Chapter 7 A PLACE THAT IS NOT A CAGE

Elara woke to silence so complete it startled her.

For a moment, she didn't know where she was. The ceiling above her was unfamiliar-high, white, framed with dark wooden beams that caught the early morning light. The bed beneath her was softer than any she had ever slept in, the sheets cool and clean, carrying a faint scent of lavender.

She sat up slowly, her heart beginning to race.

Then memories returned in fragments-the confrontation, Lysette's grip on her wrist, Maribel's smile finally cracking, Kael standing in the doorway like a line no one dared cross.

Her chest tightened.

This was real.

She was no longer in Maribel's house.

Elara swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood carefully, half-expecting someone to shout at her for stepping out of place. No one did. The room remained quiet, patient, as though waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do.

She walked to the window and pushed the curtain aside.

Outside, the estate stretched wide and serene. Tall trees framed the grounds, their leaves stirring gently in the breeze. A narrow path wound through a garden bursting with restrained elegance-nothing excessive, nothing loud. It felt... intentional.

Safe.

The word made her breath hitch.

She pressed her palm against the glass, grounding herself.

A soft knock came at the door.

Elara stiffened. "Yes?"

The door opened slowly, and Kael stepped inside-alone.

He looked different this morning. No suit, no sharp edges carved by business armor. He wore a dark shirt, sleeves rolled to his forearms, his expression unreadable but calm.

"I didn't want to startle you," he said quietly. "You're safe here."

She nodded, unable to trust her voice yet.

"There are rules," Kael continued, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Not restrictions. Boundaries."

She looked at him then. "What kind of boundaries?"

"The kind that keep you from feeling trapped," he replied. "You're free to leave your room. You're free to walk the grounds. No one here will touch your things without permission."

Her throat tightened. "And if I want to leave?"

Kael didn't hesitate. "Then you tell me. We discuss it."

No threats. No conditions.

Just choice.

"That's all?" she asked softly.

"Yes."

Something inside her cracked.

She looked away quickly, blinking back the sudden burn in her eyes. "I don't know how to live like this."

"I know," Kael said gently. "That's why I won't rush you."

He paused, then added, "You don't owe me anything."

The words settled heavily between them.

"I investigated Maribel," he said after a moment. "What I found will take time to dismantle. Until then, she won't come near you."

"And Lysette?" Elara asked.

Kael's jaw tightened. "She'll stay away."

The certainty in his voice sent a shiver through her.

Breakfast was quiet but not uncomfortable. Elara sat at a long table across from Kael, unsure how to eat without feeling watched. But no one corrected her posture. No one commented on how much or how little she consumed.

It felt unreal.

She noticed the other men occasionally-Rowan speaking quietly into a phone, Elias lounging against a pillar with sharp eyes scanning everything, Luca moving silently through the room like a shadow, Theo grinning too brightly for the tension that lingered beneath the surface.

They looked at her with curiosity, not judgment.

"She's smaller than I expected," Theo muttered under his breath.

Kael shot him a warning glance.

Theo raised his hands. "Protectively meant."

Elias smirked. "Welcome to the chaos."

Elara almost smiled.

Later, Kael walked her through the estate slowly, explaining nothing unless she asked. He let her set the pace, stopping when she stopped, waiting when she hesitated.

At the edge of the garden, she finally spoke.

"Why me?" she asked quietly. "You don't even know me."

Kael watched the wind move through the trees before answering. "I know enough."

"That I'm weak?" she asked.

"No," he said firmly. "That you survived."

She swallowed.

"You don't look at me like they did," she whispered.

Kael turned fully toward her. "Because you're not something to control."

The air between them felt charged-too close, too intimate. Elara took a small step back instinctively.

Kael noticed.

He stepped back as well.

"That's another boundary," he said calmly. "I won't cross it unless you want me to."

Her heart pounded painfully.

"Thank you," she whispered.

That night, alone in her room, Elara lay awake staring at the ceiling once more. But this time, the silence did not feel like a threat.

It felt like possibility.

Somewhere down the hall, Kael stood at the window of his study, phone pressed to his ear.

"She's adjusting," he said quietly. "But she's more fragile than she admits."

A pause.

"No," he added. "This isn't business."

Another pause.

"Yes," Kael said softly. "That's the problem."

He ended the call and stared into the dark.

Because protecting Elara was no longer a calculated move.

It was personal.

...