Chapter 2: The Gilded Cage

The elevator ride was silent. It was not a silence. It was the kind of silence that happens before something bad happens. Elara looked at herself in the brass doors of the elevator. She looked like a ghost. Her eyes were empty. Her nerves were frayed. Julian Sterling stood beside her. He was a man with expensive clothes.

He did not look at her. He did not need to. He just stood there.

The doors opened with a sound. It felt like a warning that something bad was going to happen. They were not in the hospital anymore. They were on the "Executive Level". This place did not smell like a hospital. It smelled like flowers and clean air.

Julian said "Go in”. It was not a question.

He took her to an office with glass walls. The office looked out over the city. The city looked like a mess of lights.. From up high it looked pretty. Julian sat down at a desk made of black stone. He did not offer her a seat.

He pulled out a piece of paper from a leather folder. He slid it across the desk. "Read this and sign it" he said.

Elaras hands were shaking. She had to hold onto the desk to stay up. She looked at the paper. It was not a form. It was a contract.

She looked at one part of the contract. "What does this mean?" she asked. "It says I have to be available all the time".

Julian leaned back in his chair. He clicked his pen. The sound was loud in the room. "It means I own your time" he said. "You will live at my house. You will go to parties with me. You will do what I say".

Elara felt like laughing.. It was not a happy laugh. "You want me to be like a trophy" she said. ". I am not a trophy. I am a waitress. My mother is sick. I wear clothes".

Julian said "I do not need a trophy. I need someone to make my company think I am stable".

Elara was surprised. "You want me to pretend to be your fiancée?" she asked.

Julian said "I want you to do what I say. If you do your mother will get the care. If you do not she will not get anything".

Elara was shocked. Julian was a man. He did not care about her or her mother.

She asked "Why me? You could hire someone to do this".

Julian stood up. He walked over to her. He was very close. "You are desperate" he said. "You will do what I say because you have no choice".

He let go of her. Said "Sign the paper".

Elara looked at the pen. She thought about her mother. She thought about Julian. He was a man.. He had the power to help her mother.

She took the pen. Signed the paper.

Julian took the paper. Smiled. "Good" he said. "My driver will take you home. You have one hour to pack your things".

Elara said "Wait. What about my job? What about my things?".

Julian said "You do not have a job anymore. You have me. Now go".

Elara turned to leave.. She stopped. "Where is your house?" she asked.

Julian said "It is called Blackwood Manor. It is in the hills".

Elara felt scared. Blackwood Manor was a scary house. People did not go there.

Julian said "Remember. This is not a romance. This is a business deal. I do not love people. I use them".

Elara said "I am not a thing".. The door was already closing.

She got into the elevator. Her phone buzzed. It was a message from the hospital. Her mothers account was paid.

The elevator opened. A man was standing there. He was dressed in a suit. He looked worried.

"Ms. Vance?" he said. "There is a problem. Mr. Sterling did not tell you everything".

He showed her a tablet. It was her mothers chart.. There was something new, on the chart.

"What is this?" Elara asked. "What is Sterling-9?".

The man said "It is not a treatment. It is an experiment.. You just gave Mr. Sterling permission to do it".

The elevator started moving. It was going up. To the roof.