Chapter 4 The Cage

Darkness.

Sophia's world had shrunk to the suffocating press of the silk blindfold, the smooth fabric cool against her skin. Without her sight, everything else intensified-the hum of the car's engine, the leather seat beneath her, and most of all, him.

Rafael De Luca.

He sat beside her, his presence an unspoken weight in the confined space. She could feel his eyes on her, feel the raw power radiating from his body, and it terrified her. He hadn't hurt her-yet-but there was something far worse than pain in the way he spoke.

Possession.

He acted as if he already owned her.

Her breathing came fast and uneven. "Where are you taking me?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady despite the blindfold, despite the unknown.

A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest, so smooth and dark it sent a chill down her spine. "Home."

Her stomach clenched. "That's not my home."

His fingers brushed against her wrist, slow and deliberate, as if he were savoring the feel of her pulse racing beneath his touch. "It will be."

Sophia flinched, yanking her hand away. "I don't belong to you!"

Silence stretched between them.

Then, so quiet it sent shivers down her spine, Rafael murmured, "You've always belonged to me, Sophia. You just didn't know it yet."

Her blood turned to ice. How long had he been watching her? How much did he know?

She was still piecing together her next move when the car slowed, the hum of the tires shifting as they rolled over what felt like gravel. A gate creaked open, heavy metal groaning, and then they were moving again.

Sophia swallowed hard.

Wherever they were, they had arrived.

The car came to a smooth stop. For a few moments, the only sound was her rapid breathing. Then a door opened, and cold air rushed in.

She jerked when Rafael's hands touched her, gripping her waist.

"Let go of me!" she snarled, trying to push him away.

But he didn't let go.

Instead, he lifted her as if she weighed nothing, carrying her effortlessly out of the car.

Her heart pounded against her ribs. The scent of the night air filled her nose-crisp, laced with pine and something faintly salty. The ocean?

Panic surged in her chest as she struggled harder. "Put me down!"

Rafael's grip didn't waver. "You'll only hurt yourself."

Then, just as smoothly as he had lifted her, he set her down. But before she could move, strong fingers curled around her arm.

The blindfold was suddenly tugged away.

Sophia blinked rapidly, her vision adjusting to the dim light.

And then she saw it.

A mansion.

No-not a mansion. A fortress.

The massive estate loomed before her, all stone and glass, modern yet imposing. Towering gates sealed off the entrance, and behind them, the endless dark waves of the ocean stretched out to the horizon. The entire place was isolated, unreachable.

A prison.

Her pulse roared in her ears. "Where the hell am I?"

Rafael stepped beside her, his presence too close, too overwhelming. "Your new home."

Sophia whipped around to face him. "You're insane if you think I'm staying here."

His gaze was unreadable, but there was a flicker of amusement in his expression. "You don't have a choice."

Her chest rose and fell with uneven breaths. Fear clawed at her insides, but she shoved it down, replacing it with fury. She wouldn't let him see her break.

He nodded toward the entrance. "Inside. Now."

She didn't move.

His eyes darkened. "Don't make me carry you again, Sophia."

Her hands balled into fists. She wanted to run, but the gates, the guards standing near the entrance, the sheer vastness of the property-it was impossible.

Swallowing hard, she forced her feet forward, stepping into the unknown.