Chapter 3 Chapitre 3

The lock turned into heavy silence, a metallic noise that seemed to resonate in all its being. Jade froze when he heard the click, the next moment, the door opened to an endless corridor. Each step seemed to move away from his freedom, from his old life a little more. She would never have thought that one day, she would find herself in this situation, in this golden cage, facing the man who controlled everything.

Liam had not left her free to move. No, she was not there by choice, but by constraint, by obligation. Each door of this house seemed one more obstacle, an invisible and relentless wall, behind which the shadows of its future were hiding. No matter how she looked at the windows, feeling the fresh air of the night, she knew at the bottom that there was no leak. No real escape. And yet, her mind, despite the logic of her situation, continued to push her to the insane idea of the flight.

She rushed into the darkness, the breath short, her feet barely striking the ground like a flight spectrum. She didn't know where she was going, but each step made her feel a little more alive. A little more free. The sound of his steps resonated in his ears as a prohibited melody. It was the only thing she heard as she slipped through the manor corridors, looking for the outing, the only way out.

A cry pierced the air, a noise of heavy and regular steps that approached it, making it shiver. Not his. Another. A calculated, relentless step, that of Liam. She should have known. She should have understood that this manor was not a place of freedom, but a prison.

She reached a door, an outing she thought she was hers. She pulled on the handle, but the lock was already in place. A glance behind her, and she saw the dark silhouette of Liam which advanced with an exasperating slowness, as if he wanted to leave her a little hope before breaking him.

She did not have time to react. Before she could not make another movement, a firm hand landed on her shoulder, pulling her back with controlled violence. A feeling of ice grabbed his body. His muscles stretched instantly. Her survival instinct pushed her to struggle, but Liam's embrace was unshakable, as an invisible chain that she could not break.

- Where do you think you go? he whispered, his voice as icy as the air of the night.

She tried to free herself, but he kept her firmly, her piercing gaze piercing her like a laser. No doubt: he knew exactly what she was trying to do.

- You have nothing to fear ... As long as you stay here, in your place, he said in an almost amused tone.

He pushed her gently forward, but she stopped, turning around with challenge, her face marked by the frustration and exhaustion of this inner fight that she could not win.

- It's not your place to decide where I'm going, whispered Jade, a challenge of challenge.

Liam leaned slightly forward, an imperceptible smile on the lips, as if he enjoyed each word pronounced. There was something scary in this attitude, something that was out of the ordinary.

- This is exactly what you don't understand, Jade. It's not you who decide. I am the one who leads the dance here. You would do well to accept it.

She was trying to go back, but he attracted her even closer, so close that she could feel the warmth of her body against hers. Her heart got carried away. She felt trapped in an invisible vice, a catch that she could not undo, as if all, in this situation, had been designed to crush him, to make her lose any notion of control.

- Don't happen to start again, he continued, his voice softening slightly, but his gaze remaining as hard as steel. You can flee as much as you want. But here it is I who decides.

Anger rose in her, a fire burned in her veins, but she knew she was losing. It was like an inexorable fall, a chasm that she could never get out. Each attempt to escape only brought it closer to the trap. And the trap was him. He and his world.

Liam looked at her, her glazed blue eyes scrutinizing every centimeter of her face. A strange shine, both calm and threatening, crossed his gaze.

- Do you want to flee, Jade? he asked, almost gently. So flee. But know one thing: you won't go far. This manor, these walls ... they will never let you go. I will never let you go.

The words, heavy and threatening, resonated in his mind. Reality imposed itself on it with brutality. She could try again, always try. But she knew it now, deep down: her flight was just an ephemeral dream, an illusion that he would destroy as soon as he would like.

Liam shattered her suddenly, forcing her to take a few steps back before turning the heels and disappearing in the shadows. The door, the exit she had hoped, remained closed, locked, just like her heart.

She now knew that she would never escape the golden cage in which he had locked it. The noise of his steps echoed in the corridor, each echo a warning, each vibration a feeling that he was there, that he arrived. Jade had frozen, her body stretched like a rope ready to break, an anger so burning that she had trouble breathing. She had never felt such a rage, such a desire to destroy someone, to make him suffer for what he had taken from him.

Liam entered the room without a word, his eyes immersed in his own with an almost unbearable intensity. He stopped right in front of her, close enough for her warm breath to mix with his, but he did not touch her. He stared at her, a slight smile appeared on his lips. It was not a smile of kindness, of kindness. No, it was a smile of domination, control, a smile that promised him that everything he wanted, he would have it.

- You know, Jade, he started in a calm voice, without haste, as if he were enjoying each word, you can struggle as much as you want. But all you get is additional suffering. So I'm going to ask you a question ... do you accept your place here, with me, in this life that I imposed on you? Or should I remind you once again who holds power?

She felt the warmth of anger invaded her, her body stretching under the effect of humiliation, but also a fierce rage that bubbed in her. Each word he pronounced was just one more blow, one more slap on his face. He wanted her to accept this situation, that she accepts her defeat. He already saw her as a simple piece in her game, a soulless puppet. And this thought ignited him even more.

- I hate you, blowing Jade between her tight teeth, her voice betraying a hatred that she was not even trying to hide. I will never accept your domination. You may have me now, but I'll be paid for everything you've taken me.

Liam smiles more, but something in his gaze was darker, more calculating. He walked by a step, his eyes did not leave her for a second.

- Revenge, Jade, is a weapon that you do not master yet. But you learn quickly, I see. You think you can destroy me, right? But it's you who trapped here, not me.

He leaned slightly forward, as if he whispered a secret, but his voice was nothing sweet, she was frozen, sharp, like a warning that she should never have ignored.

- I am not an easy to destroy man, Jade. You would remember.

Jade clenched his fists, a flash of determination crossing her eyes. She knew that she was cornered, that each movement, every thought she had was a desperate attempt to free herself from this man who only saw her as a possession. But she also knew, deep down, that she would never accept this reality.

Liam had no idea what was hidden behind his facade, anger and resilience that bubbed in his bowels. He thought he could break it, model it in his image, but he had no idea of the strength he had just awakened in her.

- You think you can control me, but you are far from knowing everything about what I am able to do. Your submission will be your last mistake, Liam. I will make you regret every second where you thought you could crush me.

His words were a poison, a silent oath, but with an almost palpable force. The hatred that was in her was not only the expression of the pain he had inflicted on her, but also the promise of a devouring revenge that would come from the inside. Liam had not yet seen the full extent of what she was capable of. She was not that little submissive thing that he thought he had under his grip. She was going to fight, and whatever the violence of the battle, she would not let herself fall without destroying everything in her path.

Liam looked at her, a shiny fun of fun in her eyes, but also a hint of warning. He had seen women trying to challenge him before her, but none of them had the same rage, the same intensity. He knew that he could not break it as easily as he had done with others. But this thought only added to the interest he had in his game. Jade was not a simple victim to manipulate, she was a challenge. And he loved challenges.

He straightened up slowly, his steel gaze not leaving his face. Then, in an almost imperceptible movement, he turned to leave, leaving behind an almost unbearable tension.

- Very well, Jade, he said with implacable coldness. I hope you appreciate every second of your revenge. Because I won't give you any gifts. But know this ... Places in this world are never fixed. You can always fall below.

Liam then walked away, leaving Jade alone, shaken by contradictory feelings. Her rage was stronger than ever, but she knew she had barely started to understand the extent of the war she had just triggered.

She turned to the window, observing the dark night extending to the distance, like a shadow veil that covered her thoughts. The promise of revenge was beating in his heart like a drum. She was going to destroy him. And she was going to do it in a way that he could never anticipate. Because she was much more than he thought. She was ready to sacrifice everything to take what came from right to her: her freedom, her dignity, and her revenge.