The penthouse felt smaller with every passing minute.Too many glass walls. Too many eyes watching from the shadows. Too much of him.

Adrian paced by the windows, phone pressed to his ear, his voice low and dangerous as he issued orders to men Elena would never meet but knew could kill without hesitation.

Her gaze lingered on the door.

The guards stationed there.

The city lights glittering below, like freedom taunting her.

She couldn’t breathe in here.

Couldn’t think when every word Adrian spoke curled around her like invisible chains.

When he hung up, he turned toward her, his face set like stone.

“You’ll stay here. Two guards inside, four outside. You don’t leave until I say so.”

Her chest tightened. “You can’t keep me locked up like some… prisoner.”

Adrian’s pale eyes sharpened. “Prisoner? No. Protected? Yes.”

The way he said it sent a chill down her spine—half a vow, half a curse.

Elena swallowed hard, forcing courage into her voice.

“You think you’re protecting me, but you’re suffocating me. And if Damien wants me as badly as you think… then I’m not safe anywhere.”

Something flickered in his expression. Vulnerability? Fear? He crushed it quickly, stepping closer until she could feel the heat rolling off him.

“I’d burn the world before I let him touch you.”

Her lips parted—but she said nothing. Because she knew, deep down, he meant it.

That night, as the city slipped into restless silence, Elena waited until Adrian’s presence was gone. He had left with his men, chasing Damien’s shadows.

The guards at her door were vigilant. But desperation sharpened her mind. She spotted the narrow emergency exit at the back of the penthouse, unlocked with a trembling hand, and slipped into the stairwell.

Her heart raced with every step down, the pounding echo of her boots nearly louder than her pulse.

When the night air hit her face, it felt like freedom.

For the first time in days, she could breathe.

She walked fast, then ran, slipping into the city’s dark veins, into alleys that smelled of smoke and danger. Every turn was a gamble. Every shadow felt alive.

And then—

“Leaving so soon?”

The voice froze her blood. Smooth, mocking. Too familiar.

Elena spun, her chest seizing as Damien Blackthorne stepped from the shadows.

His smile was sharp, cruel, his eyes the mirror of Adrian’s but devoid of warmth.

“I was wondering when you’d slip the leash.”

Her breath caught. She turned to run—only to find two men blocking the path behind her.

Damien stepped closer, the scent of smoke and leather wrapping around her like a predator’s snare.

“My brother thinks he can cage you,” he whispered. “But cages only make the bird sweeter when it finally breaks free.”

Elena’s pulse thundered as he reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face with chilling ease.

“You’re not safe with Adrian. But with me…” His smile widened. “…you’d never have to wonder who owns you.”

Terror rooted her to the ground.

And in that moment, she realized—escaping Adrian hadn’t set her free.

It had delivered her straight into Damien’s hands.