When Elena woke again, sunlight spilled through tall windows. The room was breathtaking — black silk sheets, marble floors, ocean glittering beyond glass doors.
She wasn’t tied anymore. But the air still felt heavy, like invisible chains.
She stood, walked toward the door — locked.
> “A cage is still a cage,” she murmured.
“Not if you know how to behave in it.”
The voice made her flinch. She turned — Damien stood by the door, wearing a dark suit, a glass of whiskey in hand. He looked infuriatingly calm.
“You should’ve killed me when you had the chance,” she hissed.
He tilted his head, amused. “I don’t kill women. Especially the ones who interest me.”
Her jaw clenched. “You’re sick.”
He smiled faintly. “Maybe. Or maybe I just like knowing what makes brave women tremble.”
Elena glared at him, her anger burning hotter than fear. “Why keep me here? To enjoy my fear?”
Damien set the glass down, walking closer. “Because I don’t trust you. And because I like watching what you’ll do next.”
Their eyes met — challenge against control.
When he finally left the room, she searched desperately for a way out. In a drawer, she found a hidden phone. Her fingers trembled as she dialed her editor’s number.
“Please… pick up…” she whispered.
Someone answered — but it wasn’t her editor.
> “Careful, little journalist,” a man’s voice said softly. “You’re in the lion’s den.”
Her stomach twisted. “Who is this?”
> “Luca,” the voice replied. “Damien’s right hand. And maybe… your only chance to survive.”
The call ended before she could respond.
Heart pounding, she turned — and froze.
Damien was standing behind her, silent as a shadow. His gaze was unreadable, but dangerous.
“Looking for an escape route?” he asked calmly.
“I won’t stay here forever,” she snapped.
He stepped forward, catching her wrist — firm but not cruel. The heat of his touch startled her.
> “Next time you try to run,” he murmured, eyes locked on hers,
“I won’t tie you with silk.”
For a moment, neither of them moved. Her breath quickened. His voice dropped lower, softer.
> “You should fear me, Elena.”
She swallowed hard. “I don’t fear devils.”
He smiled darkly. “Then you’ve never truly met one.”
He turned and left, the scent of smoke lingering in the air.
Elena pressed her hand to her racing heart, whispering to herself—
> “I will find a way out… even if it kills me.”
But deep down, she already knew — her biggest danger wasn’t Damien Rossi’s prison.
It was him.
---
Would you like me to continue Episode 3 next — where Elena tries to escape, Luca traps her, and Damien saves her (showing his first sign of weakness)?
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
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