Chapter 3 Rules of the Cage

Elara learned the rules without being told.

They were etched into the silence of the penthouse, into the way the air itself seemed to pause whenever Nikolai Volkov entered a room. They existed in the unspoken understanding that nothing here was accidental-not the locked doors, not the strategically placed guards she never saw but always felt, not the carefully controlled luxury meant to soften the reality of captivity.

Still, she waited for him to say them aloud.

He did not disappoint.

They met in the living area just after sunrise. The city stretched endlessly beyond the glass walls, bathed in pale gold light, looking deceptively peaceful. Elara stood barefoot on the cool marble floor, arms folded tightly across her chest, wearing the same black silk dress from the night before.

Nikolai sat across from her in one of the low leather chairs, composed, unreadable, a cup of black coffee in his hand. He hadn't invited her to sit.

That, she realized, was deliberate.

"You sleep well?" he asked casually.

"No," she replied.

"Good."

Her jaw tightened. "You said there were conditions."

"Yes."

He set the cup down slowly. "Rule one: You don't leave this penthouse without my permission."

"I already assumed that."

"Assumptions are dangerous," he replied. "Rule two: You do not attempt contact with your father or anyone connected to him."

She stiffened. "You can't stop me forever."

"I don't need forever," he said. "Only long enough."

"And rule three?" she asked.

A pause.

"You don't lie to me."

She let out a sharp laugh. "You kidnapped me, stripped me of my freedom, and you expect honesty?"

"Yes."

The calm certainty in his voice made her blood boil.

"And what happens if I break one of these rules?" she demanded.

Nikolai leaned back, studying her as if she were a puzzle he had every intention of solving. "Then you'll learn why no one breaks my rules twice."

The words were not raised. Not dramatic.

They were far more terrifying than a threat shouted in anger.

Elara forced herself to meet his gaze. "I don't scare easily."

"I know," he said quietly. "That's why you're here."

That unsettled her more than anything else he could have said.

The first rule she broke was accidental.

Or at least, that was what she told herself.

She discovered the balcony two days later.

It was hidden behind a set of tall glass doors in what appeared to be a private office adjoining the bedroom. The view stole her breath-an open expanse of sky and city far below, the wind sharp and clean against her face when she stepped outside.

For the first time since her capture, she felt something close to freedom.

She didn't plan to climb over the railing. She wasn't foolish enough to think she could escape thirty stories in the air.

She only wanted to breathe.

The sound of the door sliding open behind her was the only warning she got.

"You're observant," Nikolai said.

Elara turned slowly, heart racing. "I wasn't leaving."

"I know."

"Then what's the problem?"

He stepped onto the balcony, the wind tugging slightly at his coat. "The problem," he said, "is that you didn't ask."

Her chin lifted. "I don't need permission to stand outside."

"In my home," he replied, "you do."

The tension between them sharpened instantly.

"I'm not your prisoner," she said.

His eyes darkened. "You are exactly that."

The truth hit harder than she expected.

She crossed her arms tightly. "Then why all this?" she demanded, gesturing around. "The penthouse. The clothes. The food. If you wanted to break me, there are easier ways."

"I don't want to break you," Nikolai said.

"Then what do you want?"

He stepped closer, stopping just short of invading her space. "I want you to stay exactly as you are."

Her breath caught. "Why?"

"Because women like you don't exist in my world."

The admission hung between them, dangerous and intimate.

She swallowed. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you ran from power instead of chasing it," he replied. "I know you looked at a future most people would kill for and rejected it."

"That future wasn't mine to choose."

"And yet you chose anyway," he said softly.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Nikolai straightened. "Next time, you ask."

He turned and went back inside.

Elara stood alone on the balcony long after the doors slid shut behind him, her pulse racing-not with fear this time, but something far more confusing.

The second rule she broke was intentional.

It happened that night.

She had learned the layout of the penthouse by then. The blind spots. The rhythm of the guards' patrols-subtle, silent, but predictable if one paid attention.

Elara waited until well past midnight.

The private study was dark when she slipped inside, heart pounding. She didn't touch anything at first-just stood there, absorbing the space. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with volumes in multiple languages. A massive desk sat near the windows, sleek and meticulously organized.

No personal photos.

No signs of softness.

She approached the desk carefully and opened the top drawer.

A phone.

Not hers-but newer. Charged.

Her pulse spiked.

She picked it up, fingers trembling, and powered it on.

No password.

Her heart raced as she opened the dial pad.

She didn't call her father.

She called Mila.

It rang once.

Twice.

"Elara?" Mila's voice whispered urgently. "Where are you? Everyone's looking for you-"

"I don't have time," Elara said quickly. "I'm safe, but I can't explain. Listen carefully-"

The door slammed open.

Elara spun around.

Nikolai stood there, eyes cold, fury barely restrained.

He crossed the room in three long strides and took the phone from her hand, ending the call without a word.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

"You lied," he said.

Her chest heaved. "I needed to let someone know I'm alive."

"I warned you."

"You don't get to isolate me like this!" she snapped.

His jaw tightened. "You broke the one rule that matters."

"And what are you going to do?" she demanded, defiance burning brighter than fear. "Lock me in a basement? Hurt me?"

He stepped closer.

"I'm going to make you understand," he said quietly, "that this isn't a game."

He didn't touch her.

Instead, he turned and walked out.

The door locked behind him.

Elara stared after him, breath shaking, adrenaline crashing hard.

She had expected punishment.

She had not expected silence.

And somehow, that was worse.

The third rule broke itself.

It happened the following evening.

Elara was seated at the dining table when Nikolai entered, his presence heavier than usual. His movements were sharp, controlled, as if something had pushed him to the edge.

"What's wrong?" she asked before she could stop herself.

He paused.

"You should be afraid right now," he said.

Her heart skipped. "Why?"

"Because your father made a decision," Nikolai replied. "And he chose power over you."

The words hit like a blow.

"What decision?" she demanded.

Nikolai's gaze locked onto hers, intense and unreadable.

"He refused to pay."

The room felt suddenly too small.

"And now," Nikolai continued, "you become more than leverage."

Her pulse roared in her ears. "What does that mean?"

He took a step closer.

"It means," he said, voice low and dangerous, "that keeping you here is no longer temporary."

Her breath caught as the weight of his words settled in.

This was no longer a waiting game.

This was possession.

And Nikolai Volkov never gave up what he claimed.