The doorbell chimed. Launa hurried to open it, and Dr. Arumi entered with her medical bag, followed by the same nurse.

"Mr. Xoel," she nodded at Damian before her gaze shifted to Eveleen. "Miss Eveleen, let's begin."

This examination felt more invasive and more mechanical. Dr. Arumi explained each step in a flat tone, as if Eveleen were a machine being tuned up.

"So?" asked Damian, entering Eveleen's room.

"Everything is fine and healthy. Miss Eveleen's uterus is also healthy and should pose no problems," explained Dr. Arumi.

"In that case, when is her fertile period?" Damian asked bluntly, causing Eveleen to swallow hard.

"Her fertile window begins tonight," Arumi replied.

Hearing Dr. Arumi's answer, the air in the room seemed to instantly become thick and difficult to breathe. Eveleen felt a tightness in her chest, her hands turning cold and clammy.

"Tonight?" Damian repeated, and for the first time, there was a clear note of satisfaction in his voice. He looked at Eveleen, his eyes alight with triumph and something primal that made her want to hide. "Perfect."

Dr. Arumi and her nurse quickly packed their equipment. "We'll be leaving now. Everything needed has been prepared. It's just a matter of... execution." Her words were accompanied by a glance back at Eveleen, who sat with her head bowed, her face pale.

After they left, Damian stood in front of the door, blocking the exit. His gaze was fixed on Eveleen, who remained sitting weakly on the bed, her face as white as cotton.

"You heard that, Eveleen?" Damian said, his voice low and full of intent. "It all begins tonight."

Eveleen pulled the blanket up to her chin, a wave of intense nausea and fear washing over her. "Please," she whispered, her voice hoarse and desperate. "Don't—"

But Damian only moved closer, each step echoing in the quiet room. He leaned down, his face coming dangerously close to Eveleen's.

“Please is not a word in our dictionary, Eveleen," he whispered, his hand touching her hair, damp with cold sweat. "Tonight, you will be completely mine. And you will accept it."

He pressed a button on the wall. "Launa, prepare the master bedroom. And prepare Miss Eveleen as well. Bathe her and put her in the gown I provided."

Eveleen closed her eyes, tears finally streaming down her face. This was truly going to happen. There was no way out, and she could no longer avoid it. She was trapped in a nightmare that was about to become the most horrifying reality of her life.

***

Eveleen looked at her reflection in the mirror in her room, clad only in a thin, translucent silk nightgown. Her face was lightly made up, which only made her feel like a doll being dressed up for a sacrifice. Every heartbeat echoed in her ears, pounding fast and irregularly. This was her first experience, and the fear was so real, piercing her to the bone.

She heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind the door. Her heart nearly stopped. Her bedroom door now opened slowly.

Damian stood there, filling the entire doorframe. He had changed, wearing a black shirt that made him look darker and more powerful. His gaze immediately locked onto Eveleen, who sat rigidly in front of the mirror, her face pale despite the makeup.

"Ready?" Damian's voice was low—not a question, but a statement.

Eveleen couldn't answer. Her tongue felt stiff. She could only watch in horror as Damian stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Click.

The sound of the lock turning. Now, it was just the two of them.

Each step he took made the air feel thinner. Eveleen tried to control her breathing, even though her heart was racing. Her whole body was covered in goosebumps. A cold sweat began to spread across her skin.

Damian stopped right behind her, his reflection in the mirror engulfing her trembling form. His eyes, reflected in the glass, burned with satisfaction and a possessive desire that made Eveleen want to disappear.

"Relax, I'm not going to eat you," he whispered. Instead of calming her, it only made Eveleen more afraid.

Damian placed his hands on Eveleen's shoulders and began to stroke them gently. The moment their skin made contact, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

Eveleen could feel the warmth of Damian's hands through the thin silk. The touch was so light, almost a caress, but that only made her feel more nauseous. Every hair on her body stood up, as if all her senses were screaming in protest. She locked her eyes on their reflection—an unnatural portrait of her rigid, terrified self trapped within Damian's large, dominating shadow.

"You're so beautiful when you're afraid," Damian whispered, his breath warm near her ear. Eveleen held her breath, catching the sharp, masculine scent of his cologne.

His hands, stroking her shoulders, began to move downward, slowly tracing her trembling arms. Every touch felt like a small electric shock, leaving a trail of fear. Eveleen closed her eyes, trying to find a safe place in her mind. But Damian stopped her immediately.

"Open your eyes, Eveleen," he commanded, his voice soft yet full of control. "Look at us."

Trembling, Eveleen opened her eyes. Their reflection stared back at her. Damian gave a faint smile, an expression that didn't reach his dark, intense eyes.

"I want you to remember this night," he said, his hands now reaching for the thin straps of her silk nightgown. "I want you to remember the moment you became completely mine."

His fingers played with the strap, not pulling it yet, just twisting it casually. Eveleen felt her chest tighten. She wanted to scream, to run away, but her body felt paralyzed. Tears began to pool in her eyes, blurring the horrifying image in the mirror.

"Please," she whispered again, even though she knew it was futile. Her voice cracked, barely audible.

Damian sighed, as if disappointed. "I'm not going to stop, Eveleen. And if you still refuse, you know the consequences."

Hearing that, all the tears in her eyes spilled over, streaming down her cheeks. She could do nothing now but surrender.

With a quick, skilled movement, he pulled the strap. The loose silk nightgown suddenly came open, slipping off her shoulders and making Eveleen jolt in surprise. She reflexively grabbed the fabric to cover herself, her hands pressing tightly against her chest.

In the mirror, she could see her own pale face, eyes wide with fear, and behind her, Damian looking satisfied.

Eveleen stood frozen, her hands still clutching the opened silk at her chest. The reflection felt like a scene from a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. Damian, behind her, was in no hurry. He was like a cat playing with its prey, savoring every second of Eveleen's terror.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Damian's hand reached for Eveleen's, which was gripping her nightgown. His strong fingers easily loosened her weak grasp.

"Let go," he whispered in her ear, his voice firm yet smooth.

Eveleen bit her lip until it bled, trying to find the courage that had long since vanished. But her body surrendered before her mind did. Her fingers went slack one by one, and the silk finally slipped from her grasp, pooling on the floor like a shattered cocoon.

Now she stood fully exposed before the mirror, wearing only her underwear. Her smooth skin was covered in goosebumps, not from the cold, but from the shame and fear enveloping her. She tried to cover her body with her hands, but Damian pulled Eveleen's hands to her sides.

"Don't cover up," he said. "I want to see you. All of you."

Tears streamed down Eveleen's cheeks as she was forced to gaze at her own naked, vulnerable reflection. Damian observed her with calculating eyes, like a collector admiring a prized possession.

His hands began to explore again, this time touching her skin directly, and his wet, cool lips kissed her bare shoulder. Eveleen shuddered violently, every touch feeling like a brand. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to escape the unbearable reality.

"Open your eyes, Eveleen," Damian commanded again, his voice louder this time. "See what's happening."

With great effort, Eveleen opened her eyes. In the mirror, she saw Damian's dark, large hands contrasting against her pale skin. She saw how his fingers roamed freely over her body, marking territory he now claimed as his own.

More tears fell as Damian's kisses trailed up her neck and cheek. This was the first time a man had touched her body. And it felt so shameful and disgusting.

Damian paid no heed. Instead, he turned Eveleen's body to face him directly, breaking her gaze from the mirror. His dark eyes stared straight into her red-rimmed ones.

"This is only the beginning, Eveleen," he said, while his hand held her chin firmly. "Tonight, and many nights after, until you give me what I want."

Before Eveleen could respond, Damian lifted her easily and carried her to the bed. The ceiling spun above her, and all she could feel was the cold sheets on her back and Damian's large shadow looming over her.

As Damian joined her on the bed, Eveleen turned her face away and closed her eyes, trying to detach her mind from what was happening to her body. But every touch, every sigh, every whisper from Damian in her ear pulled her back to the cruel reality.

"I will get you pregnant, Eveleen," Damian whispered between forced kisses on her neck. "You will bear me an heir, and in doing so, you will become completely mine."

Eveleen cried inside, realizing this wasn't just about tonight. It was about the rest of her life, to be spent in this gilded cage with a man who wanted her only as a vessel for his legacy.

When a sharp pain finally pierced through her, Eveleen let out a stifled moan. She felt something break inside her—not just physically, but something deeper: her hope, her self-esteem, her freedom.

Damian, above her, smiled with satisfaction. "Finally," he murmured, "you are completely mine."

Eveleen stared at the ceiling, her eyes empty. She knew this was only the first act of the nightmare that was to become her new life. And for the first time, she began to doubt whether she would ever be able to escape, or if she would be forever trapped in the world Damian had created for her.

***