The night air was a cold, sharp blade, but the tension outside the club was even hotter. Elena stood her ground, her short black dress offering no protection against the wind or the predatory stares of the men surrounding the area. Her chest heaved with fury as she glared at the man who had just upended her entire life.
Alex Valois didn't look bothered. He moved with a slow, terrifying grace, unbuttoning his charcoal suit jacket. Before Elena could snap at him, he draped the heavy, warm fabric over her shoulders.
She flinched, a sharp glare cutting through her lashes. "Take your hands off me," she hissed, trying to shake the coat off.
"Keep it on," Alex commanded, his voice like low thunder. "Unless you want every man in a three-mile radius to keep staring at what I just paid four billion dollars for."
"I am not a product!" she yelled, her voice echoing against the brick walls of the alley. "I don't care how much money you threw away. You can't just buy a human being!"
"In this world, Elena, everything has a price," he said, stepping closer until he towered over her. "And right now, you're coming with me."
The escape was a military-grade operation. A fleet of black SUVs sat idling, their headlights cutting through the dark like the eyes of wolves. Alex didn't wait for her permission. When Elena tried to bolt toward the street, his hand clamped around her arm.
"Let me go! I'm going home!" she fought, hitting his arm with her free hand. She was small compared to him, but she fought like a cornered cat. "I have a company to run! I have a life!"
Alex stopped and looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "You're 5'7", Elena. You're a feather. It would take me less than a second to pick you up and toss you into that car like a piece of luggage. It would be much better for your dignity if you walked in on your own."
Elena's jaw tightened. She was a Vane. She didn't take threats. "Try it," she challenged.
She turned to walk away, but she didn't get three steps. With a sudden blur of motion, Alex grabbed her waist. Before she could scream, she was lifted off the ground and thrown into the plush leather backseat of the lead SUV. He climbed in right after her, slamming the door shut.
"Drive," he ordered the chauffeur.
The SUV took off, and Elena watched through the tinted windows as four other cars formed a protective shell around them. Two led the way, and two followed behind. From the bridges above, she could see the flash of motorcycle headlights—more of his men, guarding the route from every angle. It wasn't just a car ride; it was a moving fortress.
"You are a psychopath," Elena yelled, moving as far away from him as the seat allowed. "Where are you taking me? Are you going to kill me? You're so full of yourself, thinking you can just own the world!"
Alex didn't even look at her. He reached out, his large hand moving faster than she could dodge, and firmly covered her mouth.
"Quiet," he whispered, his eyes finally meeting hers. His touch was warm, but his gaze was ice. "You should be thanking me. That man you were 'flirting' with in the club? He wasn't going to give you information, Elena. He was going to give you a shallow grave. And here you are, giving me a lecture."
He leaned in closer, his shadow falling over her. "Who do you think you are? To me, you're just a stubborn kid. I could make you disappear from the face of the earth, and no one would ever find the bones."
In response, Elena didn't shrink back. She bit down hard on the fleshy part of his hand.
Alex hissed, pulling his hand back. He looked at the red marks on his skin, a dark smirk forming on his face.
"Dare you!" she panted, her eyes blazing. "I am not someone who bows to you. I am the one who will make you regret the day you met me."
"We'll see," Alex murmured, looking out the window as the city lights blurred past. "Let's see who makes whom bow."
~At the mansion ~
The SUV pulled into a massive estate hidden behind towering iron gates and stone walls. This wasn't a house; it was a castle of modern glass and dark stone. When the car stopped, the door was opened by a guard who stood at stiff attention.
Alex stepped out and looked back at Elena, who remained seated, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Oh, Your Highness," Alex mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We have arrived. Do I need to send a formal invitation, or perhaps a red carpet, for you to get down?"
"I'm not going into a stranger's house," Elena snapped. "I don't trust men like you."
Alex leaned against the doorframe, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Oh? But you were perfectly happy flirting with a mafia boss an hour ago to get what you wanted. Was he a 'baby doll' in your eyes?"
Elena rolled her eyes, her face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. Before she could argue, Alex reached in, grabbed her, and hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
"Put me down! You brute! Let me go!" she screamed, thumping her fists against his broad back.
He ignored her completely, walking through the grand entrance of the mansion. Inside, the maids and guards stood in a row, their heads bowed. They were visibly shaking. No one—no one—had ever spoken to Alex Valois like this. To see a girl hitting him and screaming insults in his own home was like watching someone dance in a tiger's cage.
He finally dropped her onto a velvet sofa in the main hall. Elena scrambled to her feet, her hair messy and her eyes wild.
"Let me go, Alex Valois! Or the consequences won't be good for you!"
"Really?" Alex laughed, a cold, dry sound. "What are you going to do? Even a leaf doesn't move on this property without my permission. You think you can escape? You think you can make me regret something?"
He stepped into her personal space, forcing her to look up at him. The sheer power he radiated was suffocating.
"What do you want from me?" Elena demanded, her voice trembling slightly. "Why are you making my life more complicated?"
"Now you're asking the right questions," Alex said. "I thought you were intelligent, but it took you long enough to get to the point."
"Just say it!" she snapped. "What do you want? Money? Power?"
"What can you give me, Elena?" he asked, his eyes roaming over her face. "I have more money than I can spend. I have more connections and experience than you could dream of. And as for your body..."
He let his gaze drop, checking her out with a cold, clinical look. Elena felt a lump in her throat. She expected the usual creepy comments, but Alex was different. He reached out and lightly pinched the fabric of her dress near her waist.
"Too fat," he remarked with a shrug. "Not really my taste. I've had much better than you. You aren't that pleasing to look at when you're screaming like a banshee."
Elena's face turned bright red. "Then why the hell did you buy me for four billion dollars?!"
"You'll find out soon enough," he said, turning away.
"If you don't want anything from me, then let me go!"
Alex stopped at the foot of the grand staircase. He turned his head slightly, a cruel smirk on his lips. "You want to go? Fine. Give me four billion dollars right now, and you can walk out that front door."
Elena froze. Her breath caught in her throat. She was wealthy, yes. She could probably pull together fifty million, maybe even a hundred million if she sold everything. But four billion? That was an impossible mountain of cash.
"I... I can't," she whispered.
"Then you stay," Alex said. "I have other ways for you to pay me back. But why be in a hurry? I want to enjoy the game first."
He walked upstairs smirking, leaving her alone in the massive hall, trembling with a mixture of cursing and pure, unadulterated hatred.
A soft voice broke the silence. "Madam? Please, come this way."
Elena turned to see a middle-aged maid with a kind, tired face. "Let me show you to your room. I'll prepare some warm clothes. It's very cold tonight, and we wouldn't want you to catch a fever."
"I don't want your clothes," Elena snapped, her defenses still high. "I'm not staying."
The maid looked at her with pity. "Madam... there are a lot of men in this house. Guards, technicians, staff. Look at your dress. If you don't feel uncomfortable, that is your choice. but it was an order from Sir, and we must listen to him."
Elena looked down at her short dress, which was torn at the hem from the struggle. She let out a long, shaky sigh. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. It isn't your fault."
The maid smiled warmly. "You have a pure heart, Madam. Come."
She led Elena to a room that was larger than most apartments, filled with silk sheets and expensive art. After a hot shower, Elena changed into a set of thick, oversized grey sweatpants and a hoodie. They were comfortable, but she felt like a prisoner in a golden cage.
She grabbed her phone, her heart racing as she tried to dial her assistant. No Service. She opened the door and called for the maid. "The signal... it's gone."
"Oh, Madam," the maid explained gently. "The towers here don't reach unknown phones. Only the devices linked to the mansion's private network can make calls. We can use the internet, but if we want to call our families, we have to go to the private lounge where the calls are monitored."
Elena threw her phone onto the bed in frustration. She sat down, burying her face in her hands. The maid stayed for a moment, tidying up the room.
"You must have a very easy life, being so kind," the maid said softly. "You know such a pure hurted like you never suffers."
Elena looked up, a broken, hollow smile on her face . Everything that happened to her flowed like a roller coaster in her mind . "Nothing is as it looks.You can go now... it's already midnight. And let me think of some way to escape from this cage ."
"There is Z+ security here, Madam," the maid warned. "Not even a bird can escape , but you can try your luck . And as I know nothing about your past but I will pray for your future to be the best to God ."
"Do you really believe in God?" Elena asked, her voice cracking.
"Don't you?"
Elena looked at the dark window. "For me, God died the day I saw the innocent suffering while the devils moved freely, committing more crimes. There is no justice."
The maid paused at the door. "You are right... the world is showing us one thing, but the truth is hidden. Have you heard the saying? ."Justice is delayed in God's house, but never denied." To kill the devils, God can't take rebirth every time so he sends a human who is just as fierce. You know people says that when women take revenge the devils sit and take notes. " She said smiling. " I hope everything will be fair in the end. Good night, Madam."
As the door clicked shut, Elena lay back on the bed, the maid's words echoing in her mind. She wasn't going to wait for a miracle. If she was in the devil's den, she would have to become a devil herself to get out.