Contractually Yours, Alpha by Giftemmy

Claim Me 629

Chapter Two Hundred and Forty

ALIYA'S POV

I woke up with a pounding headache.

The events from earlier came flooding back, sending a wave of panic through me. A blindfold covered my eyes, plunging me into darkness, and my wrists and ankles were bound in chains, secured to the wall behind me.

My slight movement must have captured my captor's notice. I heard footsteps approaching, and instinctively, I shrank back. Just then, the blindfold was yanked off, and it took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light. We were in what seemed like an ancestral hall, the walls adorned with strange markings, and the windows similar to those in a cathedral. Candles were scattered across the floor and in the center was a table draped with white cloth.

The man who had removed my blindfold was dressed in a black robe. I recognized him almost immediately-he was one of the High Regents, and his name was Varek. The door swung open, and four more regents entered, each one dressed like Varek. They shut it behind them, and one took position by the door to guard it. The other three advanced toward me. Despite the scarves covering their faces, I recognized Gregold immediately.

"Why am I here?" I asked him.

"To finish what should have been done a very long time ago," Gregold said calmly.

There was something eerie about him, something off-putting. I'd prefer Julia's presence to this strange man's any day.

"Where is Julia and the other empresses?"

"Julia? Gone. The other empresses, likewise."

do you mean

were stripped of their gifts-a punishment for their misdeeds," he said, then smiled. "Women should never be put in power over men. It was high time the goddess realized they were weak and incapable of making decisions. Everything would

her

in the middle; this seemed like some kind of ritual. A ritual involving

heart pounded in my chest. Could this be true that

they all died, but

Sebastian

have I been here? I wouldn't be getting an answer to that, but I knew

for time.

goddess made a mistake when she placed the empresses in power; they clearly outsmarted you all combined." I said, feigning bravery I didn't

the Overlord right under her nose, and she'd rather bed

knew who he was either; maybe he was just very good

to respond, then paused,

nodded to the other men and took a few steps back. Of course, he realized what I was

1/2

Hundred and

from the chains that bound my hands and feet, then tore away my gown. The

and that earned me a slap so hard I fell back to the ground. "Esne stultus?" Gregold questioned the man who had hit me. He'd

me with furious eyes, then approached again, tearing off the rest of my clothes. This

face was marked with bruises, and I was completely naked in a room full of men. I let my hair shield my breasts and coiled