These people were wasting my time. I rested my elbow on the leather armrest of the armchair, my fingers loosely laced, watching the patriarch of the family sweat through his custom suit. Twenty minutes of stuttered excuses, delayed payments, and pathetic promises. I didn't care about their logistics, and I certainly didn't care about their pride. I ruled three territories by twenty-five because I eliminated friction, and right now, this family was becoming an inconvenience. "You have forty-eight hours," I said, my voice smooth, quiet, and cutting through the study like a razor. I stood up, adjusting the cuffs of my tailored charcoal suit. "After that, I don't negotiate with debts. I collect." The father's face drained of color. His oldest sons subtly shifted, stepping in front of their sister, their hands near their jackets. Amateurs. If I wanted them dead, they wouldn't even have seen my men draw their weapons. I turned and walked out toward the grand foyer to leave, bored of the pathetic display, when a soft, faint sound caught my attention—the barely audible whisper of slippers brushing against carpet from the floor above. My gaze shifted upward to the second-floor railing. The world seemed to stop moving. Standing at the top of the marble staircase, bathed in the warm, golden glow of the chandelier, was a girl who looked like she belonged in an oil painting, not a house built on blood money. Dark, expressive eyes filled with pure, unbothered innocence met mine. Her delicate silhouette was wrapped in a soft robe, her hair tumbling effortlessly over her shoulders. She didn't look terrified or calculating like everyone else in my world. She looked completely, utterly uncorrupted. A sudden, fierce possessiveness hit me so hard it almost caught me off guard. They had hidden her. They had kept this absolute treasure buried in the dark while they traded in dirt. My charming, ruthless smile slipped away, replaced by an intense, dark focus. I didn't just want her. I was going to take her. Her father instantly scrambled into my line of sight, his voice trembling as he tried to pull my attention away. "Mr. King—Xavier—please, let us finish our discussion in the office—" "Who is she?" My voice cut through the foyer, deep, calm, and utterly unyielding. I didn't take my eyes off her for a single second, stepping around her father as if he weren't even there. Her oldest brother quickly stepped onto the stairs, his body tense, trying to block my view of her. "She's not part of this," he warned, before glancing up at her. "Go back to your room, sweetheart, now." She blinked, taking a small step back, clearly confused by the sudden panic in her family's eyes. It was obvious she had never seen them look afraid before. I tilted my head, a slow, dangerously captivating smirk spreading across my lips as I locked my gaze onto hers past her brother's shoulder. "Your debt is officially cleared," I murmured, my voice carrying up the staircase to hold her captive where she stood. "On one condition."