He reached out a gloved hand toward the metal box on the table, but I instinctively pulled the leather-bound ledger closer to my chest.

Elias made a slight movement, his hand resting near his belt, but Arthur raised a finger to stop him.

“Let her have her moment, Elias,” Arthur said softly. “She has earned that much.”

“Why did you do this to me?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my anger. “Why did you force me into that house?”

Arthur sighed, a sound of mild paternal disappointment.

“I didn’t force you into anything,” he said. “I simply created the circumstances.”

“You married me off to a monster,” I said.

“Roman Blackwell is not a monster,” Arthur corrected. “He is an empire.”

He took off his leather gloves, folding them neat and placing them in his pocket.

“And more importantly, he is protective,” Arthur added. “The Blackwell name is armor.”

I stared at him, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to click together in a cold, horrifying sequence.

“You needed me safe,” I said.

“Precisely,” Arthur said. “As long as you were my daughter, you were a target for every creditor I owed.”