Chapter 5: The Devil’s Game

Lila

I didn’t sleep that night. I couldn’t.

The feeling of Maximus’s eyes on me, his words echoing in my mind, haunted me in the darkness. No matter how much I told myself I wasn’t his, I wasn’t his puppet, something deep inside me kept pulling me toward him. I hated it. I hated the way his presence affected me, how every part of me screamed to escape him, yet I was still here, caught in his world.

I didn’t know how long I lay awake, staring at the ceiling, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me. My entire life had been about survival—about making it through every day without letting anyone control me. And now, here I was, in the clutches of the one man I couldn’t escape.

I refused to give in. But the longer I stayed here, the harder it was to tell myself that.

---

The next morning, I woke up in the cold, sterile room that felt more like a cage than a place to sleep. The luxury didn’t mean anything to me. It was just walls and silence, with the occasional sound of footsteps outside. Maximus had given me a key card, and told me to stay inside until he came for me. But I wasn’t about to be trapped like that.

I spent the next few hours pacing around the room, my frustration growing. I couldn’t just sit here. I couldn’t let him win. He didn’t own me. Not yet.

I gathered all the courage I had left and headed for the door.

---

As I stepped into the hallway, the weight of the mansion felt heavier. Every step I took echoed off the marble floors, the sound of my own footsteps making me feel even more isolated. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but I knew I couldn’t stay locked in that room.

I walked aimlessly, my mind racing with thoughts of escape, when I heard a voice behind me.

“Trying to run again, Lila?” Maximus’s voice was low, calm, almost too calm. I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. I should have known better than to think I could escape him, but the need for freedom pushed me forward.

I turned to face him, my back stiff and my jaw clenched. “I’m not your prisoner, Maximus.”

He stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. “You think you can just walk out of here, Lila? Like I won’t know?” His tone was cold, but there was something else in it—something darker.

I didn’t back down. “You can’t keep me locked up forever.”

Maximus smirked, his gaze assessing me. “You’re already here, Lila. You already belong to me. Whether you want to admit it or not.”

His words cut through me like a blade. The confidence in his voice made me want to scream, but instead, I gritted my teeth. I wasn’t going to let him break me.

“You’re wrong,” I snapped, my voice strong despite the fear running through my veins. “I don’t belong to anyone. Least of all you.”

Maximus didn’t seem bothered by my resistance. If anything, it only seemed to amuse him. He took another step toward me, his eyes never leaving mine.

“You’re wrong, Lila. You’re in my world now. There’s no escape from that.”

I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing how much his words affected me. But the truth was, I was scared. Scared of him, scared of what he might do next.

Before I could respond, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist with a force that made my heart skip. He pulled me closer, and I felt the heat of his body against mine. His grip was firm but not painful, and the way he held me felt almost... possessive.

“You belong to me, Lila,” he repeated, his voice a low growl, sending a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to tremble. I wanted to push him away, wanted to escape, but something inside me froze. I didn’t know if it was fear, or something else—something deeper, something darker.

“Let go of me.” I managed to say, but it came out weaker than I wanted.

Maximus smirked again, his grip tightening for a moment before he let go. He stepped back, his eyes still locked on me, studying me like I was the only thing that mattered.

“You can fight it all you want, Lila,” he said softly, his words dripping with dark amusement. “But you’ll never escape me. Not now.”

He turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, my body trembling with a mix of anger and something I couldn’t name.

---

Later that evening, I was escorted into a lavish dining room, where Maximus was already seated at the head of the table. His presence was commanding, even in a room full of people. The mafia men who worked for him were scattered around the table, speaking in low voices, their eyes occasionally flicking toward me.

Maximus motioned for me to sit beside him. I hesitated, but the look in his eyes told me I had no choice.

As I sat down, I tried to keep my distance, but it wasn’t easy with him sitting so close. His scent—the familiar mixture of power, danger, and something else—clung to the air around me.

The meal passed in silence, the only sound the clinking of silverware against plates. Maximus didn’t speak much, but his presence was enough to make everyone else stay in line. The tension in the room was palpable, and I could feel it pressing down on me, suffocating me with every passing second.

When the meal was over, Maximus turned to me. “You’re staying with me tonight,” he said, his tone final.

I opened my mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it, Lila. You’re not going anywhere. Not yet.”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.

I was trapped, and I knew it.