The drive to the Vane estate was long and completely silent. I sat in the back of the heavy black SUV, my heart still racing from what had happened in my father's study. Beside me, Silas Vane didn't say a word. He didn't even look at me. He just stared out the window at the passing city lights. His face was like stone—cold, hard, and unmoving.
I watched the familiar streets of my neighborhood disappear. We were moving away from the cozy, tree-lined roads I knew and heading toward the Heights. That was the part of the city where the buildings were made of steel and the people were made of secrets.
When the car finally slowed down, it wasn't for a house. It was for a massive iron gate. Two men with rifles stood at the entrance. They didn't ask for ID; they just nodded as Silas's car rolled past. We drove up a long, winding road surrounded by tall trees. It didn't feel like a driveway; it felt like a tunnel leading into a prison.
Then, the house appeared.
It was a giant building made of glass and concrete, sitting right on the edge of a cliff. Below us, I could hear the ocean crashing against the rocks. The house was beautiful, but it was scary. It was the kind of place built for a man who wanted to see everyone coming but didn't want anyone to see him.
"Out," Silas said. It was the first time he had spoken since we left my home.
A driver opened my door. I stepped out into the cold, salty air. My red silk dress felt too bright and out of place against the gray stone of the driveway.
"Follow me, Elara. And don't fall behind. I don't like to wait," Silas said. He didn't wait for me to answer. He walked straight toward the giant glass front doors.
I hurried after him, my heels clicking loudly. As we walked inside, the lights turned on automatically. The house was empty and echoing. The furniture looked sharp and uncomfortable, and the walls were covered in strange art.
"This is your new home," Silas said, waving his hand at the empty space. "You will stay in the north wing. My offices and my bedroom are in the south wing. Do not go there unless I send for you. My security team is not friendly to wanderers."
"I'm your wife, Silas, not a prisoner," I said, trying to sound braver than I felt.
He stopped and turned around so fast I almost bumped into him. He leaned down until his face was inches from mine. "You are collateral," he whispered. "You are a human insurance policy for forty million dollars. Until that money is back in my hands, you are exactly what I say you are."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin, black plastic card. He pressed it into my hand. "This is your key. It opens your bedroom and the kitchen. Nothing else. My head of security will give you your first job in the morning."
"Job?" I asked. "I thought I was here to fix your computers."
"I need to see if you are actually as smart as you say you are," Silas replied. He looked at my dress, noticing the dirt and the blood on the hem. "There are clothes in your room. Wash your face. You look like a victim, and I don't allow victims in my house."
He turned and walked away, disappearing behind a heavy steel door that looked like it belonged to a bank vault.
I stood there shivering until a woman in a black uniform appeared from the shadows. She didn't smile. "This way," she said.
She led me up a staircase that seemed to float in the air and down a long hallway made entirely of glass. I felt like I was being watched from every angle. When we reached a heavy door at the end of the hall, she pointed to a small black box on the wall.
I tapped my card against it. The door hissed open.
The room was bigger than my father's whole apartment. It was decorated in dark blues and grays. In the middle was a huge bed, but my eyes went straight to the corner. There was a desk with three high-end computer monitors and a powerful machine. It was better than any computer I had ever owned.
I walked over to the desk. My hands were shaking. Next to the keyboard was a small velvet box. I opened it and found a ring. It was a diamond so big it looked fake, set in a band of black gold. Under the ring was a note.
Property of Vane. Do not take it off.
I dropped the note and sat in the chair. I looked at the security cameras tucked into the corners of the ceiling. I realized then that Silas hadn't just brought me here to work. He brought me here because he knew I was the only one smart enough to see the holes in his security.
He wasn't just my husband. He was my guard.
I took a deep breath, slipped the heavy ring onto my finger, and reached for the power button on the computer. If I was going to survive this, I couldn't just be a "guarantee." I had to be better than Silas. I had to find out what he was hiding before he decided I wasn't worth the money anymore.
The screen lit up, and the battle for my freedom officially began.