The city lights stretched endlessly outside the window, twinkling like stars but offering no comfort. Selene pressed her palms against her face, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She had signed her freedom away, her family's safety secured, but at what cost? Adrien's words echoed in her mind: "One signature, no escape." The sentence replayed like a mantra she couldn't shake.
A soft click made her jump. She turned toward the door. A guard appeared, motioning for her to follow. He said nothing; he didn't need to. Silence was his language. Selene hesitated, her heart hammering in her chest. Every instinct screamed that she should resist, that she should turn and run, but she knew it was pointless.
Adrien was waiting outside. He leaned against the wall, immaculately poised, his dark eyes scanning her as if he could see every fear, every hesitation, every heartbeat. The power he exuded wasn't loud or aggressive, it was absolute, a quiet dominance that made the air itself feel heavy.
"Your room has been prepared," he said softly. His voice was smooth, but underneath it lingered a subtle warning, like ice beneath silk. "Follow me."
Selene obeyed, swallowing hard. Her legs were shaky, and her stomach churned with a mix of fear and something else she couldn't name. She had to keep her focus. She had to remind herself: she was doing this for her family.
The hallway they walked down was endless, lined with paintings of stern-faced people and ornate light fixtures that cast sharp shadows. Every step echoed ominously against the polished marble. Selene couldn't stop looking around, noting the smallest details: the way the guards moved, the subtle security measures in the walls, the faint scent of leather and polished wood. This wasn't just a mansion — it was a fortress.
Adrien's gaze never left her. He didn't speak much, but every glance, every small movement conveyed authority, ownership. Selene felt exposed under his watch, as if he could see not just her body but the parts of her soul she had never shown anyone.
Finally, they reached the elevator, black and sleek, the kind of luxury she had only seen in magazines. Adrien pressed a button, and the doors slid open silently. She stepped inside, following him, her stomach twisting as the doors closed behind them.
When the elevator stopped, she found herself on a floor she hadn't expected. Guards were stationed at intervals, their presence both comforting and suffocating. Adrien led her to a massive door at the end of the hallway.
"This is where you'll stay," he said. The room opened to reveal a space that was breathtaking, but sterile. The bed was king-sized, draped in crisp, white sheets. Expensive furniture gleamed under the soft lighting, but the room felt cold, almost clinical. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city below, yet it felt like a cage overlooking a world she no longer belonged to.
Selene stepped inside cautiously. She wanted to touch everything, to see if it was real, but her hands hovered nervously. Everything screamed perfection, but perfection here meant control. The room, the guards, Adrien himself—it was all designed to remind her who held the power.
"You will remain here unless instructed otherwise," Adrien continued. "Do not test me. Guards are everywhere, and anyone who interferes… will regret it."
Selene's chest tightened. She wanted to speak, to argue, to assert herself, but her words faltered. She realized with a jolt that arguing here was not an option. She could not fight him, not yet. And even if she could, what could she do against someone like Adrien?
Adrien took a step closer, and she could feel the heat radiating from him. He didn't touch her, but the intensity of his presence made her flinch slightly. His eyes, dark and unreadable, scanned her face like a predator assessing prey.
"You belong to me now," he said quietly, his voice low, deliberate, and impossible to ignore.
Her breath caught. Fear surged through her, but beneath it was a strange, reluctant fascination. He terrified her, and yet… he captivated her. The realization made her stomach twist in ways she couldn't admit, not even to herself.
He turned and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. Silence enveloped Selene, heavier than the weight of the city outside. She sank onto the edge of the bed, pressing her palms to her face. Her mind was racing—planning, fearing, imagining. She tried to picture a way out, a loophole, any escape, but the walls, the guards, and the sheer magnitude of Adrien's control crushed every thought.
Minutes stretched into hours, and Selene remained on the bed, torn between exhaustion and terror. Finally, she moved toward the window, drawn by the sprawling city lights below. In the distance, the city thrummed with life, oblivious to the dark, luxurious prison she had stepped into.
Her reflection in the glass caught her attention. She barely recognized the girl staring back—pale, tense, wide-eyed, yet strangely alert. Fear had sharpened her senses, heightened every emotion, and made her more aware of herself than she had ever been.
Suddenly, a soft knock at the door startled her. A tray of food appeared, pushed in by one of the guards. No words, no smile, no courtesy—just placement. She realized this was her life now: luxurious, silent, and utterly controlled.
Selene picked at the food, barely tasting it. Her mind was elsewhere, spinning with thoughts of her family, the contract, and Adrien's piercing gaze. She realized something terrifying: she wasn't just trapped by the room, or the contract. She was trapped by him.
Her mind flashed back to the pen, the moment it touched the paper, the second her signature made her life his. Adrien's control wasn't just about wealth or power. It was about presence. Every glance, every word, every movement reminded her that he owned more than her contract. He owned her attention, her fear, her heartbeat.
The night stretched on, the city outside a blur of lights and distant sounds. Sleep was impossible. Adrien could appear at any moment. He could enforce any rule, test any limit. And Selene knew, deep down, that her life had changed irrevocably.
She pressed her forehead against the cool glass, the lights of the city reflecting in her eyes. One signature. No escape. She had thought it would protect her family, but now she realized that it had placed her in a world she barely understood—and a world controlled entirely by a man who would not hesitate to crush anyone who stood in his way.
Selene shivered, not from cold, but from the realization: she had survived the signing, but she hadn't survived Adrien. Not yet.