Chapter 14 – A Queen in His Cage

Lina sat on the luxurious bed, wrapped in warm, soft blankets, staring at the steaming cup of tea Ethan had placed in front of her.

She felt weak, exhausted, her body aching in the familiar way that came every month.

Her period had started.

And Ethan had noticed before she even told him.

She had barely stirred that morning before he had already drawn a warm bath for her, brought her new silk pajamas, and prepared tea—as if he had done this for her his entire life.

Lina should have felt humiliated.

But instead, she felt something else.

Something dangerous.

Comfort.

Ethan knelt in front of her, brushing her hair back as he looked at her with a mix of adoration and possession.

"You're in pain, aren't you, love?" he murmured.

Lina swallowed, not trusting herself to speak.

He reached for the tea, holding it to her lips.

"Drink," he ordered gently. "You need to keep warm."

Lina hesitated, then took a small sip.

The warmth seeped through her, and so did the weight of his care.

She hated how easily he took control, how effortlessly he made her feel… safe.

This was not what she had planned.

She was supposed to pretend.

To make him trust her.

To find a way out.

But here she was, allowing herself to be pampered like a queen in his arms.

Ethan watched her intently.

She was in pain.

And it killed him.

His Lina should never feel discomfort, should never suffer—not even from her own body.

He had spent the entire morning making sure she had everything she could possibly need.

Warm baths with scented oils.

Soft silk nightwear that wouldn't cling too tightly.

A heated blanket to soothe her cramps.

Handpicked chocolates and herbal tea.

And most importantly—

His touch.

She still didn't understand it yet.

Didn't realize that she belonged to him in every possible way.

But she would.

Slowly, Ethan moved onto the bed, pulling her into his arms.

Lina stiffened but didn't fight him.

He smirked against her hair.

"Relax, love," he murmured. "Let me take care of you."

He kissed her forehead, her temple, the corner of her lips.

Gentle. Worshipping.

Lina's breath shuddered.

She was playing a game.

She knew she was.

So why did it feel like she was the one being played?

Meanwhile – Her Family's Desperate Search Continues

Max Evans stared at his sister's empty room, his little fists clenched.

It had been weeks since she had disappeared.

And no one was doing enough to find her.

His parents kept crying, arguing, hoping.

But hope wasn't enough.

Max wasn't stupid.

Lina wouldn't just leave them.

Someone had taken her.

And if the police weren't going to do something, he would.

Downstairs, George Evans sat in front of his laptop, his face tense as he went through Lina's last online conversations.

And then—

He saw it.

A pattern.

Lina's AI messages.

At first, they seemed normal.

But the deeper he looked, the more he realized—they weren't random.

Someone had been controlling those messages.

Someone had been watching her, manipulating her.

His breath hitched.

This wasn't just some chat.

This was a trap.

A trap his daughter had fallen into.

And now—he was going to find the man who had set it.

Lina curled against Ethan's chest, letting him hold her.

She could hear his heartbeat—slow, steady, terrifyingly real.

"You're mine, Lina," he whispered against her hair. "You'll never leave me."

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to play along.

"I know," she whispered.

Ethan smiled against her skin.

"Good girl."

And this time—Lina wasn't sure if she was lying anymore.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***