LOGINA dull throbbing pulsed through my head as I groaned softly and forced my eyes open. For a few seconds, everything looked blurry as the ceiling above me slowly sharpened into view and confusion settled heavily inside my chest.My room.I was back in my room.I pushed myself upward too quickly and instantly regretted it when dizziness slammed into me again.“Jesus,” I whispered while pressing my fingers against my temple.Memories returned slowly after that. The surveillance room. The monitors. The woman in the video. The darkness.And him.My heartbeat stumbled violently. That voice beside me hadn’t come from speakers this time. It had been real. Close enough for me to feel breath against my skin.I looked around the room immediately.Empty.The curtains were partly open now, allowing pale morning light to spill across the floor. Nothing looked out of place. Everything appeared calm.A strange discomfort crawled slowly beneath my skin as realization settled heavily inside me.Someone
The door creaked open slowly and the sound alone sent chills crawling down my spine.Mrs. Laurent stood behind me breathing hard enough to make me turn slightly toward her again.I had never seen her look unsettled since I got here. But now? The woman genuinely looked afraid.“Miss Glen,” she said sharply. “Step away from the room.”Too late for that now. Curiosity had already grabbed me by the throat.I pushed the door wider open slowly while dust drifted visibly through the air. The smell hit me first.Old.My flashlight swept across the darkness carefully and my breath caught immediately.Monitors. Dozens of them.My eyes widened slowly.“What the hell…”The room looked massive inside. Far bigger than I expected.Old desks stretched across the walls carrying computer systems, tangled wires, blinking lights and screens everywhere.Some were switched off while others flickered quietly.Mrs. Laurent stepped beside me quickly.“You shouldn’t be here.”I barely heard her because my brai
The night passed on sluggishly. It’d taken me a while to fall asleep, considering the fact that it was a new environment.I also had to change and call Elena after to let her know I was okay and it’ll take a while before I got back.She tried to emotionally blackmail me to speak but I frustrated her enough to hang the call with a flat ‘love you’ from her.As my eyes, adjusted to the lights, for a few seconds, I genuinely forgot where I was.The bed beneath me felt too soft. The blankets smelled expensive. Even the air felt cleaner somehow. Then slowly, the memories returned.The mansion, the cameras, Adrian’s voice, the contract. The fact that I had willingly moved into a rich man’s surveillance dungeon for money.“Fantastic decisions all around.” I muttered into the pillow.A soft knock came from the door and I sat up immediately.“Come in?” I said.The door opened smoothly and Mrs. Laurent stepped inside carrying a tray. Of course she did.This woman appeared so quietly I was beginn
“Welcome home, Amara.” I literally felt chills in my whole body. And I desperately searched round for the source of the voice, hoping I’d catch him. But I was sorely disappointed. The voice disappeared immediately after that. My heartbeat suddenly felt too loud inside my chest. My eyes moved instinctively toward the small cameras hidden in the corners. Victor continued walking like nothing had happened. Like mysterious billionaire voices speaking through invisible speakers was completely normal behavior. I huffed a breath, moving a strand of hair from my mouth as I stood straighter. Psychopaths. Both of them. I hurried after him quickly. “Wait.” Victor slowed slightly. “That’s it?” I whispered harshly. “That’s all he says?” “For now.” I frowned. “Where is he?” “Working.” “That’s not an answer.” “It’s the only one I can give.” I glanced around again uneasily as we walked deeper into the mansion. Everything looked too perfect. The floors gleamed beneath soft lights whi
I almost didn’t go. That was the embarrassing truth. After agreeing to meet Victor Hale, I spent nearly forty minutes standing in front of Elena’s mirror questioning every life decision that had brought me there. Including the decision to trust a rich lawyer with serial killer vibes. “You’re actually doing this.” I whispered to my reflection. My reflection looked equally concerned. I had changed outfits three times already. The first dress made me look like I was trying too hard. The second made me look like I sold illegal substances behind clubs. The third one, the black long sleeved top and jeans I finally settled on, at least made me look normal. Well, as normal as a woman going to discuss contract marriage terms with a stranger could look. Elena was still at work thankfully, which meant I didn’t have to explain why I was leaving the apartment dressed like I was preparing for a nervous breakdown. I grabbed my small purse from the bed before staring at myself one last time.
Two days.Two whole days and the card still sat in my room like some cursed object waiting to ruin my life.Honestly, maybe it already had.I stared at it through the reflection of my mirror while sitting on my bed, my oversized shirt slipping slightly off one shoulder.Victor Hale. Corporate Lawyer.The black card rested between my fingers as I turned it over slowly for probably the hundredth time that day.Nothing about it looked fake.Trust rich people to make even business cards intimidating. I sighed and dropped backward onto the mattress dramatically before holding the card above my face.“What kind of rich psychopath hires a wife through a lawyer?” I muttered.The ceiling obviously didn’t answer.Outside my window, the city buzzed faintly with evening life. Car horns echoed from down the street while music blasted somewhere in the neighborhood. Meanwhile I was sitting in my tiny room considering whether or not to call a mysterious lawyer offering me a contract marriage.God.I







