Chapter 10 · The 'Pet' Parade

"Keep your chin up, Ivy. I want them to see exactly what I bought."

Cain’s fingers didn’t just hold me; they dug into my skin. He forced my gaze up, steering me toward the gold-leafed doors of the Great Hall. His grip was a brand. A reminder that every inch of me belonged to the contract now.

"I’m not a trophy," I spat. I tried to jerk away, but he didn't budge.

He didn't even look at me. He just squeezed harder until I gasped, my breath hitching. "You're whatever I say you are. Today, you're the curiosity. The low-blood defect who crawled into the Regent's bed."

"I haven't even—"

"And you will," he cut me off. His voice was a low vibration I felt in my own chest. "Unless you want me to call Silas. I wonder how fast your step-brother would come to collect the scraps?"

I froze. The name felt like a blade against my spine. I stopped fighting. I let him drag me.

The doors swung open. The roar of the court hit me like a physical wall.

Hundreds of eyes—sharp, hungry, judging—snapped toward us. These people didn't just look; they dissected.