The car finally slowed to a stop after a thirty-minute journey that felt like forever.
My heart skipped.
I didn't want to look outside.
I didn't want to see where he had brought me.
But curiosity and fear forced my eyes toward the window.
And my breath caught.
We were standing in front of enormous black gates.
Tall iron bars stretched high into the air, like they were trying to block out the sky itself. Cameras were fixed at every corner, their red lights blinking silently.
It didn't look like the entrance to a home.
It looked like the entrance to a fortress.
Before I could even process it, the gates slowly opened.
The car rolled inside.
My heart started pounding harder with every second.
The driveway seemed endless.
The grass was trimmed so perfectly that it looked fake.
This place alone was bigger than my entire neighborhood.
Then the mansion came into full view.
And I stopped breathing.
It was massive.
Not a house.
Not even a mansion.
A palace.
Tall brown walls. Giant glass windows. Marble pillars. Golden lights glowing from every corner.
My entire home back on my street could probably fit inside this building five times.
The car finally stopped at the front entrance.
Men in black suits immediately approached and opened the doors.
Adrian stepped out calmly, adjusting his suit like he had just returned from a casual meeting—not from stealing someone's life.
Everything about him screamed control.
Power.
Authority.
I hesitated to step out of the car.
But what would that change?
Nothing.
So I stepped out slowly.
The ground beneath my cheap slippers felt too smooth, too clean.
Adrian was already walking toward the entrance without looking back.
Like he knew everyone would follow him.
Like the world naturally moved for him.
The giant doors opened before he even reached them.
Two house helpers pulled them apart respectfully.
And the moment he stepped inside—
Everyone bowed.
"Welcome back, sir."
Their voices echoed together.
Security guards.
Maids.
House staff.
At least ten of them stood in a perfect line.
All greeting him.
Some glanced at me, their eyes filled with curiosity.
Heat rushed to my face.
I wished the ground would open and swallow me whole.
Inside, the house was even more terrifying.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling like diamonds.
A grand staircase curved upward like something from a royal movie.
Paintings covered the walls—the kind you only saw in museums.
Everything sparkled.
Everything looked expensive.
I was scared to even touch anything.
Even when my father's business was still flourishing, we could never have afforded something like this.
This house alone was probably worth more than my father's entire life.
Suddenly, Adrian stopped walking.
I almost bumped into him.
He turned slightly, his cold eyes landing on me.
"You live here now," he said quietly.
Just four words.
But they felt heavier than chains.
My throat tightened.
"I… I don't want to. I want to go home. I promise I'll get you your money."
He didn't react.
Didn't soften.
Didn't care.
"You don't get to choose. You will stay here until I decide what to do with you."
My heart dropped.
He turned to one of the maids.
"Take her to her room."
"This way, miss," the maid said politely.
"Miss."
The word sounded strangely respectful.
I followed her upstairs.
Every step took me farther away from the only home I had ever known.
The maid stopped in front of a tall double door and opened it.
"This is your room, miss."
I stepped inside.
And froze.
The room was enormous.
Not just big — huge.
A king-sized bed sat in the center, covered with soft white sheets that looked too expensive to even touch,The walls were painted a warm ivory with elegant gold details running along the edges. A couch rested near the window. There was a dressing table, a bookshelf, even a small sitting area. It looked like something from a luxury hotel.
"If you need anything, miss, please let me know," she said gently.
She turned to leave.
"Mi—Miss," I called out quickly.
She paused.
"I… I think this can't be my room. How can this room be my room?"
She gave me a small, calm smile.
"Call me Solena. This is your room, miss. I'm not mistaken."
Before I could argue again, she bowed slightly and walked out.
The door closed quietly behind her.
Silence filled the room.
Then I noticed another door.
I opened it.
My eyes widened.
A walk-in closet.
Rows and rows of clothes filled the shelves,Shoes were arranged neatly along the bottom shelves, while handbags occupied the glass cabinets above them.
I stood there alone, turning slowly in circles, staring at everything.
The bed, the curtains,the furniture.
Everything looked too clean.
Too perfect.
Too expensive.
My chest tightened,how could this be my room?
How could Adrian let me stay in a place like this?
I owed him sixty million naira.
Sixty million.
Shouldn't I be locked somewhere downstairs?
Some small servant's room?
Not here.
This didn't make sense.
I was supposed to be paying for what I owed, not living in luxury.
He had taken me like collateral… so why was he treating me like a guest?
I walked around slowly, touching the edge of the table, the soft sheets, the curtains.
Even one pillow here probably cost more than everything in my house.
My head felt heavy.
Why was he doing this?
What did he really want from me?
Did the maid make a mistake?
And then—
Click.
The sound of the door opening.
My heart stopped.
⸻
Adrian pov
I watched her disappear up the stairs.
Slow steps.
Heavy.
Like each one cost her strength.
She didn't look back.
Didn't speak.
Didn't fight anymore.
Just… walked.
Like someone walking toward a sentence she couldn't escape.
Her shoulders were stiff.
Small.
Fragile.
Sad.
That expression on her face…
It lingered longer than it should have.
Like I had taken something from her that could never be returned.
So why did she look like I had ruined her life?
Why did that thought bother me?
I looked away first.
Emotions were useless, Dangerous,They made men weak.
And I didn't build an empire by being weak.
The staff were still standing nearby, waiting for further instructions.
"Dismissed."
They scattered immediately.
I adjusted my cuffs and walked toward my study.
Nuran followed behind without a word.
Inside, he placed a black folder on my desk.
"Documents requiring your signature, sir."
I opened the folder and began signing the documents.
"And tomorrow's schedule?"
"Two meetings. Nine a.m. with the board. Noon with the Korean investors."
"I'll attend both."
"Yes, sir."
He took the folder and stepped out quietly, closing the door behind him.
Now I was alone.
But the silence felt heavier than usual.
My eyes drifted toward the window,Then toward the ceiling.
Before my mind could start asking questions I didn't want answers to, my feet were already moving.
Upstairs.
To her.