Chapter 5 Selena's POV

I never thought the sound of gravel crunching beneath my feet could feel so final, like each step toward my father's estate was one more nail in the coffin of the life I had dared to dream about.

The mansion loomed before me, just as cold and grand as I remembered, its towering gates opening with the mechanical precision of something that no longer needed a soul to function. Unlike me-soul bruised, freedom clipped-I had to force my body forward. My heart felt like it had been torn into shreds and stitched back together with thorns.

I told myself I was doing the right thing.

But was I?

Aaron's voice echoed in my head, trembling over the phone, begging me not to let him be discovered. He had a family, children. A life he built under my father's rule. A rule I had stupidly challenged without thinking about the consequences. And now, because of my actions, his life dangled on the edge of a blade.

The front doors opened before I even reached them. My mother stood on the steps, eyes wide and glassy. Her hands fluttered to her chest like she'd just seen a ghost.

"Selena." Her voice broke.

I barely had time to speak before she rushed toward me, arms wrapping tightly around my shoulders, the scent of her jasmine perfume momentarily softening the ache in my chest.

"I thought we lost you," she whispered, stroking my hair. "You nearly destroyed us."

That last line. It didn't come from love or concern. It came from fear-fear of losing status, reputation, control. Still, I didn't flinch.

My father's voice cut through the reunion like a dagger.

"She has destroyed us."

I pulled away from my mother, steeling myself as I turned toward the man who has ruled over my life with iron-fisted expectations. Father stood inside the doorway, his jaw clenched, eyes dark and livid. He looked at me like I was no longer his daughter but a disappointment he couldn't erase.

"You dare run away," he growled, "days before the most important union this family has arranged, and now you return as if nothing happened?"

"I'm here now," I said, trying to keep my voice calm even though my knees felt like they could give out at any moment. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

"What I want," he hissed, stepping closer, "is a daughter who understands the weight of her name. Who doesn't bring shame upon this family with foolish, selfish acts of rebellion."

"I didn't ask for this life!" I snapped, before I could stop myself. "I didn't ask to be sold off like a piece of property for the sake of a corporate merger!"

My mother gasped. My father's eyes widened, but not with surprise, only fury.

"You are not a child anymore, Selena," he said coldly.

"This isn't about what you want. It never was. This is about duty, legacy, family!"

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling at my sides. "I came back because I didn't want anyone to suffer because of me. I won't tell you where I went, or who helped me. That's my final word."

His silence was thick, dangerous. Then, slowly, he stepped aside.

"Go to your room," he said flatly. "You're to be under watch until the wedding. You'll speak to no one, leave no messages, and God help the next person who dares help you disobey me."

I nodded once. I wanted to scream, but what good would it do? I had made my decision. I walked up the stairs, each step a silent scream trapped in my chest. When I got to my room, I didn't cry. I just sat on the edge of my bed, staring out the window at the endless gardens that once felt like a prison but now, it feels like tombstones of a dream that has died.

In all this chaos, I couldn't forget him.

Luca.

Even his name felt like a secret I would carry to my grave.

I didn't know who he really was, or if he was thinking about me the way I am thinking of him. But I remember the way his fingers brushed against my skin like I was something to be cherished, not possessed. I remembered how he looked at me, like he actually saw me. Not Selena Valenci, the heiress, just Selena. And I remember how it felt to be free.

I came back to this house for the sake of someone else's freedom. But deep inside, I fear that I've just locked away my own.

Still, I couldn't regret my decision, even if it means being caged again and marrying Damien.

*****

I stared out of the tall window that overlooked the back garden, the iron bars newly installed as though I were some kind of criminal. The world outside felt distant now, like a life I once knew but could no longer touch. My room which was once a place of comfort and childhood dreams has become a prison. No phone or laptop, just silence and the hum of my own chaotic thoughts.

I felt numb, until I heard the soft knock at the door. Not the usual firm rap of Marlene bringing food or checking in under my father's orders, this one was tentative, familiar.

"Sel?" came a whisper from the other side.

I turned, my heart skipping. "Sophia?"

The door creaked open, and there she was; Sophia Marco, in her signature leather jacket, eyes wide with concern. She looked around before slipping inside and closing the door quietly behind her. The moment her eyes met mine, the mask I'd been wearing all day cracked.

"Oh, my God, Sel..." she whispered, rushing toward me. "I've been losing my mind since I heard you ran away. And now this? They locked you in your room?"

I nodded, unable to speak. My throat was tight with unshed tears.

She pulled me into a hug, and for the first time in days, I let myself fall apart. The sob that left me was guttural, painful. I clung to her like a lifeline.

"I don't want to marry him, Soph," I cried into her shoulder. "I don't love him. I don't even know who he is."

She held me tighter, rubbing soothing circles on my back. "I know, babe. I know. You don't have to explain anything to me."

I pulled away slightly, wiping my face with the sleeve of my sweater. "They don't care what I want. My father only sees the business deal, my mother's too afraid to oppose him. And they were threatening to deal with anyone who helped me escape."

Sophia's eyes narrowed. "So you came back to protect them?"

I nodded slowly. "Aaron, my driver. He could lose everything-maybe even his life if my father finds out. I won't be able to live with myself if something happens to him because of me."

"Damn, Selena," she whispered, shaking her head. "You've always been brave. Even when you think you're weak, you're stronger than all of them."

"I don't feel brave," I said, sinking onto the edge of my bed. "I feel trapped. I had one moment of freedom, but it's gone now. I'm back here, about to marry a man who sees me as a pawn."

Sophia sat beside me, brushing my hair from my face. "Was it worth it? Running away? Even if just for a little while?"

A flash of memory lit behind my eyes-his hands, his voice, the way he looked at me.

Luca.

I hesitated. "Yes," I said softly. "It was the first time in a long time I felt like me."

Sophia studied me for a second, then smirked. "You met someone."

My silence gave me away.

"Holy crap, you did! In the middle of hiding out in the woods, you found a guy?" she asked, eyes widening with both disbelief and intrigue.

"It wasn't like that," I whispered, cheeks flushing. "It just happened. We talked for hours, it felt like I've known him forever. I told him things I haven't even told you. And then one thing led to another."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, then let out a soft whistle. "Okay. I wasn't expecting that. So, who is this mystery man?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. That's the thing. He left before I woke up. I don't even know his last name. Just his first-Luca."

Sophia blinked. "Wait, he just disappeared? No note, no goodbye?"

"Nothing," I said, and the ache that had been hiding beneath everything else bloomed again. "I keep wondering if it meant nothing to him. Maybe I was just an escape for him too."

"Or maybe he's as scared as you are," she said gently. "People run from things that feel too real."

I looked at her, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't stop thinking about him."

Sophia sighed, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "You've got a lot going on, Sel. Don't make yourself feel guilty for holding onto the one thing that gave you joy in the middle of all this madness."

I leaned into her. "What if I can't do this wedding? What if I break down in front of everyone?"

"Then you break down. And I'll be right there to hold you up."

A long pause stretched between us, heavy with uncertainty and fear.

"I don't know how this ends, Soph," I admitted. "I'm so tired of being who everyone else needs me to be."

"Then don't be," she said fiercely. "Be who you want to be."

And for the first time that day, I felt a flicker of hope. Fragile and small, but it was there.

The door creaked again, and we both jumped. A shadow passed beneath the door. Footsteps echoed down the hall. Sophia's eyes met mine.

"They're watching you," she said quietly.

"I know."

She stood, brushing imaginary dust off her jeans. "I'll come back tomorrow. No matter what happens-wedding or war-I've got your back."

And with that, she slipped out, leaving me in the silence once more.

But this time, I wasn't entirely alone.