AS OPHELIA TURNED on her heels and began tiptoeing back into the living room, she heard a chuckle from behind the door.

"I know you are behind the door, Rosette, I can hear your trembling breaths," Leonidas said.

Ophelia's breath hitched as her eyes widened in astonishment.

How could he hear her breathing from behind the door?

She also noticed that his voice sounded deeper than what she remembered.

"Go away, Leonidas, I don't want to talk to you," Ophelia responded.

"Open the door, little Rose, you honestly wouldn't want me to do it myself," he warned.

The warning came as a surprise to Ophelia. Still, she forced herself to recover quickly.

"Don't be ridiculous, you don't have the key and unless you want to break down my door and have the neighbours call the cops on you, you will leave this instant!"

For a few seconds, she heard nothing and then suddenly, the door was pushed open.

"What the?!" Ophelia screamed.

"Well, I did warn you," Leonidas said with a smile, appearing in front of her, as he walked in.

"Stay back, and don't you dare take another step. You aren't welcomed here," Ophelia said, as she shuffled back.

"Too late now, little Rose. You lost your chance to bargain when you disobeyed my orders in the first place," Leonidas calmly said and in a blink of an eye, his smile vanished.

Without thinking, Ophelia took off, trying to rush past her brother and possibly catch him off guard.

However, it seemed like he was already prepared for whatever stunt she might pull when he kicked the door close and grabbed her at the same time.

With a struggling Ophelia in his arms, Leonidas walked into her living room.

"I don't know what's gotten into, but you'll let go of me now, Leonidas!" Ophelia demanded.

And, surprisingly enough, Leonidas did just that as he deposited her onto the couch.

Taking this as her opportunity to escape again, Ophelia tried to stand up but Leonidas stood towering over her. Holding her arm, he pushed her back onto the couch.

He breathed out exasperated, sounding like he was tired of her. With that being the case, Ophelia hoped he would get annoyed and go away.

"Save your strength, Rosette, I will grab you before you can even take two steps. So, calm down and talk to me like the adult I would like to think you are," Leonidas said, then stood up and stared down at her.

Unlike the rest of the family who were either redheads or blondes with blue or brown eyes, Leonidas Monroe had pitch-black hair with eyes just as black.

He was well over six feet tall with a slender build. Leonidas was the definition of handsome but Ophelia would not be caught dead saying it.

Ophelia eyed him in anger that she didn't bother to hide. "What are you doing here?"

"What else? I am here to get my wife," he responded matter of factly as if she was stupid for asking.

Ophelia pretended to look around. "Where is she because I don't see her?"

Leonidas chuckled. "Don't play dumb with me, Rosette. Mother told me what you did to her and how rude you were. But not to worry, we'll fix your attitude later."

Ophelia scoffed. "Fix my attitude, you say? How about we fix your brain instead, huh?"

He narrowed his eyes at her then smiled. "You've always had a fiery temper, Rose, but that is what I love the most about you."

Ophelia shuddered in disgust. "Too bad the feeling isn't mutual. I used to be able to tolerate your presence but now it sickens me. Get out of my house, Leonidas!"

It seemed like her disgusted face amused him because his smile only widened. He raised his hand to her touch her face but Ophelia smacked it away. He looked at his hand and smirked.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look when you're angry?" he asked, only succeeding in getting Ophelia angrier.

"Have I told you how much I despise you?" Ophelia fired back intending to wipe off his smile.

Her words seemed to do the trick as Leonidas gripped her jaw hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Don't push it, Rose. I was going to save your discipline for after the wedding but I don't think it can wait any longer. After all, I can't present you to the town like this. They would think I am unable to control my own wife."

Shoving his hands off her, Ophelia scoffed again. "And you think I give a flying fuck what 'the town' thinks? I'm not your wife, Leonidas!

"And if you all haven't realised, we are in the 21st century and people are now free to do whatever it is they wish.

"But somehow, that town of yours seems to be stuck in medieval times. Rules about this and that. Move on for fuck's sake!"

"Watch your tone when talking to me, Rosette!" Leonidas snapped but besides his narrowed eyes and sharp tone, nothing else showed that he was angry.

Leonidas was unpredictable and Ophelia hated that about him.

"I will tell you the same thing I told Pauline. I will not be returning to Alberta. You can go back and relay my words to the rest of the family.

"Henceforth, I will stand on my own without any help or interference from anyone of you. I hope you and the rest of the family can let me be," Ophelia said, her voice tired.

To her surprise, Leonidas chuckled. "Your fate was sealed the moment you were born into the Monroe family. There is no escaping for you, little Rose.

"Like it or not, you will be my wife, so you have no choice but to accept the beautiful life I want to offer you."

Ophelia shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks, I think I'm fine here, now leave!"

He stared at her for a few seconds then stood to his full height. "I will leave now but I will be back."

Ophelia chuckled internally. The next time he would come, she would be long gone from New York.

"Don't try to leave this city because I have eyes on your every move," Leonidas said suddenly, almost like he read her mind.

Her eyes widened but she quickly recovered before he could see through her plans. Giving her one last look, Leonidas turned on his heels and left.

After a moment passed and she knew that Leonidas was no longer in the building, Ophelia quickly rushed into her room to grab her phone, cards and all the cash she had at home.

Knowing the Monroe family, Ophelia knew she wouldn't stand a chance if they came back.

They would haul her ass, kicking and screaming, all the way back to Alberta without caring about anything else. And no matter how far she ran, they would always find her.

Ophelia didn't have the power to go against them but she knew someone who did.

{•}

Thank you for reading.