공유

VELVET CAGE

작가: Lizzy
last update 최신 업데이트: 2025-08-01 16:28:20

The garden was quiet again.

Too quiet.

Aria stood near the old fountain, its once-lively waters now nothing but a trickle, worn down by time or neglect—she didn’t know which. The vines curled around the stone like they were trying to suffocate it, and somehow, that felt like a metaphor for everything.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been standing there. Minutes? Hours? The bruised sky above had gone from dusty lavender to an indigo so deep it looked like it could swallow her whole.

She wanted it to.

But then—

“Aria.”

His voice.

Always him.

Always the ghost she could never quite outrun.

She turned slowly, already knowing who she’d see before she saw him.

Luciano stood in the shadows of the colonnade, sleeves rolled, tie discarded, hair a little messier than usual. He looked too human like that. Like someone who could bleed. Like someone who might even have a heart.

Too bad she knew better.

“You followed me,” she said, tone flat.

He didn’t answer immediately, just stepped closer until mo
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  • BOUGHT,TAMED AND TAKEN    A NEW BEGINNING

    The wind was sharp, cutting through the night as I stumbled through narrow alleyways. My breath came in ragged gasps. Behind me, I could still hear chaos — shouting, footsteps, the muffled sound of gunfire fading but never disappearing entirely.Luciano’s words echoed in my mind: Go. Survive. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. His voice had been strained, almost broken when he pushed me away, and I couldn’t stop thinking about what it meant. He had stayed behind. He had fought. And now… I was alone.I clutched my coat tighter around me, as if it could shield me from what was coming. My chest ached, not just from running, but from the weight of everything I was leaving behind. My home. My past. Luciano.Somewhere ahead, the street split into silence. I paused, chest heaving, and leaned against the wall. My legs felt heavy, trembling under me. I had no plan. No safe place. No one to turn to. And yet, something deep inside me whispered that I had to keep moving.The sound of boots dr

  • BOUGHT,TAMED AND TAKEN    FRACTURED SHADOWS

    The night was filled with cold, and the air smelled of smoke and iron. I could hear the faint hum of the city far away, but here, in the safe house Luciano had chosen, there was nothing but quiet — except for the low sound of my own breathing.Luciano sat across from me, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together. His eyes were fixed somewhere beyond me, as if he was wrestling with something far deeper than what I could see. The lines on his face were sharper now, his usual calm replaced by something raw and unsettled.“I need answers,” I said softly, breaking the silence.He turned his gaze to me slowly, as though weighing whether to give them. “Not all truths bring freedom, Aria. Some bring chains.”“I don’t care,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “You owe me the truth. About my father. About all of this.”He stayed quiet for a long moment, then finally spoke. “Your father… he made choices that could never be undone. Choices that drew us into a war neither of us wanted.

  • BOUGHT,TAMED AND TAKEN    INTO THE UNKNOWN

    The place they had brought me to was quiet. Too quiet. A small house at the edge of the city, hidden behind tall hedges and crumbling walls. It looked abandoned at first glance, but the lights in the windows told a different story. Someone was inside. Someone waiting.Marco opened the door without knocking. He led me inside without speaking. I followed, carrying my bag loosely at my side.The air inside smelled faintly of lavender and dust. The walls were bare, except for an old clock on the mantelpiece. The sound of its ticking filled the silence between us.“Where am I?” I asked finally, my voice soft.“You’re safe,” Marco said. “For now. This is where Luciano told me to bring you.”I stared at him, trying to read the meaning in his words. But he didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he set my bag down and moved toward the door.“I’ll check the perimeter,” he said quietly. “Don’t come out until I say.”Before I could answer, he was gone, leaving me alone in the house.I wandered through the

  • BOUGHT,TAMED AND TAKEN    FRACTURED LOYALTIES

    The air was filled with tension, heavier than smoke after a fire. Luciano hadn’t spoken since we left the warehouse. His silence was not peaceful — it was dangerous. Every so often, I caught him clenching his jaw, his hands curling into fists at his sides.I kept my eyes on the road as we drove in silence. The city lights flickered past the tinted windows, a blur of gold and gray. My mind was still tangled in the revelation from the other night. My father alive… my father having sold me… the truth that Luciano carried like a wound he wouldn’t let anyone touch.I wanted to ask him so many questions. But every time I opened my mouth, the words died in my throat.Finally, Luciano broke the silence. His voice was low, measured. “You think you know everything about me, Aria. But you don’t.”I kept my gaze forward. “Then tell me.” My voice was softer than I expected, almost a whisper.“No,” he said sharply. “Not yet. There are things you are not ready to hear. Things that could destroy you.

  • BOUGHT,TAMED AND TAKEN    SHADOWS RISING

    The morning light came soft and grey through the small window. I woke to silence. The kind of silence that felt heavy, like the air itself was holding its breath. Outside, the trees were still wet from last night’s rain. The lake glimmered faintly, its surface trembling with a slow breeze.I lay still for a moment, listening to the quiet. Somewhere far off, a bird cried. Marco was gone. I didn’t know where. Part of me wanted to leave the bed and search for him, but another part wanted to stay wrapped in the warm blankets, avoiding the truth I already feared.Eventually, I stepped out of bed. The floor was cold under my feet. I moved to the window and looked out. The world beyond the trees felt distant, as though I was inside a bubble. But I knew it wasn’t safe.Downstairs, the kitchen smelled faintly of coffee. A small cup sat on the table, steam curling upward. Marco was there, leaning against the counter, staring at the wall. He didn’t notice me at first.“You’re awake,” he said qui

  • BOUGHT,TAMED AND TAKEN    BREAKING TIES

    The cabin felt smaller than I expected. The walls were bare wood, and the air smelled faintly of moss and damp earth. Outside, rain still fell quietly, pattering against the roof in soft, uneven taps. I sat by the fire, watching the glow flicker across the walls. My hands wrapped around the mug Marco had given me, but I wasn’t drinking.Marco moved quietly, unpacking a small bag near the door. He didn’t look at me. His silence made the air heavier.Finally, he spoke. “You need to understand something. You can’t go back.”I looked at him sharply. “What do you mean?”He kept his voice low. “Luciano sent you away for a reason. He can’t protect you now. You have enemies… powerful ones. And if they find you, there will be no safe place left.”My throat tightened. “And you know this for certain?”He nodded once. “I do. I’ve seen them before. And I’ve seen what they leave behind.”The silence between us grew heavier. Outside, the wind rose, rattling the windows. My mind went back to the past

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