Chapter 2 Taken To the Devil's Mansion

I thought the worst part would be the gunshots.

Or the blood.

Or the moment he said I was going to marry him like my life was a business deal already signed in ink.

I was wrong.

The worst part was the silence in the car.

Rain hammered against the tinted windows as the city lights blurred past us. I sat trapped between two massive men in black suits, their shoulders like stone walls, their faces blank, unreadable.

I pressed myself into the corner of the leather seat, trying to make myself smaller. Invisible.

It didn't work.

Nothing was going to make me invisible anymore.

Not after tonight.

My hands trembled in my lap. I curled them into fists to hide it, digging my nails into my palms until the sting grounded me.

Think, Elena.

Think.

Escape?

The doors were locked - I had already tried. Quietly. Hoping they wouldn't notice.

They noticed.

The man to my left had simply said, "Don't."

Not threatening.

Not angry.

Just final.

I swallowed hard and stared at the back of the driver's seat, counting my breaths.

One.

Two.

Three.

I didn't even know where they were taking me.

No - that wasn't true.

I knew.

To him.

To the man who had decided my future in less than five minutes.

My stomach twisted violently.

I pressed my forehead lightly against the cool window glass. The rain outside distorted the world, making everything look unreal, like I was already living in a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

What if no one ever found me?

The thought hit so hard my chest hurt.

My friends would think I ran away.

My boss would replace me in a week.

The world would keep spinning.

And I would belong to a monster.

The car slowed.

My heart jumped into my throat.

Large iron gates appeared ahead, towering, elegant, and terrifying. Security cameras sat at every corner, red lights blinking like watchful eyes.

The gates opened slowly.

Like the mouth of something waiting to swallow me whole.

The car rolled forward.

The driveway stretched endlessly, lined with perfectly trimmed hedges and black stone statues. Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the massive mansion at the end.

Calling it a mansion felt wrong.

It was a fortress.

Dark stone walls. Massive glass windows. Balconies that overlooked the grounds like watchtowers. Every light inside glowed warm gold, completely at odds with how cold the place felt.

My throat went dry.

"This... this is where he lives?" I whispered without meaning to.

Neither man answered.

The car stopped.

My pulse exploded.

The driver stepped out. One of the men beside me opened my door.

"Out," he said.

My legs barely worked as I stepped onto the gravel driveway. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the air still smelled like storm and wet earth.

I looked up.

And there he was.

Standing at the top of the front steps.

Like he had been waiting.

Black shirt. Black slacks. No coat this time. His dark hair was slightly damp, pushed back from his face. His sleeves were rolled up just enough to show strong forearms dusted with ink - tattoos I couldn't fully see from here.

But I could feel his gaze.

Even from a distance.

Locked on me.

Measuring me.

Owning me.

"Bring her," he said.

My stomach flipped violently.

I walked forward because I had no choice.

Every step felt heavier than the last. The gravel crunched under my shoes, loud in the quiet night.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I stopped.

I couldn't make myself go higher.

He noticed.

Of course he noticed.

He walked down the steps slowly, like a predator approaching something cornered.

My breath shortened.

When he reached me, he was so close I could see faint scars near his collarbone, just visible under his shirt.

Proof he wasn't untouchable.

Proof someone had tried.

"Welcome home," he said.

The words hit like a slap.

"This isn't my home," I whispered.

His jaw tightened slightly.

"It is now."

Anger sparked through my fear. "You don't get to decide that."

His eyes darkened - not with rage.

With interest.

"You're braver than I expected," he said quietly.

"I'm not brave," I said. "I'm terrified."

"Good."

I glared at him. "You like that?"

"I like honesty."

Before I could react, his hand wrapped around my wrist. Not painfully.

But firmly.

Possessively.

My pulse went wild.

"Come," he said, guiding me toward the doors.

The massive front doors opened before we even reached them.

Inside was worse.

Marble floors. Crystal chandeliers. A staircase that curved upward like something from a royal palace. Expensive art covered the walls. The air smelled faintly of cedar and something darker... like smoke and spice.

It was beautiful.

And suffocating.

I tried to pull my hand back.

His grip tightened instantly.

"Don't," he said softly, without looking at me.

"I'm not your property," I snapped.

He stopped walking.

Turned to me.

And stepped closer until my back nearly hit the closed doors.

"You are under my protection," he said quietly. "Which means anyone who touches you without my permission dies."

My breath caught.

"That is not ownership," he continued. "That is survival."

I swallowed hard. "And the marriage?"

His thumb brushed slowly across my pulse point.

"That," he said, voice low, "is how I make sure no one ever questions it."

My heart slammed so hard I thought he might feel it.

A woman in a maid uniform approached nervously. "Sir... the guest room is ready."

"Not the guest room," he said.

She froze. "Sir?"

"My wing."

Shock flashed across her face before she quickly nodded. "Yes, sir."

Ice slid down my spine.

"I'm not sleeping in your room," I said quickly.

"You're not sleeping in my room," he said calmly.

Relief flooded me-

"You're sleeping next to it."

The relief shattered.

"No," I said instantly. "No. I won't."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear.

"Then I lock you somewhere else," he said. "And you don't want that."

Terror clawed up my throat.

I believed him.

He straightened and released my wrist.

"Take her upstairs," he told the maid.

I hesitated.

Then walked.

Because what choice did I have?

The staircase felt endless. The halls upstairs were quieter. Darker. More private.

She stopped outside a large door and opened it.

The room inside was bigger than my apartment.

Large bed. Balcony doors. Walk-in closet. Marble bathroom visible through another doorway. Everything decorated in soft creams and dark wood.

It looked... peaceful.

Which made it worse.

"You can shower," the maid said softly. "Clothes will be brought."

I nodded numbly.

She left.

The door clicked shut.

I stood there alone, staring at the room.

Then my legs gave out.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, hands shaking violently.

This is real.

This is happening.

A knock sounded at the door.

I froze.

Then it opened without waiting for my answer.

He stepped inside.

The air changed instantly.

"I thought you'd try to run," he said.

"I thought about it," I whispered.

His gaze moved over me slowly, checking for injuries, damage... something else I couldn't name.

"You're safe here," he said.

I laughed - a broken, shaky sound. "Safe? You kidnapped me."

"I saved you."

"From what?"

His eyes went cold.

"From everyone who will come looking for the girl who saw me kill a man."

My blood turned to ice.

"There will be more?" I whispered.

"Yes."

Silence filled the room.

Then he stepped closer, stopping right in front of me.

"You should sleep," he said.

"How can I sleep?"

"Because tomorrow," he said quietly, "your life changes forever."

My stomach twisted.

"Why me?" I whispered again.

He studied my face for a long moment.

Then said-

"Because the moment you looked at me... you didn't look away."

My breath caught.

"And now," he continued softly, "neither can I."

He turned and walked to the door.

Paused.

Without looking back, he said-

"Get used to this place, Elena."

The door closed behind him.

And for the first time since this nightmare started...

I realized something even more terrifying than being trapped in his world.

I wasn't just in danger of losing my freedom.

I was in danger of losing myself to him.