“This is kidnapping. This is—”
“This is survival.” He stops abruptly, turning to face me fully. “Look around, Elara. Look at what they were willing to do in broad daylight, in a public place. You think this was their only plan? You think they won’t try again?”
I look. I see the blood, the bodies, the shattered glass that turns the afternoon sunlight into scattered diamonds. I see the proof that my carefully chosen safe space was anything but safe.
“You could have warned me. You could have—”
“You wouldn’t have listened. You would’ve told me to fuck off and gone out anyway.” His voice drops lower, harder. “Just like you’re doing now.”
He’s right. I hate that he’s right, but I would have ignored any warning from him. I would have assumed it was manipulation, another way to control me.
“I can protect myself.”
“No, you can’t.” He starts moving again, and this time when I resist, he simply lifts me off my feet. “You’re coming with me.”
“Put me down!” I struggle against him, but his arms are steel bands around my ribs. “I’ll scream. I’ll fight. I’ll—”
“You’ll what, call the police? Tell them the man who just saved your life is kidnapping you?” His voice is calm, reasonable, infuriating. “How do you think that’ll go?”
He’s already at the door, stepping over debris and bodies like they’re discarded napkins. Outside, a black SUV idles at the curb, engine running, driver ready. The passenger door opens as we approach.
“This isn’t protection,” I spit, still struggling. “This is exactly what they were trying to do to me.”
“No.” His grip tightens slightly, just enough to remind me how helpless I am against him. “What they wanted would have broken you. What I want is to keep you alive.”
“Same difference.”
“Not even close.”
He deposits me in the passenger seat with surprising gentleness, then slides in beside me. The door locks with a soft click that sounds like a prison gate closing. The driver—a man with dead eyes and scarred hands—pulls into traffic without a word.
I stare out the window, watching my last chance at normalcy disappear behind us. The restaurant recedes into the distance, along with any illusion that I still had choices left. I came here to prove I wasn’t afraid, that I wouldn’t be driven underground by scandal or threats.
Instead, I proved exactly how vulnerable I really am.
“Where are you taking me?” My voice comes out smaller than I intended.
“Somewhere safe.”
“Your definition or mine?”
“Mine’s the only one that matters now.”
I close my eyes, fury and terror warring in my chest. I can feel the cage closing around me, can see the bars sliding into place. I walked into his world thinking I could demand answers and walk away clean.
I was wrong. I’m trapped now, completely and utterly, and he’s the one holding all the keys.
Chapter Four - Nikola
The penthouse feels different with her in it.
I’ve designed every inch of this space for function, not comfort. Bulletproof glass walls that offer a 360° view of the city while keeping threats at a distance. Controlled access points—one elevator, one stairwell, both monitored and locked. The colors are neutral grays and blacks, chosen to avoid distraction. Even the furniture is positioned strategically: clear sightlines, no blind spots, everything arranged so I can see every entrance from any position.
It’s a fortress disguised as a home.
Elara stands in the center of the main room like a splash of blood on snow—her red dress vivid against the muted backdrop, her presence disrupting the careful order I’ve maintained.
She turns slowly, taking in the stark walls, the minimal décor, the obvious cameras positioned at every corner. Her hands shake slightly as she wraps her arms around herself.
