Chapter 2 The golden cage

The first thing I noticed was the smell.

It wasn't the gross smell of the docks-that mix of salt, old fish, and trash. Instead, the air was clean and smelled like expensive wood and fresh flowers. It was a rich smell. The kind of smell that belonged to people who never had to check their bank account before buying dinner.

I tried to move my arm, but it felt like it was made of lead. My head throbbed with a dull, heavy ache. It was a brutal reminder of the man in the alley hitting me. Slowly, I forced my eyes open.

I wasn't in a jail cell or a basement. I was lying in a bed so big I could have gotten lost in it. The sheets were dark silk, and they felt cool and smooth against my skin. I sat up with a gasp, my heart immediately starting to race.

The room was huge. There was fancy molding on the ceiling and a thick rug on the floor that looked like it cost more than my entire apartment. Across the room, a massive window showed the city. I was high up-so high that the streetlights below looked like tiny dots. I was in the Heights, the part of the city where the billionaires lived behind high stone walls.

"You're finally awake," a voice rumbled from the dark corner of the room.

I jumped, a small cry escaping my throat. I spun around and saw Kaelen.

He was sitting in a big leather chair, watching me. He had changed out of his suit. Now he just wore a black dress shirt with the top buttons open. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off arms that were thick with muscle and covered in dark tattoos. Thorns and shadows wrapped around his skin, making him look even more dangerous than he had in the alley.

He was holding a glass of whiskey, the ice clinking softly as he moved it. He looked like a king watching a prisoner.

"Where am I?" I whispered. My throat felt like I had swallowed sand. I looked at the heavy door, wondering if I could run for it. "Why did you bring me here? If it's about what I saw... I won't tell. I promise. I don't even know what happened. I'll just go home and forget everything."

Kaelen stood up. He moved like a tiger-quiet and smooth. He walked toward me until he was standing right over the bed. He was so tall that I had to crane my neck just to see his face. Up close, he was overwhelming. He smelled like rain and power.

"You can't go home, Ivy," Kaelen said. His voice was cold. "As of last night, Ivy Thorne is dead. The police found your ID in that alley next to a lot of blood. The world thinks you're gone."

I felt a cold pit in my stomach. "What? You can't do that! I have a life. I have a job. I have a brother who needs me!"

At the mention of my brother, Kaelen's eyes got darker. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. He held it up so I could see it. It was Leo's hospital ID.

"Leo is fine," Kaelen said. "I had him moved to a private clinic this morning. He has the best doctors in the country now. No more waiting lists. No more cheap medicine. I paid his bills for the next ten years."

I reached for the card, but Kaelen pulled it back, just out of my reach.

"Why?" I demanded. My fear was turning into anger. "You don't even know me. You're a killer. Why would you help my brother?"

Kaelen stepped even closer, forcing me to lean back against the headboard. "I told you. I've been watching you. I know you work two jobs just to pay for his oxygen. I know you play the cello when you're sad because it's the only thing that makes you feel better. I didn't bring you here to kill you, Ivy."

He reached out. I flinched, but he didn't hit me. Instead, his fingers brushed against the star-shaped birthmark on my neck. I shivered, but I didn't pull away. His hand was rough, but his touch was surprisingly gentle.

"My father wants you dead," Kaelen whispered, his face inches from mine. "He thinks you're a witness who knows too much. But I told him a lie to save your life. I told him you're my fiancée."

My jaw dropped. "Fiancée? I don't even know your last name!"

"It's Volkov," he said, a tiny, dark smile touching his lips. "And for now, you're going to act like the future Mrs. Volkov. You'll live in this house. You'll wear the clothes I buy. You'll act like you love me in front of my family. Do that, and your brother stays alive. You stay alive."

"And if I say no?" I asked, my voice trembling.

Kaelen leaned in until his lips were almost touching mine. The air between us felt electric, like a storm was about to break. "Then I walk out that door and let my father's men in. They aren't as nice as I am, Ivy. They'll kill you and your brother before the sun goes down."

I looked into his icy blue eyes and realized he wasn't joking. He was offering me a choice: stay in this beautiful cage, or die.

"You're a monster," I whispered.

"Maybe," he agreed, his gaze dropping to my lips for a second. "But I'm the only monster standing between you and the devil. Choose, Ivy. Do you want the ring, or do you want the grave?"

He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. He snapped it open to show a diamond ring so big it looked fake. It was beautiful, but it felt like a pair of handcuffs.

Slowly, I held out my left hand. My fingers were shaking, but I didn't have a choice. I had to save Leo.

Kaelen didn't hesitate. He slid the ring onto my finger. It was cold and heavy. It fit perfectly, as if he had measured my finger while I was asleep.

"Good girl," he murmured. He didn't let go of my hand. Instead, he pulled me a little closer, his other hand sliding around my waist. "Now, get up. There's a closet full of dresses. Pick something red. We're having dinner with the Don, and you need to look like you're madly in love with me."

He let go of me and walked toward the door. As he reached the handle, he paused. "And Ivy? Don't try the windows. They're bulletproof. And the drop is fifty feet."

The door clicked shut, leaving me alone. I looked at the massive diamond on my hand. I was alive, but I wasn't free. I was a pawn in a dangerous game, owned by a man who looked at me like I was a ghost he had finally caught.

I walked to the closet and opened the doors. Rows of red silk dresses stared back at me. I took a deep breath and grabbed the nearest one.