Chapter 3 - The Golden Cage
I woke up to sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a luxurious bedroom that felt larger than my entire apartment. The sheets beneath me were pure silk, soft against my bandaged back. For a few seconds, I thought it was a dream—until the sharp ache in my shoulders brought reality flooding back.
A soft knock sounded, and the door opened to reveal Matteo. He crept into the room, holding a tray with a warm cup of tea and a single red rose.
"Papa said I could bring you this," Matteo said quietly, setting the tray carefully on the nightstand. "Are you still broken?"
I couldn't help the small smile that broke through my exhaustion. "I'm getting better, Matteo. Thanks to you."
He sat on the edge of the mattress, looking at me with those big, dark curls falling over his eyes—so much like his father's. "Papa says you're staying here now. He built a wall around us so bad people can't come in."
His words settled in my chest like lead. A wall.
Later that afternoon, Dante entered. He wore a crisp black shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing faint tattoos running up his forearms. He sat in the armchair beside my bed, placing a thick folder on the table.
"Your landlord has been paid for the next five years," Dante said smoothly. "Your belongings are being packed and brought here. Your employment at Aurelios has been terminated with a generous severence."
I sat up, wincing. "You can't just rewrite my life, Mr. Moretti! I didn't save your son so I could become your prisoner."
"You are not a prisoner, Clara," Dante said, his voice dropping an octave, rich and velvet. "You are my guest. But the men who attempted to destabilize my organization last night know who you are now. The glass wasn't an accident. The waitress who tripped was paid to create a distraction for an assassination attempt on Matteo."
May you like
My heart stopped. "What?"
"If you walk out those gates, my enemies will use you to get to me," Dante explained, stepping closer until he was standing directly over me. His gaze traced the line of my jaw. "You saved the heir to the Moretti empire. In my world, that makes you priceless—and target number one. You stay here because it is the only place in this city where you will breathe."
