A New Prison

I stood at the entrance of the Levi mansion, the towering structure casting a shadow over me that seemed to swallow every ounce of light. The grandiose double doors that had once seemed to promise safety now felt like the mouth of some deep, hungry abyss, waiting to consume me whole.

As Vee led me through the grand hall, I couldn’t help but notice the stark difference between the mansion’s imposing exterior and its lavish interior. The floors were polished to a mirror finish, gleaming in the flickering light of a dozen ornate chandeliers. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries and priceless works of art, but none of it made me feel safe. It all felt… wrong. Every inch of it screamed power, control, and isolation.

Vee walked ahead of me without looking back, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor. Her silence made my pulse race. I wanted to speak, to ask questions, but what was the point? What could I say that would change anything?

The door to my new room was heavy, and the handle felt cold in my grasp. As I stepped inside, my breath caught in my throat. The room was vast, almost too much for one person. A massive bed dominated the center, the sheets made of silk so fine they almost seemed to shimmer in the dim light. The walls were lined with shelves, bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes that looked as though they hadn’t been touched in years.

But none of it mattered. Not the opulent furnishings or the fine rugs that covered the polished wood floors. It was a gilded cage, and I was the prisoner.

Vee stepped inside after me, her eyes scanning the room as though she were inspecting a new possession. “This will be your home now,” she said, her voice smooth but with an edge of authority that made it clear there was no room for defiance.

“What if I don’t want it?” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “What if I don’t want to stay here?”

She met my gaze evenly, her expression unreadable. “You don’t have a choice.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but the words caught in my throat. I knew she was right. I had no choice. Alexander Levi had made sure of that. My father’s debt had sealed my fate.

“I’m not a prisoner,” I muttered under my breath, though even I didn’t believe it.

“Think of it however you like,” Vee said with a shrug. “But this is your life now. You’ll learn the rules soon enough.”

I wanted to say something—anything—to challenge her, to tell her that I would fight back, that I wasn’t like the others who had likely bowed to the Levi family’s power. But deep down, I knew it was pointless. This was bigger than me. It was always going to be bigger than me.

With a final look around the room, Vee turned on her heel and walked toward the door. “I’ll leave you to get settled. Don’t leave this room. There are eyes everywhere.”

As the door clicked shut behind her, I was left in silence. The weight of my new reality pressed down on me like a suffocating blanket. I had no idea how I was going to get out of this. I didn’t know who to trust, and I certainly didn’t know how to fight back against someone like Alexander Levi.

But I would. Somehow.

I moved to the large window that stretched across one wall, pulling back the thick velvet curtain to peer outside. The view took my breath away—lush gardens that seemed to go on forever, a dark pool shimmering in the moonlight, and beyond that, the towering trees that made the mansion feel even more isolated.

There was no escape. The gates that had once opened for me were now closed. The only way out was through Alexander’s control, and I had no idea how I could make that happen.

I ran a trembling hand through my hair, the weight of the situation sinking in deeper with each passing moment. I didn’t belong here. This wasn’t my world.

A knock at the door startled me, making my heart leap into my throat. I glanced nervously at the door before crossing the room to open it.

It was Vee again, holding a tray with what looked like dinner. “Eat. You’ll need your strength for what comes next.”

“I’m not hungry,” I said, crossing my arms.

She didn’t flinch. “You will be. Eventually. I suggest you eat. Alexander doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

I stiffened at the mention of his name. There was something in her tone, a subtle warning that made me uneasy.

“Fine,” I said, my voice low. “Leave it on the table.”

Without a word, Vee placed the tray on the table and turned to leave, but as she reached the door, she paused. “And don’t get any ideas,” she added, her voice tinged with warning. “If you try to run again, you won’t be so lucky next time.”

I opened my mouth to ask what she meant by that, but she was already gone, leaving me in the dimly lit room, her threat hanging in the air.

I stood there for a moment, my mind racing. Run? Had there been someone else? Had someone else tried to escape from this place before me?

The thought gnawed at me, but there was no time to dwell on it. I had to focus. Focus on how I would survive here, how I could regain control of my life before it was too late.

I approached the tray, not because I was hungry, but because I needed to keep my strength up. If I was going to get out of here, I needed to be sharp. I couldn’t afford to get weak or complacent.

I sat at the table and pushed the food around on the plate, pretending to eat as I gathered my thoughts. I needed a plan.

The room was silent, but every so often, I would catch a glimpse of something from the corner of my eye—a shadow moving just outside the window, a sound from the hall.

It was as if I wasn’t alone.

I stood up quickly, my pulse racing, but the room remained empty. It was just my imagination, or so I told myself.

I walked over to the window, staring out into the garden. Maybe there was a way out after all. The mansion’s walls were high, but they weren’t impenetrable. There had to be a weakness, a crack in the system that I could exploit.

But then, something caught my eye—a figure standing near the garden gate, watching the mansion.

I froze.

The figure didn’t move, but I could feel the weight of their gaze on me.

Was someone else watching me?

Suddenly, the figure took a step forward, disappearing into the shadows. I blinked, unsure if I had seen what I thought I had.

I turned away from the window, my heart thundering in my chest.

But just as I was about to walk back to the bed, I heard a sound—a soft knock at the door.

My breath caught in my throat. This wasn’t Vee.

I stood frozen, my mind racing. Who was it? And what did they want?

I took a tentative step toward the door, but as my hand reached for the handle, the sound of the door creaking open made my blood run cold.

It wasn’t locked.

The door swung open slowly, revealing a tall, imposing figure standing in the doorway.

I gasped, my heart skipping a beat.

It was Alexander.