I reached up, adjusting the diamond necklace so it lay perfectly in the hollow of my neck. The cool weight of the jewels was a constant reminder of my gilded captivity, a leash disguised as luxury. The diamonds caught the light, refracting it into small bursts of brilliance that danced across the bathroom walls. The display should have been dazzling, but instead, it felt bland.
My tits, I realized bitterly, looked amazing. But then, that’s what the dress was designed to do. To showcase, to tempt, to provoke. I didn’t know whether Eldora or The Shadow himself had chosen it, but either way, the message was clear. I was meant to be a display piece to admire and control in equal measure.
The idea ofhimenjoying this view made my stomach churn violently. He had already taken so much: my freedom, my choices, my peace of mind. The thought of his gaze lingering on me like I was some kind of prize made me want to rip the dress off and hurl it across the room.
If I was being honest with myself, another part of me relished the thought of this powerful man being under any minuscule amount of my seductive control.
My lips curved into a bitter smile. “Game on,” I whispered to my reflection.
When I couldn’t stall any longer, I left the room. With each step, my nerves twisted into a tighter knot. My encounter in the library with The Shadow played on a loop in my mind. His rage had been palpable, but there had been something darker and more dangerous beneath it.
As I approached the dining hall, I expected some kind of show or spectacle with other people in attendance. After all, he had said there would be a performance. Instead, the room was eerily quiet. Guards stood at attention along the walls, their expressions unreadable. The Shadow sat at the head of the long dining table, a glass of wine in hand, his demeanor unnervingly calm.
Against the far wall, a large cage loomed, its iron bars casting ominous shadows across the marble floor. When I saw movement inside, I slapped a hand to my mouth. People. There were people in the cage.
“What the fuck is going on?” I demanded, stopping in my tracks.
The Shadow looked up at me, his dark blue eyes gleaming with a predatory edge. “Ah, the prisoner has finally arrived. Come, take a seat.”
His tone was light, almost mocking, but the razor-sharp edge beneath it sent a chill through me. I hesitated, my instincts screaming at me to turn and run, but there was nowhere to go.
He kicked the chair next to him out from under the table with his foot, the sound echoing like a gunshot. “Sit.”
I swallowed hard and made my way to the chair on trembling legs. A member of the kitchen staff appeared out of nowhere, placing a plate of food in front of me. The meal looked exquisite—roast chicken, steamed vegetables, and cheesy risotto—but my stomach twisted into knots at the sight.
Something terrible was about to happen. I could feel it in my gut.
The Shadow stood, his movements deliberate as he approached the cage. A guard stepped forward and unlocked it. Inside, two figures slumped against the bars, their clothes torn, faces bloodied and bruised.
It took me a moment to recognize them, but when I did, my blood ran cold. The two guards who had failed to keep me from escaping.
The Shadow’s dark presence made the very air feel suffocating. I couldn’t tear my eyes away as he grabbed one of the guards by the hair and dragged him out of the cage like a predator claiming its prey. He shoved him to his knees with casual brutality.
“I’ve been looking forward to this all day, Vivian,” he said in a cruel, silky voice that sent a shiver down my spine. “I wanted to provide some entertainment with your dinner.”
“Don’t,” I whispered, the plea escaping my lips before I could think better of it. My voice trembled, raw with fear. “You don’t have to do this.”
His eyes flicked to mine, sharp as a blade and just as cold. His cruel mask placed perfectly upon his face. He ignored my words and held his hand out expectantly. One of the guards stepped forward, placing a large knife in his palm with visible hesitation. The blade glinted wickedly under the soft light of the dining hall. The Shadow turned the knife over in his hand, almost admiring it, before his gaze landed on me again.
“Leave us,” he commanded.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared question him. One by one, they filed out of the room, leaving me alone with him—and the cage.
The click of the doors shutting echoed like a death knell. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the ragged breaths of the guards inside the cage. The Shadow crouched, his movements almost leisurely, and pulled the first man’s headback, exposing his throat. His gaze, dark and unyielding, locked onto mine.
“This,” he said, his voice devoid of mercy, “is what happens to people who let me down. This is what happens when someone on my payroll allows my fiancée to escape and be attacked.”
The blade moved so fast it was almost a blur. The sound was wet and sickening, a horrifying gurgle that filled the room as blood spurted in a violent arc, painting the polished floor crimson. The man crumpled, his body twitching before going still. My hands flew to my mouth, muffling the scream that threatened to tear free. Bile surged in my throat, and I struggled to keep from retching. I pressed my palms over my eyes, hoping the pressure would remove the images that were playing behind them.
“No, no, my sweet fiancée. No covering your eyes,” The Shadow crooned mockingly as he pulled my hands away from my face. He dragged the second guard out of the cage with brutal efficiency and yanked the man’s head back, forcing him to kneel beside me. His movements were precise, deliberate. He wanted me to feel every second of this.
“Look at him,” he ordered, his tone dangerously low.
I shook my head violently, my breath hitching in panic. My hands trembled as I tried to shield my eyes, but he grabbed my arm.
“Look him in the fucking eyes, Vivian!” The sudden roar of his voice cracked through the air, and I flinched, tears spilling down my cheeks.
I looked. I didn’t want to, but I looked. The man’s bloodied face was too close, his eyes wide with terror, silently begging for mercy that would never come. His fear was so palpable that it threatened to crush me.
