7. The Rules of Survival

Seraphina had expected a mansion full of chaos, the kind of place where criminals gathered to plan their next move. But Adrian Montclair’s world was nothing like the crime movies she had seen. His estate wasn’t just a house; it was a fortress, massive and imposing, nestled on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by high walls and security that made escape seem impossible.

The first thing she noticed was the silence. Despite its size, the mansion wasn’t filled with the usual liveliness of a home. There were no children running through the halls, no idle chatter. The crew was present but disciplined, moving with purpose, as if every moment had a function. Even the maids who arrived every morning left before nightfall. By sunset, only Adrian’s people remained.

Adrian led her inside, his sharp gaze was all over her. The grand entrance boasted a massive chandelier, dripping with crystal, reflecting light across marble floors polished to perfection. A staircase curled up to the second floor, its golden railings gleaming under the dim lights. Art pieces hung on the walls. There was no doubt this was the home of someone who controlled everything within its walls.

"Listen carefully, Seraphina," Adrian finally spoke, turning to face her. "There are rules you will follow if you intend to stay here. Break them, and we will have problems."

Her throat tightened, but she nodded, folding her arms. "What are they?"

He took a step closer, his presence consuming the space between them. "First, you do not tell anyone that you live here. As far as the world knows, you disappeared. Keep it that way."

Seraphina swallowed hard. That was expected, but hearing it out loud made it real.

"Second," he continued, "you do not leave this mansion without my consent. I don’t care if you want to take a walk or breathe fresh air—you ask me first."

She clenched her fists. "You can’t keep me locked up forever. What about school?"

He smirked, unaffected by her defiance. "Prove you can follow the rules, and maybe we’ll talk about freedom. Of course, you will go to school though."

His eyes darkened slightly, but he moved on. "Third, you will train with my crew according to a strict schedule. You’ll be assigned lessons—combat, strategy, intelligence. Everything you need to survive. And every Friday night, you’ll play chess with me."

She raised a brow. "Chess?"

Adrian nodded. "You win against me, you earn your freedom total freedom from this house."

Seraphina stared at him. Chess had always been a game of patience, intelligence, and control. If he thought she would be easy to break, he had another thing coming.

"Lastly," he said, "you need to stop living in your past. You won’t survive here if you keep holding onto your memories. I’ll help with that."

He motioned to a nearby table stacked with books; psychology, philosophy, strategy. Titles on mental resilience, survival, and war. It was overwhelming.

She took a deep breath. "And what do you want in return?"

His expression didn’t change. "I’ll let you know when the time comes."

***

The days blurred into a new reality. The mansion, despite its beauty, felt like a gilded cage. She trained hard, waking before dawn to follow a brutal schedule set by Adrian’s crew. They weren’t unkind, but they weren’t easy on her either. She struggled at first, her body aching, her mind resisting, but giving up was no longer an option.

Eve, a former hacker turned intelligence specialist, was the first to offer something close to friendship. Seraphina found comfort in her presence, the way she spoke in hushed tones yet carried an air of quiet authority. One evening, while struggling with a hacking assignment Eve had given her, Seraphina sighed heavily, rubbing her temples.

"You overthink things," Eve commented, sliding into the seat beside her. "That’s your problem."

Seraphina frowned. "I’m just trying to understand it."

Eve smirked. "You’re not supposed to understand everything. You’re supposed to find a way around it."

She tapped a few keys, and the locked file on the screen opened instantly. Seraphina gaped at her.

"You’ll get there," Eve said, leaning back. "Just stop trying so hard to be perfect."

It was the first time someone had told her that in a way that didn’t feel like an insult.

*****

As the days passed, Seraphina started to feel the shift. The house was still cold, still structured, but she was learning. The crew watched her with curiosity, some testing her limits, others waiting to see if she would break.

And Adrian… Adrian remained an enigma. Always watching and waiting.

Then came the night of their first chess game.

She sat across from him in the grand study, the board set between them. He moved first, his face was blank without any expression. "Show me what you’ve learned."

Seraphina took a breath and moved her first piece. The game had begun and so had the real test.