“My girl… at last.” His voice was low, almost amused. The Duke watched me like I wasn’t a person anymore — like I was already his property. I tried to scr eam, but the gag only let out a broken sound. “I’ll remove it,” he said calmly, stepping closer. “But if you scr eam… you’ll regret it.” The strap loosened. Air hit my throat. I coughed hard, shaking. “Why are you doing this?” my voice cracked. “Why me?” He tilted his head slightly, as if the answer was obvious. “Because I decided you belong to me.”