The morning is eerily quiet when I wake up, the soft rustling of the wind outside the only sound filling the room. My wrists ache, the skin still raw from last night's incident. Even though the chains are gone, the weight of them lingers. I don't expect anything different today. I don't expect kindness. And I certainly don't expect this. A knock sounds at the door, firm but not aggressive. When I don't answer immediately, it creaks open, revealing a young woman standing in the doorway. She looks polished, poised... her dark hair swept into a bun, her blouse perfectly pressed. She's not one of the maids I've seen before. She offers a small smile, though there's nothing particularly warm about it. "My name is Amelia. Mr. Silver has instructed me to take you shopping today." For a moment, I just stare at her, certain I misheard. Shopping? As in... outside? I sit up warily. "Why?" Amelia doesn't flinch at my bluntness. "You'll be staying here for the foreseeable future. He wants
The helicopter lands after three hours. We arrive at the countryside; at a manor that looked liked it spanned on for miles even from above.For a moment, I forget my uneasiness and take in everything. The sprawling gardens, the forever fields, the main mansion and the smaller buildings about.A real paradise.However, if the people in there are anything like my kidnapper...like Eliana...I'll be done.The helicopter lands on a helipad on top one of the buildings and shuts down.Raymond has been silent the whole ride. Once we stop, he simply removes his seatbelt then leans over to do mine. His hands brush my waist and a bit of my chest. I shift on my seat, uncomfortable."Keep your head down when you come out," he says and then comes down from the other side.I do as he says, even having to hold my hair down as the blades above blow it over.Raymond moves quickly, giving instructions to his men on the roof. I can hardly keep up with him.We take an elevator down to the ground floor an
The Don takes me out of the dining room, through a plethora of hallways and then we come into a private space.An indoor garden of sorts.It's only when we arrive that he actually lets go of my hand."You're going to start the procedure from Monday. You can already see the effects of your stupidity, yes? Don't expect me to fight for you." His jaw is ticking, I can tell he's annoyed."Then why did you bring me out of the dining room?" I ask him, irritated. He turns back to me, grey eyes burning. "Don't ask me stupid questions. I brought here to inform you exactly this. My family will eat you alive if you don't behave."I already know that; and he knows that I know.So bringing me out here is for no reason then. I stare him down and he looks straight into my eyes as well.Slowly, his gaze deviates from my eyes, trailing down my neck and to my chest and lower.Invasive but for some reason, tingles roam over my body. Those grey eyes scorch a path on my skin, making me heave and shift o
I freeze.The hallway feels too long, too empty. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, drowning out all logic.What did I see? Everything. The blood. The chains. The way he killed without hesitation.But if I tell him that, I won't leave this hallway alive.He takes slow steps toward me, the dim light casting eerie shadows on his face. His shirt is pristine, like he hadn't just ordered an execution. Like death was nothing more than a routine.I swallow hard, willing my voice to work. "I... I got lost."Raymond stops. His expression doesn't change. If anything, his jaw tightens, his fingers curling at his sides. "Lost?" He repeats the word like he doesn't believe me.I force a shaky breath. "Yes. This house is a maze. I turned a corner and...""And found yourself in a restricted part of the mansion?" His voice is deadly quiet. "Coincidence?"I nod, not trusting myself to speak.The two men from the torture room appear behind him. One of them looks at me with suspicion, his gun still in his
Three days. Three days locked away in my room that smells too expensive, with gold-plated furniture that mocks my imprisonment. Raymond hasn't visited since our last conversation. No warnings, no threats. Just silence. I've spent every waking moment pacing, thinking, plotting. I know I can't escape through the doors, guards are stationed outside at all times. But tonight, something shifts. The mansion is alive with laughter, with the sound of glasses clinking and music playing. A party. And I know exactly who's hosting it. Eliana. Raymond's and his parents absence has left the house in her hands, and with him gone, I see my opening. She wouldn't expect me to try again not after the last time. Not after he made it clear what would happen if I stepped out of line. But if I stay here, I'll go insane. I press my ear to the door, listening. The guards are talking, their voices casual, distracted. I don't have much time. Slipping into the closet, I dig through the clothes Raymond
I look up from the ground to see Raymond standing at the doorway. His face is stern; annoyed even.Eliana whooshes her way towards him, signalling to someone to turn down the music."Brother, you're back! Why so suddenly, hm? Did your little hunt go well?" She asks, sipping a bit of wine from her glass. She twirls her hair, and stumbles a bit."Eliana, you know what father will do if he sees you like this." Raymond hisses underneath his breath.For the first time, I actually see him show a little bit of concern in his cold eyes."Ha! That's rich. What will father say when he sees your whore? You're refusing to get married but you prefer-""That's enough, Eliana." Raymond says sharply. "Take her to her room."The next moment, his henchmen take Eliana by the arms, pulling her upstairs while she kicks and screams.To the rest of the partygoers, Raymond simply shoots at the grand chandelier above and they all scramble out of the house.I cover my ears and crouches the glass flies everywhe
My father is at gunpoint. "You owe us a total of 102 million dollars. Do you have the means to pay, or are you ready to die?" The bald, 6 foot tall henchman clicks the gun, tapping my father's forehead with he metal.My heart is racing and I don't know what to do.Earlier on, father had been rejoicing to me about the new scam he had pulled on a gullible project manager of a big firm.He had good skills- commiting crimes that no one could trace.To him, this was the easiest scam he'd ever pulled.Father had even gone ahead to purchase an exotic home worth 70 million in Milan.We were both rejoicing- well I was joining in because that's the only way he can be happy these days- before our door was broken down.Father pushed me to the closet and made me hide while they rushed in.Now, I'm sweating in the midst of coats and boots, watching these men with criss crossed knife tattoos on their necks point a gun at my father.Black Silver.The only gang I know with these tattoos belong to th
My heart instantly sinks and I immediately scramble to sit up."Y-you kidnapped me...it's...it's against the law." I sputter out. I'm realizing now that this voice might belong to the infamous leader of the Black Silver Cartel.No one really knew his name...or how he looked.But everyone knew how rash he could get.And now I'm here- somehow in the clutches of this monster.He laughs, low and mocking. "Then your father should be behind bars then. Or better still, he should be dead."My stomach twists into a knot and I bite my lips. "He...he can pay. Please sir, give us time..." I don't know what to do in this situation, so I bow my head and beg. Locks if golden hair fall and frame my vision.In this dim room, I hear the crisp sound of dress shoes.It's night outside."Yes, girl. That's why I will hold on to you. Like a kind of...collateral."I lift my head and I see him.I'm not sure what I expected this man to look like; but it's certainly not this.Just like his name, grey-silver e
I look up from the ground to see Raymond standing at the doorway. His face is stern; annoyed even.Eliana whooshes her way towards him, signalling to someone to turn down the music."Brother, you're back! Why so suddenly, hm? Did your little hunt go well?" She asks, sipping a bit of wine from her glass. She twirls her hair, and stumbles a bit."Eliana, you know what father will do if he sees you like this." Raymond hisses underneath his breath.For the first time, I actually see him show a little bit of concern in his cold eyes."Ha! That's rich. What will father say when he sees your whore? You're refusing to get married but you prefer-""That's enough, Eliana." Raymond says sharply. "Take her to her room."The next moment, his henchmen take Eliana by the arms, pulling her upstairs while she kicks and screams.To the rest of the partygoers, Raymond simply shoots at the grand chandelier above and they all scramble out of the house.I cover my ears and crouches the glass flies everywhe
Three days. Three days locked away in my room that smells too expensive, with gold-plated furniture that mocks my imprisonment. Raymond hasn't visited since our last conversation. No warnings, no threats. Just silence. I've spent every waking moment pacing, thinking, plotting. I know I can't escape through the doors, guards are stationed outside at all times. But tonight, something shifts. The mansion is alive with laughter, with the sound of glasses clinking and music playing. A party. And I know exactly who's hosting it. Eliana. Raymond's and his parents absence has left the house in her hands, and with him gone, I see my opening. She wouldn't expect me to try again not after the last time. Not after he made it clear what would happen if I stepped out of line. But if I stay here, I'll go insane. I press my ear to the door, listening. The guards are talking, their voices casual, distracted. I don't have much time. Slipping into the closet, I dig through the clothes Raymond
I freeze.The hallway feels too long, too empty. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, drowning out all logic.What did I see? Everything. The blood. The chains. The way he killed without hesitation.But if I tell him that, I won't leave this hallway alive.He takes slow steps toward me, the dim light casting eerie shadows on his face. His shirt is pristine, like he hadn't just ordered an execution. Like death was nothing more than a routine.I swallow hard, willing my voice to work. "I... I got lost."Raymond stops. His expression doesn't change. If anything, his jaw tightens, his fingers curling at his sides. "Lost?" He repeats the word like he doesn't believe me.I force a shaky breath. "Yes. This house is a maze. I turned a corner and...""And found yourself in a restricted part of the mansion?" His voice is deadly quiet. "Coincidence?"I nod, not trusting myself to speak.The two men from the torture room appear behind him. One of them looks at me with suspicion, his gun still in his
The Don takes me out of the dining room, through a plethora of hallways and then we come into a private space.An indoor garden of sorts.It's only when we arrive that he actually lets go of my hand."You're going to start the procedure from Monday. You can already see the effects of your stupidity, yes? Don't expect me to fight for you." His jaw is ticking, I can tell he's annoyed."Then why did you bring me out of the dining room?" I ask him, irritated. He turns back to me, grey eyes burning. "Don't ask me stupid questions. I brought here to inform you exactly this. My family will eat you alive if you don't behave."I already know that; and he knows that I know.So bringing me out here is for no reason then. I stare him down and he looks straight into my eyes as well.Slowly, his gaze deviates from my eyes, trailing down my neck and to my chest and lower.Invasive but for some reason, tingles roam over my body. Those grey eyes scorch a path on my skin, making me heave and shift o
The helicopter lands after three hours. We arrive at the countryside; at a manor that looked liked it spanned on for miles even from above.For a moment, I forget my uneasiness and take in everything. The sprawling gardens, the forever fields, the main mansion and the smaller buildings about.A real paradise.However, if the people in there are anything like my kidnapper...like Eliana...I'll be done.The helicopter lands on a helipad on top one of the buildings and shuts down.Raymond has been silent the whole ride. Once we stop, he simply removes his seatbelt then leans over to do mine. His hands brush my waist and a bit of my chest. I shift on my seat, uncomfortable."Keep your head down when you come out," he says and then comes down from the other side.I do as he says, even having to hold my hair down as the blades above blow it over.Raymond moves quickly, giving instructions to his men on the roof. I can hardly keep up with him.We take an elevator down to the ground floor an
The morning is eerily quiet when I wake up, the soft rustling of the wind outside the only sound filling the room. My wrists ache, the skin still raw from last night's incident. Even though the chains are gone, the weight of them lingers. I don't expect anything different today. I don't expect kindness. And I certainly don't expect this. A knock sounds at the door, firm but not aggressive. When I don't answer immediately, it creaks open, revealing a young woman standing in the doorway. She looks polished, poised... her dark hair swept into a bun, her blouse perfectly pressed. She's not one of the maids I've seen before. She offers a small smile, though there's nothing particularly warm about it. "My name is Amelia. Mr. Silver has instructed me to take you shopping today." For a moment, I just stare at her, certain I misheard. Shopping? As in... outside? I sit up warily. "Why?" Amelia doesn't flinch at my bluntness. "You'll be staying here for the foreseeable future. He wants
The sterile scent of antiseptic lingers, clinging to my skin long after Dr. Sharma and Nurse Agnes have left. I sit on the edge of my bed, with my legs dangling, my fingers curling into the thin sheet beneath me. The room feels too quiet, too cold, the weight of their verdict pressing down on me. "Healthy enough."That's all I am now... fit for the task. Nothing more. I exhale sharply and push myself off the table. I can't sit here. I need to move. The polished floor is cool beneath my bare feet as I step toward the door. I hesitate for a brief moment, listening. The house is quiet. No voices, no footsteps. My pulse quickens. Just a walk. Just some air. I slip out into the dim hallway, keeping my steps light. The silence is different here, heavier. The walls, the doors, everything feels too perfect, too controlled. Like a place meant to hold secrets. A cool breeze brushes against my skin as I push open the glass doors leading outside. The garden stretches before me... tall hedge
"W-what do you mean by surrogate? I-I'm not his surrogate...I-"Raymond cuts me off immediately, leaving me floundering. He gestures for his sister to sit and calls for refreshments."You didn't read the entire document did you, Gracie?" He asks in a low voice. I can see the deep frown between his eyebrows; anger. Controlled anger.Last night's issues are probably still affecting him. I lower my tone and ask again as Eliana takes a scone off a maid's offered tray."What surrogate? We...we only agreed on the mistress part and the collateral -"Miss Eliana butts in with slightly raised brows. "Collateral? Mistress? Oh brother, what's this? Another one of your silly games?" "Her father owes me a hundred million dollars. Scammed the shit out of my incompetent project manager."Eliana turns to me sharply, looking me up and down. "So she's a thief? Huh. Well, I hope she doesn't pass down those genes to your kid.""W-what? Please I need an explanation...I deserve one, Don Silver..."I'm s
The entire gathering is silent for a moment. As I watch Raymond's face turn cold, I realize my awful mistake.No one in the legal business world knew who was behind the Black silver cartel.Opening my mouth and screaming this in an event where important dignitaries are present is a mistake.Detrimental for him, though. After my initial shock, I can't care less.He's brought it upon himself. There were other ways to handle my father's debt.Kidnapping me as collateral was just stupid.Raymond gives a signal to one of his men and in an instant, I'm whooshed off the floor and carried off to the car outside.The guard dumps me inside the black audi and locks the door.I wait inside, heaving and panting. For a while, I'm left to my own devices, even dozing off once.Then the other backseat door flies open, startling me. It's Raymond.His demeanor is cold; that ever present mocking smile of his is gone. He stares at me and I glare back."Tarnished your image, didn't I? Did you think I'd jus