Then he’s gone, and I’m alone in this obscene dining room with food I can’t eat and wine I can’t drink and the devastating realization that this is my life now.
A prison made of silk and gold. A cage where my captor plays at being Prince Charming while making it crystal clear that I’m not a person to him.
I’m a tool, a weapon to be used against my father.
When Maria comes to collect me, I follow her back to my suite in numb silence. The lock clicks behind me, and I painfully sink onto the edge of that enormous bed, still wearing the dress Luca chose for me, and finally let myself cry.
For my father, who made a terrible mistake and will watch his daughter pay for it. For my animals, being cared for by strangers. For Katie, who must be out of her mind with worry. For my clinic, my career, my independence—everything I built that Luca destroyed not a care in the world.
And for myself, trapped in a gilded cage with a monster who thinks he’s entitled to my suffering as payment for my dad’s fuck up.
Outside my window, the sun finishes setting over Lake Michigan, and I wonder if I’ll ever see freedom again.
6
LUCA
The security feed from Giuliana’s suite plays across my office monitor in high definition, showing her standing at the window for the third time today, staring out at the grounds like a bird calculating the distance to freedom.
For the past week, I’ve watched her explore every inch of this house she’s allowed in.
But not to learn her new surroundings.
No, it’s with the precision of someone trying to figure out an escape plan.
She’s more crafty than I anticipated. Yesterday, she tested every door handle on the second floor under the guise of “getting lost.” This morning, I watched her examine the window latches while Maria changed the bedding, her fingers running along the frame like she was checking for weaknesses.
According to Danny, during her supervised evening walks in the garden, she’s been asking seemingly casual questions about the security staff—how many guards work each shift, whenthey change over, innocent-sounding queries that reveal she’s mapping our protocols.
“You’re watching her like she’s planning to assassinate you,” Danny says from behind me, his reflection appearing in the monitor screen, “not like she’s a grief-stricken woman missing her life.”
I don’t turn around. “She’s planning something.”
“She’s trying to survive.” Danny moves to stand beside my desk, his considerable frame casting a shadow across the keyboard. “There’s a difference, boss.”
The disapproval in his tone grates against my nerves like sandpaper. “Spit it out, Danny.”
“Dimitri got rough with her at the warehouse. Rougher than necessary.” He pauses, choosing his words carefully. “The bruising on her face is finally starting to fade, but I saw her wince when she reached for something at dinner last night. Pretty sure she’s got bruised ribs.”
I finally look up at him, noting the judgment in those green eyes. “She’s fine. A few bruises won’t kill her.”
Danny scowls. “That’s not the point.”
“Then what is the point?” I’m already bored.
A muscle in Danny’s jaw jumps. “The point is she’s not a threat. She’s a veterinarian who saved injured animals for a living. Having Dimitri manhandle her like that was?—”
“Necessary.” I close the laptop with more force than required. “She needed to understand the consequences of resistance. Dimitri provided that lesson efficiently.”
“Efficiently,” Danny repeats, the word heavy with disgust. “That’s what we’re calling it now?”
I stand, adjusting my suit jacket to indicate I’m done with this conversation. “Your moral objections are noted and dismissed. Giuliana is here for a specific purpose, and if a few bruises help her understand her position, then they serve that purpose.”
Danny opens his mouth to argue further then thinks better of it. Smart man. Instead, he shifts his weight and changes the subject. “She’s asking about her father again. Every single meal, like clockwork.”
Typical. But if Danny thinks I’m going to cave then he has another thing coming. “And what do you tell her?”
“That he’s alive and being cared for. Same as you instructed.” He pauses. “How long are you planning to keep her from seeing him?”
