Page 17 of Checks & Bonds

Dan looked at me one last time before he turned and walked away.

Henry's hand found my arm, his grip firm but not painful. "We need to talk."

I said nothing. If I opened my mouth, I knew I would tell him how much I hated him.

He pulled me closer, his touch suffocating. "Let's go," he said softly.

As we walked away from the field, I couldn't help but glance back at Dan's retreating figure. My heart ached with every step we took further from him, but I knew there was no turning back now.

Henry tightened his grip on my arm as if sensing my hesitation. "Forget about him," he murmured in my ear.

I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump in my throat. The warmth of Henry's hand was nothing compared to the cold emptiness that had settled in my chest.

I followed him silently, my mind replaying Dan's words over and over again.

The second we got somewhere more secluded, I yanked out of Henry's grasp and put my hands on his chest, pushing him. He didn't budge.

"How dare you," I snarled, my voice shaking with fury.

Henry arched a brow, his expression maddeningly calm.

"You can't just do that," I snapped. "You can't just go to—to him and hurt him."

"Why?" Henry asked, his voice dripping with contempt. "He's touched you, hasn't he?" He narrowed his eyes. "I should kill him for touching my property."

Angry tears blurred my vision. "Your property?" I spat. "You never cared before!"

"You know I did," Henry said, his tone cold and dismissive. "If you want to make yourself look like a fool, by all means."

"Oh, but you can fuck whoever you want, and I'm just supposed to be fine with it?" I demanded. "What, do I get to go over to Rebecca and threaten her? Maybe break her nose?"

His lip quirked in amusement. "I would pay to see that."

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Of course," I said with a sneer. "You would."

"Not like that," he replied, his voice softening just a fraction. "I could give a shit about her. But seeing you possessive over me? That would be an intriguing sight."

My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I struggled to contain my rage. The man before me was infuriatingly composed, as if none of this affected him in the slightest.

"I am not your possession," I hissed through gritted teeth.

Henry's gaze bore into mine, unyielding and icy. "Aren't you?"

The question hung in the air between us like a toxic cloud, suffocating me with its implications. My chest tightened as the weight of our twisted relationship pressed down on me.

I wanted to scream, to lash out and make him feel even a fraction of the pain he had caused me. But all I could do was stand there, trembling with anger and frustration.

He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "You belong to me, Freya," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin.

Every fiber of my being recoiled at his words, but some twisted part of me couldn't deny the truth in them. The reality of our engagement was a chain around my neck, binding me to this man who saw me as nothing more than an object to be owned and controlled.

But I refused to let him break me completely. Not now. Not ever.

"You'll never own me," I whispered back defiantly, meeting his gaze head-on.

Henry narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them. "We're getting married in a few months," he said. "You need to come to your senses."

"And what does that mean?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

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