Three
Kaela’s wrists throbbed where the rough rope had bitten into her skin. She sat silently in the back of Dante’s sleek black car, the engine humming beneath her. Outside, the city’s neon lights blurred past, a kaleidoscope of fleeting hope that felt farther and farther out of reach.
Dante sat beside her, his sharp features carved in stone. He didn’t speak, didn’t glance her way. His hands rested casually on his knees, but Kaela knew better than to mistake his calm for indifference. He was a man who could snap in an instant, and the tension between them was a live wire ready to ignite.
Kaela cleared her throat, trying to steady her voice. “Where are you taking me?”
His eyes slid toward her, dark and unreadable. “Home.”
Her heart sank. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You can’t just–”
“I can,” he cut her off, his voice like steel. “And I am. You’re mine now, Kaela. You’ll learn to accept that.”
Her stomach churned, anger momentarily overtaking her fear. “I’m not some possession you can cart around like luggage!”
He leaned closer, his gaze locking onto hers with a deadly intensity. “You’re whatever I say you are.”
Kaela’s breath hitched, but she refused to look away. “You can’t keep me forever,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
“Forever is a long time,” Dante replied, his tone almost mocking. “But for now, you belong to me.”
The car slowed as they approached a pair of towering iron gates. They groaned open, revealing a sprawling estate bathed in moonlight. The mansion stood like a fortress, its grand stone façade both beautiful and foreboding. The manicured gardens surrounding it seemed almost out of place, a cruel mockery of the danger lurking within.
Kaela’s hands clenched into fists as the car rolled to a stop in front of the massive double doors. A team of staff emerged, standing in a perfect line, their expressions carefully neutral.
“Out,” Dante commanded, opening his door and stepping into the cool night air.
Kaela hesitated, her pride battling her fear. When she didn’t move fast enough, Dante reached in, his hand gripping her upper arm as he pulled her out.
“Let go of me!” she hissed, struggling against his hold.
“Stop fighting,” he growled, his grip like iron. “It won’t end well for you.”
Kaela glared at him but stopped resisting. She wasn’t naive enough to think she could overpower him, not here, not surrounded by his people.
The moment they stepped inside, the sheer opulence of the mansion hit her like a punch to the gut. Marble floors stretched out in every direction, glittering beneath an enormous crystal chandelier. Ornate paintings adorned the walls, and the air was filled with the faint scent of jasmine.
“Take her to the west wing,” Dante ordered one of the maids, his tone sharp and dismissive.
“Yes, sir,” the woman replied with a quick bow.
Before Kaela could protest, the maid gently took her arm. “Come with me, miss.”
Kaela glanced back at Dante, her defiance flickering beneath her fear. “You won’t get away with this.”
Dante smirked, his expression as cold as it was cruel. “Watch me.”
The maid led Kaela through a maze of corridors, each more lavish than the last. Despite the grandeur, the mansion felt eerily empty, its silence pressing in on her like a weight.
Finally, they arrived at a large set of double doors. The maid pushed them open, revealing a room that was both beautiful and suffocating. The four-poster bed was draped in rich silks, and the floor-to-ceiling windows offered a breathtaking view of the gardens. But the lock on the inside of the door told Kaela everything she needed to know.
“This will be your room,” the maid said softly, avoiding Kaela’s gaze.
“My room?” Kaela repeated, her voice laced with disbelief. “What am I, a prisoner?”
The maid hesitated. “Mr. Armand wants you to be comfortable.”
Kaela laughed bitterly. “Comfortable? That man wouldn’t know the meaning of the word.”
The maid didn’t respond. Instead, she placed a set of clothes on the bed, simple but elegant and turned to leave.
“Wait,” Kaela said, her voice faltering. “What happens if I try to leave?”
The maid’s expression was pained as she glanced at the door. “Don’t try,” she whispered before slipping out and locking the door behind her.
Kaela’s knees buckled as the reality of her situation crashed over her. She was trapped, completely at the mercy of a man who seemed to take pleasure in breaking people.
But Kaela wasn’t broken—not yet.
Hours passed, and Kaela sat by the window, staring out at the darkened gardens. She had refused to touch the food that had been brought to her, her stomach too knotted to eat.
The sound of the lock turning sent her heart racing. She turned just as Dante entered, his presence dominating the room.
“Enjoying your accommodations?” he asked, his tone mocking.
Kaela stood, her hands trembling despite her best efforts. “What do you want from me?”
Dante stepped closer, his gaze burning into hers. “I want you to understand your place.”
“My place?” she spat, her voice shaking with anger. “You don’t own me! And my relatives might be looking for me,”
“I don’t think so,” He said with fire in his eyes.
“You don’t own me, Sir,” She thundered.
He reached out, his hand gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him. “I do now,” he said coldly.
Kaela’s chest heaved, her fury and fear colliding. “Why? What did I ever do to deserve this?”
Dante’s eyes darkened, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. “You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s all it takes in my world.”
She yanked her head away, her voice rising. “Then let me go! I don’t belong here, and you know it!”
Dante laughed, a low, humorless sound. “You think you’re innocent? No one in this world is innocent, Kaela.”
His words cut deeper than she expected, but she refused to let him see her falter. “You’re wrong,” she said, her voice firm.
Dante stepped back, his expression unreadable. “We’ll see how long that fire lasts.”
Before Kaela could respond, he turned and walked out, the door locking behind him once again.
Kaela sank onto the bed, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. She hated him, hated the power he held over her. But more than that, she hated how small and helpless she felt.
She wiped her tears away, a spark of determination igniting within her. She wouldn’t let Dante break her. No matter what it took, she would find a way out.
For now, she would play his game. But the first chance she got, she would take back her freedom, no matter the cost.