I'm not a dog

**Alrigo Valerie King POV** 

"Let me out!" The sound of fists slamming against the door echoed down the hall, accompanied by her voice—sharp, defiant, laced with desperation.

Her voice - once a melody that could soothe my darkest thoughts - now felt like daggers in my chest.

One of the maids approached me hastily, her face pale and her hands trembling as she clutched the hem of her apron.

"Señor King," she stammered, casting a nervous glance at the door. "We've tried everything. She refuses to calm down. She won't eat, won't drink, and keeps shouting to be let out."

Another worker, a young man who looked as if he'd rather be anywhere else, nodded fervently. "She hasn't touched the tray we brought her this morning. She even threw the plate—"

I held up a hand, silencing him with a single gesture. Their panic, while mildly entertaining, was unnecessary. "Leave," I said, my tone calm but leaving no room for argument. "I'll handle her."

"Let me out!" she yelled, her voice cracking under the weight of her rage. "I want to see my brother! You people can't trap me here!"


I paused outside the door, my hand resting on the handle. For a moment, I allowed myself to remember - the way she'd curl into my side on quiet mornings, her sleep-warm body trusting and vulnerable. The way she looks at me, it's like she loves me.

All lies. All calculated deception.

She'd played her game masterfully, but now it was my turn.

When I opened the door, I didn’t rush. The deliberate turn of the handle, the slow reveal, all served a purpose—to remind her who controlled this space. 

And there she was, standing in the center of the room, startled into silence as her eyes locked on me.

I leaned casually against the frame, a cruel smirk playing on my lips. “You’re making quite a scene for someone who supposedly knows nothing. "Did you miss me, bella?"

“Let me out," Her gaze darted from the door to me, the shock on her face melting quickly into defiance. "I’m not your prisoner, Alrigo.”

“You certainly look like a prisoner,” I mused, my gaze sweeping over her. The sight of her rumpled clothes and tired eyes made my fingers itch to reach for her, to smooth away the signs of distress I'd caused. I crushed the impulse ruthlessly. “But perhaps that’s because you refuse to behave. Throwing food, shouting like a wild animal. It’s not very becoming of you.”

"I wouldn’t have to shout if you treated me like a human being,” she snapped. "Locking me up, starving me out? You’re a coward, Alrigo. A man too afraid to face the truth.”

“Careful, Ivery,” I warned, my tone dangerous. “Your sharp tongue might cut you deeper than you realize.”

“I want to see my brother,” Ivery said, her voice trembling but strong.

I raised a brow, letting the air between us hang heavy. “Do you?” I replied coolly, stepping further inside. “And what makes you think you’re in any position to want things?”

Her eyes narrowed, but her breaths were uneven, “I’ve done what you wanted. I’ve agreed to stay, to… to obey you,” she shot back, her words catching slightly but laced with venom. “But you can’t keep me locked up like this. I’m not a dog, Alrigo. I won’t be treated like one.”

"A dog..?"

“A dog learns to obey without question,” I said coldly. “So perhaps you haven’t quite earned that comparison yet.”

Her jaw tightened, and she glared at me with all the ferocity she could muster. "I’ve done nothing to deserve this." 

The volume of her voice was rising now, “You’re punishing me for something I haven’t even done. I told you—I know nothing about whatever it is you think I’m hiding. Keeping me like this isn’t going to change anything!”

I leaned in,“And yet, here you are. Banging on the door, screaming like a trapped animal.”

Her face burned, but she refused to back down, her jaw tightening as she glared at me. “Because you’ve made me one. Is this what you wanted? To see me beg? To break me? How long are you going to keep this charade up? To keep me locked away until I rot?”

For a moment, I said nothing. 

The tension between us was razor-sharp, the fury in her eyes mirrored only by the ice in mine. 

“Rot?” I growled darkly. “Don't you think rotting is far too easy? I’d rather see you twist yourself in this cage of your own making, bit by bit, until you realize what you are to me.”

Her eyes glistened for a moment, but she blinked it away. “Then let me see Rowan,” she whispered harshly, her voice thick with emotion. “If I’m going to be with you here—if I’m going to obey whatever twisted game you’re playing—let me see my brother. Don't be so cruel."

"He's my only family aside from my mother. Don't be so cruel." 

Cruel. As if she knew anything about cruelty.

“Fine,” I said, my voice cutting through her words like steel. “You want to see Rowan? Very well, bella. I’ll allow it—once.”

"What?" She blinked, visibly taken aback by my sudden concession.

My arms folded, my gaze fixed on her. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

"You're allowing me..?" She asked, her voice cautious, hesitant, as though afraid this was a cruel game. “You’re not joking, right?”

“No.” My voice remained calm. "You can really meet your so-called brother. I don't mind."

“Carmine,” I called out sharply, and one of my guards appeared almost instantly at the door. “Escort her to the dungeon. Let her see her Rowan.”

The guard nodded, and when his hand hovered near her arm to guide her, I raised mine to stop him. The thought of another man touching her, even one of my own men, sent an irrational surge of possessiveness through me.“No need to drag her. Let her walk. For now.”

I watched the way she tried to suppress her happiness, pressing her lips together in an effort to keep her mask of indifference intact. It didn’t fool me. 

I saw the faint spark in her eyes, the relief bleeding into her every movement.

“Don’t be too happy, bella,” I said smoothly, my voice sinking into a predatory lilt that had her pausing mid-step.

“You know there’s always a cost. You’ll pay for this. One way or another." I whispered, taking a step toward her. "And believe me, Ivery, I will collect every debt. You will pay me back—in full.”

She didn’t answer, though her jaw tightened. Without waiting for her reply, I gave Carmine a nod. “Take her now.” 

"You're letting her see Rowan?" Dominic stepped into the dim hallway, his brows furrowed in clear disapproval. "Why? Isn't this... leniency?"

"Leniency..?" A bitter laugh escaped my throat as I leaned against the wall, lighting a cigarette.

"She's a pawn, nothing more," I continued, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the rage threatening to choke me. "And pawns are only as valuable as the moves they provoke. Let her see him, it's quite...amusing to watch her cling to that hope, thinking it might save her, her brother."

"Because when it breaks—and it will break—it'll destroy her far more effectively than any cage ever could." Just as she had destroyed me with her lies.

Dominic crossed his arms, still unconvinced. "She's clever, Alrigo. Maybe too clever for her own good. Giving her what she wants—"

"—makes her useful," I interrupted. My jaw clenched as I remembered how easily she had played me, how willingly I had fallen for her act. "Let her believe she's earning something. Let her think there's still a sliver of decency left in me. It keeps her compliant. And compliant people are easier to manipulate."

I crushed the cigarette under my heel with more force than necessary, imagining it was my own weakness I was destroying."You see, Dominic, the truly dangerous man isn't the one who shows his claws at every opportunity. It's the one who plays the game so well, his victims don't realize they've lost until they're already in the grave."

I ordered, my voice low and commanding. “Keep an eye on her. Every step she takes, every word she speaks. I want to know it all. Report everything to me, no matter how insignificant it seems.”

“Understood.”