Jake tried hands trembling, knees buckling but collapsed back to the floor, leaving a streak of blood on the marble beneath him.Jake groaned, trying to crawl toward the door, blood trailing in thick smears across the marble. But Rio’s shadow fell over him, dark and unrelenting.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Rio growled, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him upright. Jake’s legs buckled beneath him, but Rio half-dragged, half-shoved him toward the basement stairs.
Jake struggled, weak but rabid, spitting blood. “You think you can keep her? You think you can keep my kids?!”
Rio slammed his head against the wall hard enough to daze him. “They’re not yours anymore.” With brutal force, Rio hauled Jake down into the basement. The door creaked shut, locking behind them with a cold finality. The dungeon stretched out before them dim lighting, cold stone, and at its center, the glass box gleaming like a twisted trophy case.
Jake’s eyes widened, a flicker of fear breaking through his fury. “What the hell is that?”
Rio smirked, his lip curling with cruel satisfaction. He shoved Jake inside the box and slammed the door. Jake stumbled backward, pressing against the glass, testing the handle…..locked.
Rio stood outside, towering over him, his face a mask of predatory calm. He tapped the glass with bloodied knuckles. Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound echoed inside, loud, inescapable.
“No one can hear you in there,” Rio said evenly. “Not a scream, not a plea. You’re invisible to the world. But you…” He leaned closer, his breath fogging the glass. “…you can hear everything outside.
Every laugh, every whisper, and every sound of life you’ll never touch again.”
Jake’s chest heaved, his bloody face pressed to the glass. “You’re fucking insane.”
Rio grinned, wolfish and merciless. “Nahh. I’m just giving you what you deserve.” Rio’s voice dropped to a hiss. “You’re about to suffer like you never have before.”
Jake pounded the glass with both fists, roaring. His voice reverberated inside the box but reached nowhere else. The soundproof walls swallowed his rage whole, leaving only Rio’s cold stare on the other side.
Rio climbed the stairs from the basement, his boots echoing against the concrete. Behind him, muffled pounding rattled faintly against the glass box, but not a sound escaped past the sealed walls. Jake was trapped, right where Rio wanted him.
Upstairs, Rio poured himself a drink, calm settling over him like a second skin. He picked up his phone and dialed Kylee.
“Baby,” his voice softened instantly, a different man than the predator downstairs, “I need you to come back here.”
Kylee hesitated. “Rio… what about the kids? It’s not safe with Jake out there”
“I’ve thought of that,” he cut in, smooth but reassuring. “Leave them with Kelly for just a night. I’ll triple the security around her house. Nothing will get through. I promise you, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Kylee bit her lip, torn, but Rio’s confidence had a way of disarming her doubts. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” he said without hesitation. His voice deepened, almost possessive. “I need you here. With me.”
The next morning, Kylee boarded a private jet Rio sent for her. She leaned against the window, torn between guilt and anticipation. Her children were safe, she told herself. She’d be back for them soon.
When she arrived in L.A., Rio was waiting at the hangar. He pulled her into his arms the second she stepped off the plane, kissing her like he’d been starving. He didn’t mention Jake. Not a word. To Kylee, it was just another night in Rio’s arms. But beneath the mansion, locked in glass and silence, Jake’s fury continued to fester.
Kylee padded barefoot across the marble floor, her silk dress brushing against her legs as she entered Rio’s study. He was sitting with a glass of whiskey in hand, the glow from the fireplace painting his face in sharp, dangerous shadows.
“Rio…” she said softly, noticing the weight in his eyes. “Is something wrong?”
He set the glass down, leaning forward on his knees. “There’s something I need to show you, Kylee.
Something I’ve been keeping from you.”
Her pulse jumped. “What do you mean?”
Rio stood and took her hand, guiding her down the hall, past doors she had never opened. He led her to a locked door, thenpressed his thumb to the hidden scanner. The lock clicked. The door creaked open.
The air grew colder as they descended the steps into the basement. Kylee’s breath hitched when she saw the sleek, eerie chamber at the bottom of the polished glass box glowing under dim lights. And inside it… Jake. Bruised, bloodied, and pounding his fists against the walls in silence.
Kylee gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Oh my God… Rio what the fuck?”
Rio slid behind her, his hands gripping her shoulders with calm authority. “I’ve done what he deserves.” His voice was low, steady, and dangerous. “Do you see it, Kylee? He can’t touch you. He can’t touch the kids. He’s powerless.”
