The punishment did not come loudly.That was the first lesson.Adeline woke to silence so complete it rang in her ears. No footsteps beyond the door. No guards murmuring in the corridor. Even the distant hum of the villa felt muted, as if the house itself were holding its breath.She sat up slowly, dread pooling in her stomach.This was wrong.Donovan never allowed emptiness without purpose.***Hours passed.No food arrived.No Ethan.No summons.By evening, her anxiety had sharpened into something brittle. She paced the length of the room, nails digging into her palms, replaying Donovan's words from the night before.The closer she gets, the tighter her world becomes.A soft click sounded at the door.Adeline turned instantly.It opened—not for Ethan—but for a woman she had never seen before. She was older, expression blank, dressed simply."Follow me," the woman said.No explanation.No eye contact.—She led Adeline outside.The gardens looked different at night—less beautiful, more deliberate. Paths curved in ways that made escape feel theoretical. The air smelled of wet stone and trimmed leaves.They stopped at a small building near the edge of the estate.Adeline's steps slowed. "What is this place?"The woman didn't answer.Inside, the room was sparse. A table. A chair. A phone. Her phoneAdeline's heart skipped painfully.The phone rang once.She stared at it, afraid to move.She had seen the caller id and she felt a turmoil in her belly"Answer," the woman said.Her fingers trembled as she picked it up."Rory?" she breathed.A shaky exhale answered her. "Adel—oh my God—where have you been? I've been losing my mind."Relief and fear collided so violently Adeline had to sit down."I'm fine," she said quickly. Too quickly. "I'm safe."A lie.But Rory didn't need the truth."I shouldn't have asked questions," Rory rushed on. "People are scared, Adel. I didn't know—""Stop," Adeline said softly.The word came out sharper than she intended.There was a pause."Adel?"Adeline swallowed hard, eyes stinging. "You have to stop looking for me."Silence stretched."What?" Rory whispered."You have to forget this," Adeline continued, voice steady only through effort. "Delete my number. Stop asking questions. If anyone asks—you don't know where I am."Rory laughed weakly. "That's not funny.""It's not a joke."Fear crept into Rory's voice. "Did someone make you say this?"Adeline closed her eyes."Yes.But that didn't mean it wasn't true."If you care about me," Adeline said, forcing each word into place, "you will do exactly what I'm telling you."Another pause."I won't," Rory said quietly. "I can't."Adeline's chest tightened."Rory," she whispered, "please."The plea broke something.Rory's breath hitched. "Are you in danger?"Adeline looked toward the door.The woman stood there, unmoving."I'm alive," Adeline said. "That has to be enough."The line went dead.—The woman took the phone and left without a word.Adeline remained seated, hands clenched, vision blurred.She felt it then—the weight of the room, the intention behind the kindness.This had not been mercy.It had been control.—Donovan came for her later that night.He didn't enter the room at first. He stood in the doorway, watching her as if measuring the damage."You spoke to her," he said."Yes.""You did well."The praise felt like poison."You didn't let her hear fear," he continued. "You didn't tell her where you are. You protected her."Adeline looked up at him, eyes bright with unshed tears. "That was the point, wasn't it?"Donovan stepped inside and closed the door."The point," he said evenly, "was choice."Her voice trembled. "You took it from me.""No," he corrected. "I refined it."He stopped in front of her. Not close enough to touch."Now she lives," he said. "And now you understand the cost."Adeline shook her head slowly. "You're using her to break me."Donovan considered that."I'm using love," he replied. "It breaks faster."The words landed clean and cruel.He turned away then, as if the conversation were finished.As he reached the door, Adeline spoke."I hate you."Donovan paused.When he looked back, his expression was calm—almost gentle."No," he said. "You're attached to me."The door closed.Adeline slid down against the wall, breath shaking.She had wanted him to hurt her.Because she felt pain would have been easier than this.What Donovan had taken tonight was not her freedom.It was her certainty.And that was worse.
