A Cage Wrapped in Silk

Seraphina stirred, her brows pinching before her eyes fluttered open. Bright sunlight spilled through thick beige curtains, casting golden bars across the unfamiliar ceiling. She blinked. Once! Twice!! Her body stiffened.

The scent of wood polish and clean linen filled the room, too refined, too calculated. Her hand gripped the plush duvet. It wasn't the one she had slept in with Vincenzo.

She sat up sharply.

The mattress cradled her too well. The sheets felt like luxury cotton. Even the air…it had the crispness of filtered ventilation, a sterile chill that didn’t belong to her world.

“Where am I?” she whispered to herself, her voice cracking.

She bolted to the window and yanked the curtain aside. Her breath hitched. Below, the world looked miniature. Cars like ants, distant voices muffled by the altitude. A steel gate with armed guards, rifles slung across their shoulders stood like statues at the perimeter.

She rattled the window handles, it was locked.

She ran to the door. It was also locked.

Bam! Bam!! Bam!!!

“Somebody get me out of here!” she screamed, her fists slamming hard against the wooden door. “What the hell is this?!”

Silence answered her.

Then with a click. The sound of a key turning made her jolt backward. She held her breath. The handle twisted, and the heavy door opened with eerie grace.

In walked a woman, tall, elegant, terrifying in her calm. Her hair was tied into a tight bun. In one hand she held a tablet, in the other, nothing.

“Good morning, Miss Hills,” she said smoothly. “I’m Emily, I’m here to assist with your adaptation.”

“Adaptation?” Seraphina snapped. “What am I, a wild mutt to be tamed?”

“This is one of Mr. Vincenzo De Luca’s private wings, he’s arranged for you to stay here. Safely, until the wedding.”

“Wedding,” she whispered. Her stomach turned. “You mean that circus he’s forcing me into?”

“Mr. De Luca apologized for the delay, he promised to get married to you in three days.”

Seraphina’s heart punched against her ribs. “Fuck him and his stupid wedding and tell him this is kidnapping!”

Emily didn’t blink. “Legally, it isn’t. The agreement was sealed. All necessary documents are signed.”

She handed Seraphina the tablet. On it was a contract. A digital signature. A photo of her standing beside Vincenzo….smiling. Her fingers trembled as she scrolled through the pages.

Her voice dropped. “This isn’t the paperwork I signed.”

Emily tilted her head slightly. “You were employed as Mr. De Luca’s personal assistant, right?”

“Yes,” Seraphina said slowly. “So?”

“So the initial documents you signed were employment-related. This” Emily gestured to the tablet….“was added through a clause... or two.”

Seraphina’s nostrils flared. “You forged this.”

“Mr. De Luca manages the details thoroughly, Miss Hills. If your signature is there, it is because it needed to be.”

The rage built in her gut. “Tell your boss he can go to hell. And take this circus wedding with him.”

She hurled the tablet. It crashed against the wall, shattering into a rain of glass and metal.

Emily sighed. “You’ll regret that. The tailor will be here soon to take your measurements. The dress must be ready in three days.”

“Get out.”

“As you wish,” Emily said without fear. “But don’t be surprised when the punishment follows.”

The door clicked behind her, locked once again.

Seraphina sank onto the cold floor, gripping her knees. Her thoughts raced to the only person she cared about…. Jarvis.

‘How was he now?’

‘Had Vincenzo already found him?’

She closed her eyes tightly. ‘Please, God, let him be safe.’

Across the city, the skyline glimmered through the massive glass wall of Vincenzo De Luca’s office. He stood with his back to the door, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other holding a short glass of bourbon.

His eyes moved slowly across the horizon, following the trail of his men below like a predator watching his territory.

Matthew entered without a word. He placed a black folder on the desk and stood quietly.

Vincenzo didn’t turn. “Speak.”

Matthew hesitated. “She’s resisting, boss. She has refused to eat.”

Vincenzo’s jaw flexed. He brought the glass to his lips, letting the liquor sting down his throat. Then he exhaled through his nose slowly.

Matthew frowned. “But she’s not afraid, not even a little.”

His fingers flexed. The bourbon glass on the table remained untouched.

“I don’t want her afraid,” he muttered. “I want her to be aware; I want her to know she can scream, cry, claw at the walls….and still, no one will save her. She dare betray me.”

Matthew cleared his throat, unsure. “Judging from her character, it’s obvious she... doesn’t know where she was.”

“She doesn’t need to,” Vincenzo murmured, stepping closer to the desk. His fingers grazed the folder, and then curled into a fist. “I moved her because she ran. Not once did she come to me with the truth. If I leave her at the mansion, she’ll still find a way to escape before I get back from this meeting.” A cruel smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. His eyes darkened.

Matthew swallowed. “Maybe she was confused, sir. It wasn’t…..”

“She made a choice.” Vincenzo’s voice hardened. I trusted her, but she let herself be used. She lied to me and acted like I was some fool.”

He chuckled under his breath, but there was no humor in it….just darkness.

His eyes glinted with obsession as he whispered, “She has been mine since the day I saw her picture. And now... I’ll remind her.”

The room went silent for a beat.

Then Vincenzo glanced sideways, his jaw tense, nostrils flaring slightly. “Let the guards rotate. Nobody enters her wing but Emily. I don’t want interruptions until the wedding.”

“Yes, boss.”

**********

By evening, Emily had returned to the penthouse suite. A silver tray of grilled fish, potatoes, and wine sat balanced in her hands.

Seraphina hadn’t moved from the window. Her arms were folded, her chin lifted defiantly as Emily set the food down.

“I’m not eating.”

“You’ll need strength for tomorrow,” Emily said mildly. “The stylist arrives. He dislikes working with weak clients.”

Seraphina turned slowly, walking toward the table. “Do you think if I bash this plate across your skull, he’ll reschedule?”

Emily’s smile was subtle but cold. “Mr. De Luca has many ways to silence disobedience. He’s shown you mercy so far. That should count for something.”

Seraphina stared at her. “That’s mercy? Locking me in like a damn prisoner, asking me to sleep without a duvet last night and moving me to an unknown place? God, how much sedation does that bastard inject in me?”

“Could’ve been worse,” Emily replied, folding her hands. “He could have left you with nothing. Instead, you’re getting a custom dress, elite cuisine, and round-the-clock protection. Some women would trade their lives for your position.”

“Then you marry him.”

Emily chuckled softly. “He doesn’t want me. He wants you.”

Seraphina’s throat tightened. For a moment, she hated how that made her feel.

“I’ve never seen you before,” Seraphina said, narrowing her gaze. “You’re not one of the staff I knew.”

“I was away in Ethiopia for corporate expansion,” Emily explained. “I returned yesterday after your little... escape. And then here I am with you in the state.”

Seraphina’s pulse quickened. “So... he moved me to the state?”

Emily nodded, calm as ever. “After what happened, Mr. De Luca relocated you here.”

Seraphina’s stomach dropped.

*******

After Emily left, Seraphina finally gave in. She devoured the food in silence, swallowing hard, wiping tears with the back of her hand. She didn’t want to eat. But she didn’t want to faint in front of that damn stylist tomorrow either.

When she finished, she looked at her reflection in the mirror above the dresser. Her eyes were tired. Her lips pale. She raised her chin.

“You won’t break me, De Luca.”

But deep inside her chest, a small voice whispered….. ‘What if he already has?’