Chapter-7

When Raine stepped out of the car and into the mansion’s driveway, she felt the weight of the day settle on her shoulders. She had barely spoken on the way back, but her mind was screaming. The exchange she’d witnessed wasn’t something she could forget, no matter how much she wanted to.

Lydia didn’t say a word as she walked ahead, leaving Raine to trail behind. The towering mansion loomed in front of her, feeling less like a home and more like a prison.

As soon as they entered, Raine saw Damon waiting in the grand foyer. He leaned casually against the staircase railing, his piercing eyes immediately locking onto hers.

“How did it go?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with authority.

Lydia stepped forward. “The client agreed to meet the deadline. There shouldn’t be any further issues.”

Damon’s gaze shifted to Raine. “And you? What did you learn?”

Raine hesitated. She didn’t know what he wanted her to say. “I... I learned that you don’t give people much of a choice.”

Damon chuckled, a dark and humorless sound. “That’s one way to put it. In my world, Miss Bennett, choice is a luxury. People follow orders, or they face the consequences. It’s as simple as that.”

Her stomach churned, but she didn’t respond.

“You did well for your first outing,” Damon continued, pushing off the railing and walking toward her. “But there’s still much for you to learn. You need to toughen up.”

“Toughen up?” Raine said, her voice trembling. “You’re asking me to get used to threatening people?”

Damon stopped in front of her, his expression unreadable. “I’m asking you to survive. The sooner you accept that, the easier this will be for you.”

Raine bit her lip, her fists clenched at her sides. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him she wasn’t like him, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Go to your room,” Damon said, his tone dismissive. “Rest. Tomorrow will be more challenging.”

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing in the foyer.

Raine trudged up the stairs, her legs feeling like lead. When she reached her room, she closed the door and leaned against it, her breathing uneven.

Her gaze fell on the window. The sprawling gardens outside looked peaceful under the moonlight, a stark contrast to the chaos inside her.

She thought about running. Just opening the window and climbing down. But where would she go? Damon had made it clear that he controlled everything. And if she ran, what would happen to her father?

She sank onto the bed, her head in her hands.

For the first time, she realized just how trapped she was.

This wasn’t just a mansion. It was her cage. And Damon? He held the key.

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