Chapter 40 – Storm

Margot’s POV

He didn’t say anything at first, just stood there, burning holes through me with his gaze.

I felt his eyes raking over every inch of me like a burning searchlight – assessing, calculating, counting down to what felt like my final moments…

The silence was louder than anything he could have shouted.

I took a slow, shaky step back, but he followed, step for step, the air between us tightening like a noose. He didn’t need to move fast – his presence alone was enough to pin me to the wall.

“Coban,” I breathed, barely a whisper, trying to force calm into my voice. “I was going to come back. I didn’t mean-”

He moved.

I flinched instinctively, but he didn’t hit me. He didn’t yell again either. Instead, he reached out, gripped my chin between his fingers, and forced my gaze up to meet his.

His eyes were like flint, hard, sparking with something dangerous and barely restrained. “What the hell did I tell you?” he growled, voice low and crackling. “What did I say about wandering off on your own?”

“I wasn’t wandering–you were gone and we…” I gasped, then regretted it immediately.

His grip on my jaw tightened in a vice-like grip, as I became nothing more than a trembling ragdoll under his hold.

“Lying. Again.” He hissed the word like it tasted foul in his mouth. “You think I’m stupid again? Have you learned absolutely nothing so far?!”

“N–no! I just, we were in Cara’s room before Leo found us, and he told me that you–” I began pleading a story to him again, only to be cut short once more.

“Oh, Cara,” he muttered, as if her name was enough to set something loose in his brain.

She hadn’t done anything wrong in this…

His fingers dropped from my face, only to press into his temples as he turned his back to me, pacing once, twice across the room like a caged wolf longing for release.

I used the moment to glance around—and winced once again at the true sight of the place.

It was far worse than I remembered.

“So you thought you’d trash my fucking room before going to sit with Cara in hers? Why? Is her room still intact, I take it, Margot?!” He spat the truth out right at me as I cringed.

Margot…

It was the first time he had opted to use my real name over the pet one, ‘Bella.’

The prettiness had evidently passed for him–since I now stood messy and unwashed before him.

“I let you off the hook pretty easy on your first day, did I not?!” he said, voice eerily calm now. “I kept you safe. Made sure you are. Didn’t touch you the way I could’ve on your first fucking night–did I, MARGOT?!” He suddenly roared my name, as I lifted my arms in fright.

“I was gone for one night and this is what I come back to? Better yet, I came back to find that you were out all alone, exploring the building, hmm? Think you can tackle all those fucking nightmarish men on your own now, eh? Fucking dumb bitch!” Coban continued to yell, before moving towards me, fast, banging the wall beside my face as I whimpered.

My mouth opened, but no words came out…

He stalked backwards to take a deep breath, one that didn’t work, before he moved forward again, until we were toe to toe.

“Did you two have fun in here?” he snapped. “Like this is some fucking slumber party? WAKE UP, PRINCESS, YOU’RE IN A FUCKING PRISON!” He snapped, as I prayed and prayed he wouldn’t completely snap–winding up killing me…

I shook my head violently. “No—I mean yes, but I didn’t mean to disrespect anything, I swear I was going to come back and clean it–”

“You don’t get to swear anything to me,” he snapped, shoving one of my shoulders back into the wall. “You don’t get to make me promises anymore. You just do as you’re fucking told–no ifs, ands, or buts.”

His breath was warm against my face, but there was no heat in his eyes. Only pure ice. Fury layered with something colder – disappointment, maybe.

Or worse… betrayal.

But I had only gone to breakfast? Nothing else had happened…

“We slept in, that’s why it’s a mess in here, I’m sorry,” I suddenly sobbed out the words, having never noticed that I had even started crying before now.

“We? So this was a real slumber fucking party?!” He snapped, before adding, “LOOK AT ME!” He thundered, as I blinked up at him through the fresh tears.

“Cara stayed here last night, we were both brought here after the fight broke out… Coban, please…” I cried, not liking the close proximity between us.

He leaned closer until our foreheads touched.

“So you took full advantage of sleeping on my bed? Not just you, your little bitch of a friend too? Did I say you could do that?!” Coban whispered, as I closed my eyes and sniffled.

I shook my head miserably, every inch of me trembling under his shadow.

“I didn’t think—I was just—I don’t know!” I choked out, my voice small, broken, and entirely defeated. “We didn’t mean anything by it, I swear–”

“You didn’t think?” he echoed, voice dark with mockery as he pushed back from me, a look of disgust taking over his face. “Well, maybe it’s time someone around here starts thinking for you…”

His hand moved suddenly, and I braced–but he didn’t hit me. No. Instead, his fingers tangled harshly into my hair at the crown of my head and yanked me forward, dragging my body off the wall and into his chest.

I gasped, fists pressed against him instinctively, but he didn’t care. He held me firm, his lips brushing my ear now, venomous and low.

“You think this place in here is a joke, Bella?” he hissed. “You think you can just go out on your own or play house while I’m gone?”

“I don’t,” I replied barely above a whisper. “I know where we are—I know what this is.”

“You don’t. You don’t know anything yet.” His tone twisted–deepened into something colder, uglier. “But you’re going to learn. Starting now.”

He shoved me away–not violently, but with enough force to send me stumbling back, only just catching myself from falling again.

He was on a warpath…

I looked up at him with wide, wet eyes.

His chest rose and fell like a storm tide, hands still clenched at his sides.

Then–he exhaled. Long and slow, like he was holding something back that was dying to be released. His expression cracked, just a little. The tightness around his mouth eased, if only a fraction.

“I’m going to go to the gym, and when I get back, this place is going to be spotless, do you hear me?” He started, deciding on his next step in this.

I nodded desperately, more so needing him to leave the room, to leave me alone in order to gather myself…

“I WANT WORDS!” He shot, as I blundered to respond verbally to him.

“Y–Yes, of course!” I bubbled, as he rolled his eyes at my sobbing.

“Be lucky that I haven’t beat the shit out of you like your Daddy used to, Margot… don’t push me.” He sneered, the words sending a guttural hit straight to my heart.

With that last attack, he stormed by me, before he was gone…

Leaving me crumbling down into a heap on the floor…

I couldn’t think.

Couldn’t breathe.