I barely slept.
The room they put me in looked like something from a luxury magazine.
Huge bed. Silk sheets. Floor-to-ceiling windows. A chandelier sparkling softly above.
But none of it mattered.
It was still a cage.
I sat on the edge of the bed, hugging my knees as the events of the night replayed in my mind.
Ryan sold me.
To a mafia king.
And that mafia king claimed the baby in my stomach was his.
My hand slowly moved to my belly.
"I'm so sorry," I whispered.
This child didn't deserve any of this.
Neither did I.
A sudden knock on the door made me jump.
Before I could answer, a maid stepped inside pushing a small cart of food.
"Good morning, miss," she said politely.
Morning?
Had I really stayed awake the entire night?
"Mr. Russo asked that you eat," she added.
My chest tightened at the name.
Dante Russo.
Even thinking about him made my heart beat faster.
"I'm not hungry," I muttered.
The maid looked uncomfortable but nodded.
"Very well."
She placed the tray on the table and quietly left.
The moment the door shut, my eyes moved toward it.
Unlocked.
My heart skipped.
Were they really that careless?
I stood slowly, listening carefully.
Silence.
No guards.
No voices.
Nothing.
My pulse began racing.
This might be my only chance.
Grabbing my purse from the chair, I tiptoed toward the door and opened it slowly.
The hallway was empty.
My breathing quickened.
Run.
I didn't hesitate.
Barefoot, I rushed down the hallway, turning corners randomly, praying I would find a staircase.
Finally I saw it.
Freedom.
I rushed down the steps and reached the main hall.
The giant front doors were right there.
So close.
My heart pounded wildly as I ran toward them and pushed.
They opened.
Fresh air rushed over me.
Relief exploded in my chest.
I made it.
But the moment I stepped outside—
A deep voice spoke behind me.
"Going somewhere?"
My entire body froze.
Slowly, I turned around.
Dante Russo stood a few feet away.
His dark eyes were fixed on me.
Calm.
Cold.
Like he had known this would happen all along.
My stomach dropped.
"How…" I whispered.
I looked around quickly.
Three guards stood near the gate.
Watching.
Waiting.
They hadn't stopped me.
They had let me run.
Dante took a slow step forward.
Then another.
Each movement was controlled… predatory.
"Did you really think," he said quietly, "you could walk out of my house without my permission?"
Fear crawled up my spine.
"I had to try," I said, my voice trembling.
He stopped in front of me.
Towering over me.
"You're brave," he admitted.
Then his expression hardened.
"But also very foolish."
My heart raced.
"I'm not staying here."
His gaze moved slowly down to my stomach.
"You are."
The possessiveness in his voice made my chest tighten.
"You can't force me!"
For the first time, irritation flickered in his eyes.
"Your boyfriend signed a legal contract," he said coldly.
"I don't care about his stupid contract!"
My voice cracked as anger finally broke through the fear.
"He had no right to sell me!"
Dante studied my face carefully.
For a moment… something softer passed through his expression.
But it disappeared quickly.
"You're right," he said.
I blinked in surprise.
He stepped closer.
"So I bought the debt instead."
My brows furrowed.
"What?"
His voice dropped lower.
"Ryan owed five million dollars."
My stomach twisted.
Dante slipped his hands into his pockets.
"I could have killed him."
The way he said it made it clear he meant every word.
"But instead…" he continued calmly, "I accepted his offer."
My chest tightened.
"You accepted me?"
"Yes."
My hands curled into fists.
"I'm not an object!"
His eyes darkened.
"No," he said quietly.
Then he leaned slightly closer.
"But the child you're carrying is my blood."
A shiver ran through me.
"And I protect what belongs to me."
The intensity in his voice made my heart race.
Before I could respond, one of his guards suddenly rushed forward.
"Boss!"
Dante's attention snapped toward him.
"What is it?"
The guard looked tense.
"Ryan Cole has been found."
The name hit me like a punch.
Ryan.
Dante's eyes turned dangerously cold.
"Where?"
The guard hesitated.
"At a casino downtown."
A deadly silence filled the air.
Then Dante looked back at me.
His gaze was darker than before.
"Perfect timing."
Fear crept into my chest.
"What are you going to do to him?"
Dante's lips curved slightly.
But there was no warmth in that smile.
Only danger.
"Something he'll never forget."
My stomach twisted.
And for the first time since arriving here…
I realized something terrifying.
Ryan might have betrayed me.
But the man standing in front of me was far more dangerous.
And now…
I was carrying his child.