“What are you…?” she began, but her voice died when he slipped his hands into his pockets and stared at her with an implacable look that made her heart begin to race.

“You aren’t going to a hotel,” he stated.

Her mouth sagged open before she shouted, “You fucking played me!”

He didn’t deny it.

“Why go to a hotel when you can be here?” he asked reasonably.

She stomped her foot. “Because I don’t want to be here!”

“Tell me why and I’ll fix it.”

“Haven’t you learned you can’t fix everything?” she stormed as she rushed to the keypad. “What did you do?” When he didn’t answer, she glared up at him. “Roth.”

“Temporarily disabled it.” He grunted when she punched him in the gut. “Just hear me out.”

“You haven’t changed! You’re back to locking me in your fucking penthouse! What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I want you to stay with me.”

“No!” she bellowed.

“Why not?”

“Because we keep repeating the same cycle. We aren’t meant to be together! Two failed marriages, one shorter and more catastrophic than the other. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out we should stay as far from each other as possible.”

“That was my fault.” He clasped her face between shaking palms. “Let me make this right. Let me—”

“I don’t want you doing this because you feel guilty!” she roared.

“I don’t feel guilty,” he shouted back, stunning her into silence.

“Then what is it?” she demanded. “Why the hell would you want me to stay here?”

He dropped his forehead to hers. “I promised you I would always be there for you and have failed every time. I need you to let me keep my promise.” When she opened her mouth to argue, he said, “If you don’t stay here, I’m coming with you.”

For the second time in a matter of minutes, her mouth dropped. “No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am. Either you stay here where I know you’re safe and have everything you need or I'll shadow every step you take.”

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Sins. Please do not share or distribute.

Copyright © 2025 Mia Knight. All Rights Reserved.