Chapter 2: The Golden Cage

Silas kept Elena locked away in his high penthouse apartment. It was a luxury prison at the top of a glass skyscraper. The apartment had expensive black furniture, golden decorations, and giant glass windows. Below them, the busy city looked like tiny crawling insects. There were dangerous armed guards stationed at every single door. For the first few months, Elena did nothing but cry. She stared out at the cold gray skyline every single day. She missed her quiet neighborhood and her sweet family. Her soul felt completely shattered by her tragic loss. But then, she realized something very critical. Crying would never change her bad situation. Tears would never bring Toby or her loving parents back. She needed a dangerous plan to destroy Silas. She needed Silas to trust her completely.

She changed her behavior to play a deadly game. She washed away her tears and wore a beautiful mask. She put on a calm face and practiced a fake smile. She began cooking his favorite spicy meals every evening. She wore the expensive silk dresses and heavy diamond jewelry he bought. She sat thought long boring dinners and listened to him talk. Silas bragged constantly about his illegal criminal empire. Elena played the part of a perfect, obedient wife. She smiled at his cruel jokes and never argued with him. She agreed with all his decisions without hesitation. She even helped organize his secret daily calendars. Furthermore, she filed his private financial paperwork neatly.

Silas was an incredibly dangerous and vain man. He was completely used to people running away from him in absolute terror. He had never experienced a warm home, gentle care, or real kindness in his violent life. Seeing her quiet and submissive behaviour every day, something unexpected began to happen inside his cold chest. Silas started to fall genuinely in love with her. He thought his immense wealth and devotion had finally changed her mind about him. He truly believed she loved her luxury life with him now. Because of this blinding affection, his security guard began to slip completely. He stopped asking his security team to trail her around city. He dismissed the guards from her private bedroom door. He let her walk around the massive penthouse alone without any supervisor. Silas started leaving his items around the rooms carelessly. He left his gold keys on the table. He left his encrypted phone unguarded. Elena watched every move silently. She kept her absolute hated hidden deep in her chest. Her daily disguise was completely flawless.

She used her daily freedom very wisely to study his criminal life every hour. She memorized the top security codes for the private elevator. She learned the alpha passwords to his personal laptop. She watched his fingers enter numbers into the wall safe. She listened closely to his phone calls with other criminals. Elena recorded every secret detail in her sharp mind. She learned his schedules, his bad habits, and his fatal weaknesses. She becomes shadow inside his own home. Silas felt completely relaxed around her. He bragged about his power while she poured his dark wine. Elena would smile and nod her head gently. But inside her chest, the fire of revenge grew hotter. She was ready to destroy him. She watched him sleep every single night. She counted his slow breaths in the dark room. Her dark heart was a hard stone. She felt no pity for him at all. The winter passed slowly. Spring arrived with cold, fierce winds. One morning, Silas walked into the room with a massive smile on his face. He held a beautiful card in his hands. He told her he had built a giant new skyscraper in the center of the city. He wanted to take her there tonight. He said it was a surprise just for her. Elena looked at the card and smiled her perfect, fake smile. She knew this was the exact moment she had been waiting for. Her long year of waiting was finally over.

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