The door opened without warning that night, and my chest tightened.

  The air shifted, heavy and sharp, and I couldn't move. Fear had become second nature to me from the minute I step foot in this place.

  Every instinct screamed at me to run, but the wall behind me reminded me there was nowhere to go.

 Even if I did have anywhere to go, I would be dragged right back here.

  Raul stepped inside, every movement deliberate, like he owned the shadows themselves.

  My heart hammered so hard it hurt.

  "You're awake, girl" he said, voice low, smooth, dangerous.

  "I... I am," I whispered, voice trembling.

  He stopped, eyes scanning me.

  His smile, thin and cruel, didn't reach his eyes.

  "Do you remember earlier" he said, circling slowly. "When I said you looked perfect for breaking."

  I pressed my hands to my bed, clutching my sheets like it could shield me.

  "I... I do," I whispered, though the words tasted bitter.

  His eyes glinted.

  "Did your father tell you about the duties of a wife? To please her husband?"

  "My aunty did" I managed to respond.

 My father's older sister had gone through the pains of enlightening me on the concept of sex and how a woman had no right to refuse her husband her body.

 When I asked her if it would hurt, she simply said a woman's life is filled with pain and hurt.

 The difference between a weak and strong woman was one's ability to endure and overcome such pains.

 Looking at Raul now, he was going to be a permanent source of pain for me.

 I could feel it.

  "Good," he said now nearing me, "You were at least taught something. Now, raise your gown and bend over for me"

  I was a virgin and had no idea how the dynamics of sex worked but I doubt it was like this.

  "I.....I can't do....."

  Then his hand shot out. The slap landed across my cheek with a crack that made me reel.

  Pain blossomed red-hot across my skin, my knees buckling slightly.

  "Do not dare say no to me!," he hissed. "You are mine. Every thought, every breath... mine!!"

  I pressed myself against the wall, trembling.

  "Yes... I-"

  He stepped closer, heat and threat pressing into me. His hand brushed my hair, pulling my head back.

  "You will learn to submit to me. You will learn. Tonight."

  I wanted to scream, but my voice failed me.

  Then he grabbed me. His hands were rough and forceful.

  My knees buckled; I struggled, desperate to push him away while he tried to rip my dress off so he could claim me in the worst way possible.

  "Please... no! Stop! You're hurting me, please!!" I begged, panic rising in waves.

  I was sure that all hope was lost for me but that was when I heard it.

  BANG!!!

  The first gunshot tore through the compound. Windows rattled, walls shook. My chest jolted; terror and relief collided.

  He froze mid-motion, eyes narrowing.

  "Stay there!" he barked. "Do not move. Not an inch!"

  I said nothing, only moved to the corner of the bed, shivering violently.

  Gunfire suddenly exploded.

  It was rapid, precise, terrifying. Shouts followed. The world outside the room had erupted into chaos.

  He cursed, low and guttural, stepping back, trying to figure out what was happening in his compound.

  My body quaked.

  Another round of shooting. Closer. Louder.

  He stumbled, clutching his side. Panic in his eyes.

  I could have sworn I saw a flicker of fear. This was the first time he ever looked human to me.

  Through the door, masked figures poured into the room.

  I couldn't take my eyes off them: coordinated, lethal, moving like shadows.

  They were here for him. I could feel it.

  "Stay back!" he yelled, lunging toward them.

  Guns flashed, bullets filled the air, and the room became a storm of violence.

  I sank to the floor, pressed against the carpet, helpless. My chest pounded, breaths short, trembling uncontrollably.

  And then... I saw it happen.

  One shot. My husband.....the man I had just begun to fear, fell to the floor.

  Blood blossomed across his shirt. His eyes widened, shock replacing anger. He tried to rise. Another shot. This time to the head.

  And then he was gone.

  Dead.

  Just like that.

  Before I could breathe, hands grabbed me.

  Strong, rough, unyielding. I struggled, screamed, tried to push away. But the masked men were fast, brutal, terrifying.

  I was dragged out, stumbling over debris, past broken doors, over shattered glass, and dead bodies.

  This was a massacre.

  I yelled and begged for them to please let me go as I was innocent in all this.

  "Quiet," a voice commanded.

  I didn't dare speak. My heart was in my throat. My mind raced.

  Where were they taking me? Who had sent them? Who were these men?

  My father had sold me. My husband had tried to rape me.

  And now... he had murdered in front of me and I'm getting kidnapped with no idea what awaited me next.

  We reached a van outside. The rain slicked pavement reflected the chaos, flashes of gunfire lighting the sky.

  They threw me inside.

  The smell of leather and gunpowder filled my senses. I was shoved onto the cold metal floor, hands now tied, my dress ripped and wet with Raul's blood.

  "Where... where are you taking me?" I managed to whisper, voice hoarse.

  No answer. Only a glance from one of the masked men.

  His eyes were cold, commanding, dangerous And I realized: I was at the mercy of strangers.

  As the van doors slammed shut, my body trembled violently. Tears threatened, but this time I let them fall.

  The van lurched forward, tires screaming against the asphalt, carrying me into the unknown.

  And for the first time since I was born, I understood one thing clearly;

  I was going to die..

I had no idea how long I had been in that cold van, praying to God that this was not the night I went to meet my mother.

 There were no windows for me to look out of and I could barely hear anything other than the sound of heavy tires pressing against gravel.

  Eventually, the van stopped with a violent jolt.

 My body slammed against the cold metal floor, the ropes cutting into my wrists and ankles.

  The masked men didn't speak.

  At least not to me. They simply grabbed me and dragged me out.

  I realized quickly that arguing, begging, or moving would be useless.

  I was also worried that they would lose their temper and hurt me if I made too much of a fuss.

  I was yanked to my feet the few times that I lost my footing, stumbling, legs weak, every nerve screaming.

  My dress was torn, my hair plastered to my face, my skin stinging from bruises. I wanted to collapse, but the hands that held me were iron.

  "Where are you taking me?" I asked again, voice cracking, though I knew no one would answer.

  "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

  I obeyed.

  I was dragged down a corridor I didn't recognize. Concrete walls, bare, harsh lights flickering overhead, and the echo of boots on the floor.

  The sound followed me like a heartbeat I couldn't escape.

  "Please... I just.... let me go," I begged, trembling. "I'll do anything. Just... don't..." My voice broke.

  I couldn't even finish the sentence.

  What exactly could I offer up in exchange for my life?

  The men didn't answer. They just pushed me forward. I stumbled again, hands scraping against the cold concrete.

  My chest felt hollow.

  Who were these people? What did they want? Was I going to die here, alone, in this strange place?

  They stopped in front of a heavy metal cell door.

  One of them pushed me inside, shoving me hard enough that I fell to my knees.

  The door slammed behind me with a sound that made me flinch, and the lock clicked into place.

  I was alone.

  The room was small. Bare. Cold. The only light came from a single flickering bulb overhead, making the shadows dance across the walls.

  My wrists ached from the ropes. My legs trembled. I collapsed against the wall and wept.

  I thought of my mother.

  Of the last time I had seen her, the soft warmth of her hands, the way she had held me close and whispered that I was safe.

  That she would protect me.

  She wasn't here. She had died in her sleep and couldn't protect me now. She never would again.

  The memories twisted inside me, pain cutting sharper than any slap, deeper than any wound.

  I had been sold. Beaten. Humiliated. And now... I didn't know if I could survive this next step.

  Laughter came from the corridor outside. Harsh. Cruel. Mocking.

  "What's the matter, little girl?" a voice sneered from outside the cell. "Scared? Think you're going to cry your way out of this?"

  I didn't respond but the mockery did not stop there.

  "You look really cute when you cry you know. Maybe we could have a taste of you before the boss has you"

  Another one of the guards spoke.

  "Looks like the wife of Raul the great is now at the bottom of the barrel," laughter exploded, "Oh how the mighty have fallen"

  I curled into myself, rocking slightly, unable to respond.

  My body shook violently, my lips trembling as sobs racked through me.

  I pressed my hands over my face, the ropes cutting into my skin, my body trembling.

  My father would have allowed a lot of things to befall me but I couldn't believe that he would allow this

  His daughter, in a dirty cell, mocked by guards who would not be able to look me in the eye on a regular day.

 He must have heard about the attack on Raul's compound by now.

  He must have heard that Raul was killed and he probably believed that I must have been killed as well.

I wasn't dead...... at least not yet but nobody else knew about that.

  Which meant that one wrong move and I just might die here. I could die here.

  Alone. No one would know. No one would notice and no one would even care.

  I finally allowed myself to fall into despair. .

  Outside the cell, the laughter continued.

  I could hear their voices joking about what they would do when the "boss" came for me.

 "You better leave that one alone," one said, mockingly. "The boss would not like to hear about his playthings being bullied"

I flinched at the words, my chest tightening.

Plaything?

Was that was I about to be reduced to? Amaya Vancouver, daughter of a powerful man, now reduced to the plaything of this mysterious Boss?

My entire life was falling away.

  And as I lay there, listening to the mocking voices fade, my tearmixing with the cold concrete, I wondered about "The boss"

Whoever he was, I knew from the sound of it that he was the one in control.

 He would decide my fate.

If I lived or died here was up to him and I had no say in it.

I didn't know how long I had been there.

  Hours? Days maybe?

  It was really had to tell sometimes.

 Time didn't exist in that cell. Only the cold and the silence between the mocking voices of the guards who made sure I could not escape.

  Only the sound of my own breathing, uneven and weak.

  I sat with my back against the wall, knees pulled to my chest, my fingers numb from the cold. My head throbbed. My body ached. Every part of me felt... used up.

  Like there was nothing left to take.

  And yet, I knew there was more coming.

  There was always more to take from me.

  The laughter outside had faded, replaced by quieter voices. Boots against concrete and hurried movement.

  Something was happening outside.

  Something urgent.

  I lifted my head slowly, my heart picking up speed.

  "GET UP!"

  The voice came from outside the cell, it was sharp and commanding.

  I didn't move fast enough.

  The door slammed open and light flooded in, blinding me for a second. I flinched, raising a hand to shield my eyes.

  "I SAID GET UP, GIRL!"

  I forced myself to stand, legs trembling beneath me. My balance wavered, but I caught myself against the wall.

  I wasn't going to fall again. Not in front of them.

  Two men stood at the door. Armed and watching me carefully.

  One of them stepped aside.

  And that was when everything changed..... The moment that He walked in.

  I didn't know who he was at first. But I felt it immediately.

  There was an unmistakably shift in the air, the silence that followed him, the way the men straightened without being told.

  This man, whoever he was, radiated power.

  He walked slowly and inspected the cell, he didn't even look at me right away.

  My breath caught when his eyes finally lifted to mine... I forgot how to breathe completely.

  There was something utterly dark about his eyes. I can't explain it but I knew that it made my chest tighten.

  He wasn't loud like the others. He looked controlled and in control of everyone and everything.

  He looked at me like but said nothing. At least, not yet.

  I swallowed hard, my throat was dry. My fingers curled into my dress.

  I didn't speak. I didn't dare.

  He took a step closer. Then another. I wanted to back away, but my body refused to move.

  "Is this her?" he asked one of the armed men quietly.

  His voice wasn't raised. It didn't need to be. It cut through the room anyway.

  "Yes, boss," one of the men answered immediately.

  Boss?

  My stomach dropped. So this was him.

  The one they were talking about. The one who would decide if I lived... or died.

  His gaze didn't leave me. Not once. It moved over my face, my torn dress, the bruises already forming on my skin. Taking everything in.

  I had never felt so exposed in my entire life.

  I wondered how my father would feel if he could see me now. If he could see the mess that he had thrown me into without a second thought.

  I lowered my eyes instinctively.

  "Look at me."

  The command was quiet but my head snapped up immediately.

  My heart slammed against my ribs.

  His eyes held mine again. And this time... something shifted in them. It wasn't softness.

  It was something that I had seen in Raul's eyes as well.

  Interest.

  And that terrified me more than anything else.

  He stepped even closer now, close enough that I could feel his presence fully.

  Close enough that I could see the sharp line of his jaw, the calm in his expression, the complete lack of hesitation.

  "What is your name?" he asked.

  My lips parted. My voice came out small.

  "A-Amaya."

  "My name is Bane. Do you have a last name, Amaya?"

  "Vancouver, S....sir"

  I was never going to bring myself to answer Raul's last name.

  Not like my father's last name was any better. He had sold me off after all.

  He studied me again for a long second.

  Then he leaned slightly to the side, motioning for one of the guards. He spoke to the guard low enough that only the man beside him could hear.

  I couldn't make out the words.

  But I saw the reaction.

  The man beside him straightened instantly. "Yes, boss."

  The man, Bane, I realized stepped back. His eyes stayed on me for one final second, then he turned and walked out of the cell.

  Just like that, the heavy air of authority left with him even if it lingered a bit.

  I staggered slightly, catching myself against the wall again. My legs felt weaker than before.

  My heart raced in a way I couldn't control.

  What... what just happened?

  Why did he look at me like that?

  Why didn't he say anything else?

  "MOVE, GIRL."

  The sharp voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

  The man he had spoken to stepped forward, unlocking the chains on my wrists.

  He was not gentle but he was not as rough on me as before either.

  "GET HER UP," he ordered to the others. "NOW."

  I flinched as hands grabbed my arms, pulling me upright.

  "W-where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice trembling despite myself.

  No answer.

  "Please... just tell me please"

  "SHUT YOUR MOUTH," one of them snapped.

  I bit my lip immediately, swallowing the rest of my words as they dragged me out of the cell.

  The corridor felt longer this time.

  I stumbled as we walked, my legs still weak, my body still shaking.

  "Stand properly," the man beside me said coldly. "You're going to get cleaned up"

  My heart stopped. Somehow a clean up in the hands of these people did not sound like a good thing.

  "Why?" I whispered.

  This time, he answered.

  A smirk tugged at his lips.

  "Because the boss wants to see you."