"I see you've met my new pet," he said casually, as I shot daggers at him with my eyes.
"Baby," she purred, clinging to his side like a parasite. I rolled my eyes at the pathetic display.
She really thought she was something.
"It seems she lacks a great deal of manners," she sneered, her voice laced with venom. "Maybe she needs to be taught a lesson."
I scoffed, arms folded, daring her to try. He raised a brow at me.
"She asked me to eat from the floor. And even—"
"And so?" he cut me off, tone ice-cold, making my blood freeze. I looked at him, stunned, betrayed.
"You seem to forget you're nothing but a pet. You follow orders. If she tells you to eat from the floor… you do it," he said, gaze locked onto mine like a predator with its prey.
He can't be serious. He doesn't actually expect me to—
"Come on. What are you waiting for? Eat," he demanded, voice sharp.
I hesitated.
"Eat. Or I'll show you what happens when you defy me."
The threat wasn't hollow. I could hear the edge in his voice, and I knew—he meant it.
Better to leave here alive than end up another broken thing in his collection.
Swallowing my pride, I slowly knelt on the floor, glaring up at him as he gave me that smug eat look. My eyes darted to the woman clinging to him. She was grinning, lips stretched wide in cruel satisfaction. I hated her. I hated them both.
I picked up strands of spaghetti from the cold floor and shoved them into my mouth. Disgust coated my tongue.
"I missed you so much," she whispered, pressing her lips to his. I nearly gagged.
Their kiss deepened. Vulgar. Shameless.
Was he actually going to fuck her here? In front of everyone?
I stood up and walked away quickly, bile rising in my throat.
He's insane. He could fuck anywhere.
Not that it was my business. I just had to get out of that goddamn room.
I begged Nate to escort me everywhere. He was the only guard who didn't look at me like a slab of meat.
The first one tried to rape me. The trauma still lingers.
"Why are there no phones here?" I asked .
"Most mansions I've seen—movies or whatever—usually have intercoms or call lines in every wing."
He gave me a look. "Still thinking about escaping, huh?"
I shrugged.
"There used to be phones. But one of the maids tried to sell us out. Ever since, all electronics were banned. The only working line is in Lucien's study… and good luck getting to that."
So there is a phone.
Schemes immediately began to form in my head.
"Whatever you're thinking, I want no part of it," Nate muttered as his watch beeped.
"Time's up. Let's get you back."
"Coward," I hissed as he led me back to my room.
That night, I stayed up, plan fully hatched.
Lucien always left his study at 11 p.m. sharp. I had less than five minutes to get in, make the call, and vanish before anyone noticed.
At exactly eleven, I heard the click of a door down the hall. My heart pounded.
Now or never.
I cracked my door open, bracing for a guard—nothing. No one. Not a single soul in sight.
Perfect.
I rushed down the hall, my feet silent against the cold marble. His study door was wide open.
Weird. But I don't care.
The room was enormous—elegant and cold, painted in soft ash tones, every book and object precisely arranged. But I didn't have time to admire. I needed that damn phone.
I searched frantically—finally found it. I grabbed the receiver and just as I was about to dial—
Something felt wrong.
The wire. It was cut.
"No… fucking… way." My voice trembled.
Then I smelled him. That unmistakable mix of leather, smoke, and spice.
"She really thought she was clever," his voice dripped from behind me, venom and amusement tangled together.
I spun around—and there he was. Standing across the room, calm, commanding, dangerous.
"Did you really think you could outsmart me?" he asked, walking toward me, slow and deliberate. I stepped back with every stride he took forward.
"When will you finally understand… the master is always ten steps ahead of his pet?"
With a violent shove, he slammed me against the wall. Pain shot through my spine as I gasped.
He trapped me there, one hand under my chin, forcing me to look up into those glacial, sea-blue eyes—beautiful and merciless.
"You're never leaving this place, tesoro," he murmured, voice soft like silk hiding a blade.
And for the first time, I truly looked at him.
He was a monster.
He was a god.
He was beautiful.
And I was completely, utterly trapped.