Episode 2:A CAGED BIRD

Evelina’s POV:

My heart pounded so loudly it nearly drowned out the silence between us.

Cassian Moretti still had me locked in his grasp—one arm around my waist, his chest pressed firmly against my back. The scent of his cologne, dark and expensive, curled around me, making it harder to think.

I should have been screaming. Fighting harder. Doing something other than standing there, frozen under the weight of his presence.

But the way he held me wasn’t brutal. He wasn’t hurting me.

And that terrified me more than anything else.

I forced myself to breathe. “You can’t just—just grab people off the street,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I felt. “Let me go.”

Cassian exhaled, the sound almost amused. “And if I don’t?”

A slow, creeping dread unfurled in my chest.

I swallowed hard. “Then I’ll make you regret it.”

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat, dark and rich like smoke curling through the air. “Brave.”

His grip loosened slightly, but not enough for me to escape.

I glanced around the parking lot, searching for anyone—anyone—who could see us. But the streetlights barely reached this far, and the campus was empty at this hour.

No one was coming to help me.

I needed to help myself.

I tensed, preparing to jerk away, but Cassian seemed to sense it before I could move. His fingers curled slightly around my wrist. Not a painful hold, but firm.

“Get in the car, Evelina,” he murmured.

His voice was velvet, soft yet commanding. A voice people listened to.

But I wasn’t just anyone.

I lifted my chin, forcing confidence into my tone. “Not happening.”

Cassian tilted his head, his dark eyes scanning my face like he was searching for something. “You sure?”

The way he said it—low, edged with quiet amusement—made my skin prickle.

“Positive,” I said.

A beat of silence stretched between us.

Then, to my shock, he took a step back.

“Walk away, then.”

I blinked. “What?”

His lips curled slightly. “Go.” He gestured toward the parking lot’s exit. “You’re free to leave.”

I stared at him, waiting for the catch.

There had to be one.

Cassian Moretti didn’t just let people go.

This was a man who played with power like it was an art form. He didn’t act without purpose. And yet, here he was, telling me I could walk away.

My legs refused to move.

He noticed.

His smirk deepened. “Interesting.”

Frustration flared in me. He was playing mind games, and I hated it.

With a sharp breath, I turned on my heel, forcing myself to move.

One step.

Two.

Three.

But then—

I stopped.

Because deep down, I knew.

Cassian Moretti wasn’t here by accident. He had sought me out for a reason. And the most terrifying part?

I wanted to know why.

Slowly, I turned back to face him. He was still there, standing casually with his hands in his pockets, watching me like he had already won.

“Why me?” I demanded.

Cassian didn’t answer right away. Instead, he took a slow step forward. Then another.

Despite everything, I didn’t move away.

When he stopped just a breath away, I had to tilt my head up to meet his gaze.

Something flickered in his dark eyes.

“Because, dolcezza,” he murmured, voice dangerously soft.

“You’re part of something you don’t even realize.”

The words sent a shiver through me.

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Cassian studied me, as if debating how much to tell me.

Then, with maddening ease, he stepped back, slipping his hands into his pockets. “You’ll figure it out soon enough.”

My fingers clenched. “You can’t just show up, grab me, and throw cryptic riddles at me.”

His lips quirked in amusement. “I can. And I did.”

I exhaled sharply. Infuriating man.

“If you have something to say, say it,” I challenged.

Cassian’s gaze darkened, his amusement fading into something heavier.

“I don’t have to say it, dolcezza.” He leaned in slightly, his voice a whisper against my skin.

“You’re already feeling it, aren’t you?”

A chill ran through me—not from fear, but from something far more dangerous.

Something I didn’t want to name.

Something I refused to acknowledge.

I forced my expression into something unreadable. “Stay away from me.”

Cassian didn’t look remotely bothered. If anything, he looked entertained.

“You know that’s not going to happen.”

Then, before I could react, he took a step back, giving me space for the first time since this nightmare began.

It felt like a test. A challenge.

And I had no idea if I had passed or failed.

“Goodnight, Evelina,” he murmured, his voice lingering in the cold night air.

Then, just like that—

He turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows.

And I was left standing there, my pulse racing, my mind spinning.

Because something told me this was only the beginning.

And whatever game Cassian Moretti was playing…

I was already trapped in it.

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