Chapter 6: "The Cage"
The sound of the pen scratching against the paper felt like it echoed through her entire body. Once she finished, she put the pen down slowly, almost afraid of what she had just done.
Dominic didn’t seem to care. He took the signed papers and glanced over them like it was nothing. It made Elena sick to her stomach. This was happening. She had no choice but to live in this nightmare now.
He stood up from his chair, his eyes never leaving her face. “Good. Now, you’re officially mine.”
Elena tried to stand, but her legs felt weak. She could feel the heavy weight of the handcuffs around her wrists, and they were starting to hurt more with every movement. She hated the way she felt, powerless, small like she didn’t even exist outside of his world.
“Where am I going now?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. She didn’t want to sound weak, but she couldn’t help it.
Dominic smiled, but it wasn’t kind. It was the kind of smile that sent chills down her spine. “To your new home, of course. You’ll stay with me until I say otherwise.”
His words hit her like another punch. She hadn’t expected this, but she hadn’t expected him to be this... cold. She tried to stand taller, trying to hold on to the anger she had been feeling.
“I’m not your slave,” she snapped, finding her voice.
Dominic raised an eyebrow. “No, you’re not. But you will learn how to behave, whether you like it or not.”
Elena’s heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to scream, to throw herself at him, but something in his eyes stopped her. He wasn’t afraid of her, and that made her feel even more trapped.
“Come with me,” he ordered, and she had no choice but to follow. The guards who had been standing in the back of the room stepped forward, grabbing her by the arms roughly. They didn’t even look at her. Like she was a thing, not a person.
She was led through the maze of hallways, her mind racing, trying to make sense of everything that had happened. But nothing made sense. She was being taken to God knows where, by a man who didn’t care about her, and her father... well, he had sold her out. The idea that she had no one left to turn to made her feel sick.
They arrived at a big, ornate door. One of the guards knocked, and the door opened. Inside, it looked like a luxurious suite. Everything was gold, dark, and cold. Nothing felt welcoming.
“This is where you’ll stay,” Dominic said, as though he was showing her a prize. “Get used to it. You’ll be spending a lot of time here.”
The guards shoved her inside. She stumbled, barely catching herself before crashing into the wall. She glared at them, but they didn’t even flinch. They just left, slamming the door behind them.
She was alone now. In a room that was both too big and too empty. The kind of place where you could get lost in your thoughts, but never in the way you’d want to be.
Elena looked around at the fancy furniture, the massive bed in the corner, and the windows covered by dark curtains. Nothing felt real like she was stuck in some kind of nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from.
She sank onto the bed, her hands still aching from the cuffs. She closed her eyes, willing herself not to cry. Crying wouldn’t help her now. Nothing would.
But then, the door opened again, and Elena jumped to her feet. Dominic walked in, looking like he owned the whole world. He didn’t even look at her when he spoke.
“Dinner will be brought to you in an hour. Get comfortable. This is your life now.”
He turned and left, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Elena’s breath caught in her throat. She was trapped. There was no way out.
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