Gage stood in the foyer, staring at the spot where June had disappeared. He turned to his assistant. He gave a sharp, subtle nod. The assistant immediately stepped forward and told Beatrice there was a critical emergency with the offshore trust accounts.

Beatrice narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious. But the trust was the lifeblood of the family. She pointed her cane at Gage. "Fine," she snapped, "but if I find you've laid a hand on her, the trust will be the least of your worries." She then signaled to her personal head of security, who remained behind, watching Gage with cold eyes, before turning and walking quickly toward her study for a video conference.

Gage watched her go. He shot a lethal glare at the head of security, a silent promise of destruction, before turning and deliberately walking in the opposite direction. The moment he was out of sight, a dark, dangerous smile spread across his face. He slipped through a hidden servant's passage, bypassing the guard completely, and headed up the stairs.

Inside the second-floor guest room, the air was warm. June had just stepped out of a hot shower. She wore an oversized white silk nightgown. She sat on the edge of the mattress while the family doctor wrapped a clean bandage around her hand.

Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. The doctor's head snapped up. He heard the heavy tread and immediately threw his supplies into his bag. He practically ran out of the room without saying a word.

June jumped up from the bed. Panic seized her chest. She ran toward the door to lock it, but the brass handle was already turning.

The door pushed open. Gage filled the doorway. He had taken off his ruined coat. He wore only a white dress shirt, stained with his own blood. The top three buttons were undone.

He stepped inside. He reached behind him and turned the deadbolt. The heavy lock clicked into place. There was no escape.

June backed away. She took step after step until her spine hit the cold glass of the floor-to-ceiling window. Her whole body shook.

Gage walked toward her slowly. He moved like a predator cornering its prey. His eyes dragged down the thin white silk of her nightgown, then back up to her pale face.

He stopped right in front of her. He didn't raise his hand to strike her. Instead, he reached over and slowly rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt.

The deep bite mark on his forearm was fully exposed. The flesh was torn, and fresh blood slowly oozed from the broken skin.

Gage lifted his arm and held it inches from her face. His voice was thick and raspy. "Lick it clean."

June's eyes widened in horror. The sick, twisted demand made her stomach churn. She shook her head violently, pressing herself harder against the glass.

Gage's eyes darkened. His right hand shot out. He gripped the back of her neck, his long fingers tangling in her chopped hair. He forced her head forward, pulling her face toward his bleeding arm.

June pushed both hands against his hard chest. Tears spilled over her cheeks. She choked on her words, telling him she couldn't do it.

Gage's thumb pressed lightly against her pulse point. He leaned in and whispered that if she didn't do exactly what he said, the video would be sent to every news outlet in the city.

The word "video" paralyzed her. Her arms went weak and dropped to her sides. The fight drained out of her completely.

June closed her eyes. Hot tears leaked through her lashes. She leaned forward, her body trembling violently.

She opened her mouth. Her soft, warm tongue hesitantly touched the edge of the wound. The sharp, metallic taste of his blood coated her tongue.

The second her tongue touched his skin, Gage's entire body went rigid. His breath hitched in his throat.

June swallowed her disgust. She followed his order, slowly dragging her tongue over the broken skin, cleaning away the fresh blood.

The wet heat of her mouth and the slight sting of the wound sent a massive shockwave through Gage's nervous system. It fired straight into his brain.

He looked down at her. He saw her long eyelashes wet with tears. He saw her red lips stained with his blood. A violent, intense heat flared in his lower stomach. The physical arousal hit him so hard it made his head spin.

Gage's eyes widened in absolute shock. A wave of furious panic washed over him. He had never felt this kind of sick, overwhelming desire for any woman, let alone his enemy's daughter.

It felt like he had touched a live wire. Gage yanked his arm back violently. The sudden force threw June off balance. She stumbled forward and crashed onto the thick rug.

Gage stood over her. His chest heaved up and down. His blood roared in his ears. He stared at her with a mix of pure terror and rabid obsession.

He cursed loudly. He spun around, practically running toward the door.

He ripped the door open and sprinted out into the hallway, slamming the heavy wood shut behind him. The loud bang shook the walls.

June sat on the floor, her heart pounding, completely alone.

June sat on the carpet, pulling her knees to her chest. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, trying to erase the taste of his blood. Her hands shook uncontrollably.

Rapid footsteps echoed in the hallway. It sounded like high heels and the heavy thud of a cane. The guest room door swung open.

Beatrice stood in the doorway. Her face was red with anger. Right behind her stood Jessica Cole, wearing a designer trench coat, having just rushed to the estate, her flight indefinitely grounded by the severe winter storm.

Beatrice looked at June sitting on the floor. She saw the smear of blood on June's chin. The old woman instantly knew Gage had tricked her to get into the room.

Beatrice gripped her cane tightly. She pointed out into the hallway, cursing Gage's name, calling him a rabid animal that needed to be put down.

Jessica Cole stepped into the room. Her four-inch heels clicked on the hardwood. She looked down at June's chopped hair and bruised face. There was no motherly concern in her eyes, only deep annoyance.

Jessica Cole put her hand to her chest. She gasped dramatically, playing the role of a horrified mother for Beatrice's benefit, loudly condemning Gage's actions.

June looked up at her mother. A bitter, hollow laugh escaped her lips. She asked Jessica Cole if she finally decided to pause her honeymoon because her daughter was about to die.

Jessica Cole's face tightened. She leaned down and hissed under her breath, warning June to shut her mouth and stop embarrassing her in front of the matriarch.

Beatrice slammed her cane on the floor, cutting off the toxic whispering. She declared that June could not stay in the main house for another minute.

The old woman turned to her personal head of security. She ordered him to open the South Wing immediately.

Jessica Cole gasped. Her eyes went wide. The South Wing was the ultimate fortress of the Becker estate, reserved only for the highest-ranking family members. Even Jessica Cole had never been allowed inside.

Two heavily armed guards walked into the room. They gently pulled June to her feet and guided her out the door.

The group walked down a long, heavy stone corridor lined with reinforced steel pillars. Outside, the blizzard raged, snow piling up against the glass. Inside, the air was warm and still.

At the end of the corridor stood a massive set of double doors made of solid mahogany. Four guards with assault rifles stood at attention in front of it.

The head of security stepped up to a metal panel on the wall. He typed in a long passcode and leaned in for a retinal scan. A heavy mechanical clunk echoed through the hall. The mahogany doors slowly swung open.

June stepped inside. The South Wing looked like a luxury hotel, but the thick walls and steel-reinforced windows made it clear this was a bunker.

Beatrice stood at the threshold. She looked June in the eye. She promised that the South Wing had its own independent security grid. Without Beatrice's fingerprint, Gage could not get inside.

June looked at the men with the rifles. For the first time in days, the crushing weight on her chest lifted slightly. Fresh tears filled her eyes.

She bowed deeply to Beatrice, thanking the old woman for saving her life.

Jessica Cole stood to the side. She crossed her arms and told June to stay put and stop causing trouble for her new marriage.

June gave her mother one cold, dead look. She turned around and walked deeper into the South Wing.

The heavy mahogany doors closed behind her. The locks engaged with a loud, final click, shutting out the rest of the world.

A maid led June into a large bedroom. A fire cracked warmly in the stone fireplace.

June walked over to the reinforced window. She looked out at the dark, snowy night. She felt a strange, fragile sense of safety.

She took off the silk nightgown and changed into a thick, warm set of pajamas. She curled up on the plush sofa right in front of the fire.

She listened to the rhythmic sound of the guards pacing in the hall outside. She finally believed she was safe from him.

Exhaustion crashed over her like a tidal wave. Her eyelids grew heavy.

Right before she fell asleep, the image of Gage's dark, obsessed eyes flashed in her mind. Her body jerked slightly, but the warmth of the fire pulled her down into a deep sleep.

The South Wing was perfectly quiet. But across the estate, a monster was waking up.

Gage stood in his dark study. He smoked an entire cigar, pulling the harsh smoke deep into his lungs to kill the burning heat in his stomach. He crushed the stub into an ashtray. He turned around and walked back toward the guest room to finish what he started.

He kicked the guest room door open. The room was empty. The only thing left was a small drop of his blood on the white carpet.

Gage's pupils shrank to pinpricks. A violent, world-ending rage exploded in his chest. He reached out and grabbed a passing maid by the hair, yanking her backward.

The maid screamed, dropping her towels. She sobbed, quickly confessing that the old madam had taken the girl to the South Wing.

The words "South Wing" snapped the last thread of Gage's sanity. He dropped the maid. He sprinted down the stairs like a wild animal, heading straight for the heavy stone corridor lined with reinforced steel pillars.

Gage marched down the stone hallway. The heavy thud of his boots echoed off the walls. His personal bodyguards felt the murderous energy radiating off him. They pulled their handguns from their holsters and followed close behind.

Gage reached the mahogany doors. Beatrice's four guards immediately raised their rifles, aiming directly at Gage's chest. They ordered him to step back.

Gage didn't even slow down. He let out a dark, wicked laugh. He snapped his fingers.

His men, former special ops operatives, didn't hesitate. One of them pulled a flashbang grenade from his tactical vest and rolled it across the floor. The blinding burst of light and deafening pop instantly disoriented Beatrice's elite guards, completely neutralizing the advantage of their assault rifles.

A brutal close-quarters fight broke out in the narrow corridor. Gage threw himself into the chaos. He dodged a wild swing from the blinded captain and drove his fist directly into the man's face. The sickening crunch of breaking bone echoed loudly.

Gage ripped the stun baton from the falling captain's hand. He swung it hard, dropping another guard to the floor. Blood splattered across his white shirt.

Within two minutes, Beatrice's elite guards were groaning on the floor. Gage stepped over their bodies and walked right up to the electronic lock.

He didn't bother trying to hack the keypad. He reached to the back of his waistband and pulled out a massive Desert Eagle handgun. He pressed the barrel against the lock and pulled the trigger three times.

The deafening roar of gunfire echoed violently off the thick stone walls. The keypad exploded into sparking wires and black smoke.

Gage lifted his long leg and kicked the heavy mahogany door with all his strength. The wood splintered with a loud crack. The door crashed inward, hitting the floor.

The sound of the gunshots jolted June awake. She jumped off the sofa, her heart hammering wildly. She stared at the doorway in pure terror.

The smoke cleared. Gage stepped through the ruined doorway. He looked like a demon crawling out of hell. His black eyes locked onto June immediately.

June screamed. She spun around to run toward the bathroom, but her legs gave out.

Gage crossed the room in three massive strides. He reached out and grabbed the back of her pajama shirt. He yanked her backward, slamming her hard against his chest.

June thrashed wildly. She screamed for help, swinging her arms. Her fingernails dragged across his neck, leaving deep, bloody scratches.

Gage grabbed both of her wrists with one hand, pinning them behind her back. His other hand clamped around her jaw like a steel vice. He forced her to look up into his bloodshot eyes.

He ground his teeth together. He leaned down and whispered against her lips. "Even if you run to hell, I will drag you back. You will die in my hands."

Footsteps rushed down the hall. Beatrice and Jessica Cole, flanked by more guards, arrived at the ruined entrance of the South Wing.

Beatrice clutched her chest. She looked at the destroyed door and June trapped in Gage's arms. She raised her cane, screaming at Gage to let her go.

Jessica Cole hid behind a guard. She covered her mouth, too terrified of the gun in Gage's hand to say a single word.

Gage turned to face his grandmother. A twisted, arrogant smile spread across his face. He let the heavy gun hang loosely by his side, a silent threat to anyone who moved.

He declared loudly that June belonged to him now. If anyone tried to take her again, he would burn the rest of the house down.

Beatrice watched in stunned silence. Gage bent down, threw June over his broad shoulder, and walked straight out of the ruined South Wing.

June hung upside down. She watched Beatrice and her mother fade into the distance. The light in her eyes died completely.

Gage carried her down the hall. Drops of his blood fell from his arm, staining the white marble floor.

He reached his master bedroom. He kicked the door open, threw June onto the massive black bed, and locked the door behind them. The cage was sealed.