I wasn't supposed to be here.
The music was too loud, the lights too dim, and the people… too dangerous.
The bass thumped against my chest like a warning, each beat making my heart race faster. Expensive perfume filled the air, mixed with alcohol and something darker—something I couldn't quite explain.
"Relax, Lia. It's just a party," my best friend whispered, dragging me further inside the mansion.
Just a party.
Yeah, right.
My fingers tightened around my bag as I looked around. Everything felt wrong. Too polished. Too controlled. The kind of place where one mistake could cost you more than just embarrassment.
Everyone in the city knew this wasn't just any party.
This was his territory.
And no one said his name out loud.
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry as my eyes scanned the room more carefully. Men in black suits stood in every corner, their expressions blank but their eyes alert. Guards. Not just for show but for control.
Girls in expensive dresses laughed too loudly, like they were trying to ignore where they really were.
This wasn't a party.
This was a trap.
"I'm leaving," I muttered, pulling my arm away.
"Wait—Lia!" my friend called, but I was already stepping back.
Something in my chest screamed at me to get out.
Now.
But before I could turn around—
The music suddenly stopped.
The loud bass cut off mid-beat, leaving a heavy silence behind.
The entire room froze.
Even the laughter died instantly.
Then. Heavy footsteps echoed from the grand staircase.
One.
Two.
Three.
Each step was slow. Controlled. Powerful.
My heart started pounding harder, louder, as if trying to warn me.
Don't look.
But I did.
And then I saw him.
Tall. Cold. Untouchable.
He descended the staircase like he owned every inch of the place and everyone in it.
Because he did.
His presence alone was enough to silence the entire room. No one dared speak. No one dared move.
Everyone stepped aside as he walked past them, creating a clear path without being told.
Fear.
That's what this was.
Real fear.
His eyes scanned the crowd sharp, calculating, unreadable…
Until they landed on me.
And everything froze.
My breath caught in my throat.
No.
No, no, no.
Out of all the people here… why me?
"Who is she?" he asked, his voice low but powerful enough to carry across the room.
I felt every pair of eyes turn toward me.
My chest tightened.
"I I'm nobody," I stuttered, taking a step back.
Big mistake.
He smirked.
"Nobody?" he repeated, his voice calm but dangerous as he slowly walked toward me. "I decide who's nobody."
Each step he took felt heavier than the last.
Closer.
Closer.
My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
My instincts screamed at me to run but my feet wouldn't move.
My body betrayed me.
My breath hitched as he stopped right in front of me.
Too close.
Way too close.
"What's your name?" he asked.
His voice was quieter now.
But somehow, even more dangerous.
"L-Lia."
He tilted his head slightly, studying me like I was something unfamiliar… something interesting.
"Lia," he repeated, slowly, as if testing how my name felt.
Then, without warning, he reached out and grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
Cold fingers.
Firm grip.
No escape.
"From now on…" he said softly.
"You belong to me."
My world stopped.
"What?" I whispered, barely able to breathe.
"You heard me."
"I'm not something you can own," I said, my voice shaking but refusing to break.
For a second, the room felt like it lost all oxygen.
Then he chuckled.
Low.
Dangerous.
"You walked into my world, Lia," he said, his grip tightening just slightly not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me he could. "Now you don't get to leave without paying a price."
"I didn't ask for this!"
"And I don't ask," he replied coldly.
"I take."
The words hit harder than I expected.
Silence swallowed the room again.
No one dared interfere.
No one dared help.
Then he leaned closer, his breath just inches away from my ear.
"Here's the deal…" he whispered.
My entire body tensed.
My heart pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it.
"You stay by my side," he said slowly, "or your family pays the consequences."
My blood ran cold.
Everything inside me froze.
"You wouldn't"
"Try me."
His voice didn't rise.
It didn't need to.
Tears burned in my eyes as reality hit me all at once.
This wasn't a threat.
This was a promise.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I tried to hold myself together.
This wasn't happening.
This couldn't be happening.
But it was.
This wasn't a choice.
It was a cage.
And I had just locked myself inside it.