Chapter 3: A Cage Made of Silence

Silence.

That was the first thing I noticed.

Not the kind of silence that feels peaceful…

But the kind that presses against your chest, making it hard to breathe.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers tightly gripping the sheets as I stared at the closed door.

Locked.

Of course it was.

I let out a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

Think.

There had to be a way out of this.

This couldn’t be my life now.

Kidnapped… trapped… controlled by a man whose name I didn’t even know.

My chest tightened.

Why me?

What did I even see?

I replayed everything in my mind.

The alley.

The gunshot.

The shadow of someone falling.

My eyes widened slightly.

No…

I hadn’t seen clearly.

Just a glimpse.

Just enough to understand that something terrible had happened.

And that he—

My thoughts stopped.

Footsteps.

My body tensed instantly.

They were getting closer.

Slow. Steady. Controlled.

My heartbeat picked up.

Then—

The door opened.

I stood up immediately, my body going rigid.

But it wasn’t him.

A woman walked in, dressed neatly, her expression calm.

Behind her, two guards stood silently.

She gave me a small, polite smile.

“You should freshen up,” she said softly. “I’ve brought clothes for you.”

I blinked, confused.

Clothes?

Why would they—

“I don’t need anything,” I said quickly. “I just want to go home.”

Her smile didn’t fade.

But something in her eyes did.

“I’m afraid… that’s not possible.”

My hands clenched.

“Please,” I tried again, stepping forward. “You don’t understand—”

“I understand more than you think,” she interrupted gently.

That made me pause.

She walked closer and placed the clothes on the bed.

“You should change. He doesn’t like to wait.”

My breath hitched.

He.

“Who is he?” I asked quietly.

For the first time, she hesitated.

Then she looked at me with something almost like pity.

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

And just like that—

She left.

The door locked again.

Minutes later, I stood in front of the mirror.

The girl staring back at me didn’t look like me anymore.

My hair was still slightly damp, my eyes red from fear and lack of sleep.

The dress they gave me was simple… but elegant.

Too elegant for someone like me.

I wrapped my arms around myself.

This didn’t feel right.

Nothing about this felt right.

The door opened again.

This time—

It was him.

My body froze.

He stepped inside slowly, his gaze immediately locking onto me.

I couldn’t move.

Couldn’t speak.

Couldn’t breathe.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Just looked at me.

His eyes moved slightly, taking in every detail.

Not in a way that felt normal.

But like he was studying me.

Analyzing.

Judging.

“You clean up well,” he finally said.

My fingers tightened slightly.

“I didn’t ask for this,” I replied, my voice low but steady.

Something flickered in his eyes.

Interest?

Amusement?

I couldn’t tell.

“No,” he agreed calmly. “You didn’t.”

He stepped closer.

Instinctively, I stepped back.

Bad move.

My back hit the wall almost immediately.

Trapped again.

“Then let me go,” I said quickly, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “If I didn’t choose this, then you have no right to keep me here.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

For a moment, I thought I had gone too far.

But then—

He smiled slightly.

“You talk too much.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“And you don’t listen enough,” I shot back before I could stop myself.

The moment the words left my mouth—

I regretted it.

The air changed instantly.

Colder.

Sharper.

His eyes darkened.

He stepped even closer, closing the small distance between us completely.

My breath hitched.

“Careful,” he said softly.

That word again.

Careful.

“But I’m not scared of you,” I whispered, even though my trembling hands betrayed me.

His gaze dropped briefly to my hands.

Then back to my eyes.

“Liar.”

My throat went dry.

Before I could react, his hand reached out again.

My body stiffened.

But instead of grabbing me harshly—

His fingers gently tilted my chin up.

Forcing me to look at him.

“You’re terrified,” he murmured.

His voice wasn’t mocking.

It was… certain.

And that somehow made it worse.

“Then let me go,” I said again, my voice breaking slightly.

For a second—

Just a second—

Something changed in his expression.

Something softer.

But it disappeared just as quickly.

“No.”

One word.

Final.

My heart sank.

“Why?” I whispered.

This time…

He didn’t answer immediately.

His gaze held mine, unreadable.

Then slowly—

“Because I don’t trust you.”

That hurt more than it should have.

“I told you, I didn’t see anything,” I insisted.

“That’s not the problem.”

Confusion flashed across my face.

“Then what is?”

He stepped back slightly, creating just enough distance to make me feel the loss of his presence.

“You were there,” he said simply.

“That’s enough.”

I stared at him, unable to understand.

“How long are you going to keep me here?” I asked quietly.

His lips curved slightly again.

“Until I decide otherwise.”

My chest tightened.

That wasn’t an answer.

That was a warning.

He turned toward the door.

“Wait,” I called out before he could leave.

He paused.

“Do you at least have a name?” I asked.

Silence.

For a moment, I thought he would ignore me.

Then—

Without turning around—

“Adrian.”

The name sent a strange chill through me.

“And you?” he asked.

I hesitated.

Should I tell him?

Did it even matter?

“…Ava,” I said softly.

He nodded once.

As if committing it to memory.

Then he left.

The door locked again.

Adrian.

The name echoed in my mind…

The man who kidnapped me…

The man I should hate…

So why did my heart race every time he got close? 😳🔥

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