The pain in her ankle pulsed with each beat of her racing heart. Her hands trembled, and her mind reeled, playing his words over and over again like a sick chant.
"You're mine. To own. To use. However I please."
The weight of it sank deeper into her skin than the brand itself. The burn beneath her collarbone throbbed, the fresh wound still raw. But it was nothing compared to the hollow ache in her chest. She had never felt this helpless. Not even during the storm. Not even when she watched Anna die.
This was different.
This was captivity dressed in silk sheets and golden light. A prison masked as a palace.
She wiped her face, but the tears came anyway. They slipped past her fingers and dripped onto her lap, silent and endless. Somewhere inside her, she still wanted to scream. To fight. To run. But what was the point?
Even if she ran, where would she go? Outside those tall carved walls was a world she didn't recognize. No electricity. No glass. No roads. Just sand, stone, and eyes that saw her as property. Besides, she couldn't walk far. She could barely stand.
Her stomach growled.
And then it hit her, she hadn't eaten in days. The nausea mixed with grief twisted through her like a knife. She curled tighter into herself, trying to breathe, trying to forget. But she couldn't forget. Not Anna. Not Tomie. Not Roy.
Her body was here, but her soul? It had broken somewhere in that auction yard. And now, she didn't know who she was anymore
.
> ""You need this, Lia" Anna had said, grinning as they stood in front of the ticket desk.
"A whole month of beaches, sunshine, cocktails—and absolutely no work drama."
Lia raised a brow. "I don't need cocktails. I need a reset."
Anna rolled her eyes. "Same thing, babe. Sand, sea, and zero responsibilities? That is a reset." <
The memory tore into her like glass. Anna's voice still echoed, sweet and defiant. God, she had looked so alive. Now, she was just… gone.
Her breath hitched. Her fingers curled against the silk sheets.
She barely had time to think before the door opened again.
It wasn't him. It was the same maid from before, her eyes cautious and kind.
"Don't worry" she said softly. "He's not coming back tonight."
Lia didn't answer. She just stared at the floor.
The maid brought food. Warm bread, a bowl of stew, and a glass of something sweet that smelled faintly of flowers. She set it beside Lia but didn't push.
"Eat" she said gently. "Your body needs it."
Lia didn't move.
The girl sat with her for a moment, her hands folded in her lap. She didn't ask questions. Didn't force conversation. She just waited.
After a long time, Lia picked up the spoon.
The first bite brought tears to her eyes. Not from taste. From the way her body reacted, shaking as if reminded it was still alive.
The maid nodded slowly. "That's good. One step."
"What's your name?" Lia whispered.
The girl blinked. "Bati."
Lia nodded faintly. "Thank you."
Bati gave her a little smile, then began to clean around the room in silence.
Lia watched her move. There was something about the girl. She was careful, calm, but always watching the door. Like she too was a prisoner here, only better trained.
"Do you live here?" Lia asked.
Bati hesitated. "I serve here."
"That's not what I asked."
"I've been here for three years."
"Do they let you leave?"
A pause.
Bati turned to her. "You shouldn't ask questions like that. Not out loud."
Lia looked away. "Sorry."
Silence fell again. The only sound was the quiet clink of Bati rearranging things on the tray.
"That man" Lia said suddenly, "the one who bought me. What's his name?"
Bati stiffened. "You really don't know?"
Lia shook her head.
"Dawson Madhav."
The name felt like ice slipping down her spine.
"Is he a king or something?"
"He owns things" Bati replied vaguely. "Lands. People. Secrets."
Lia looked down at the untouched glass beside her.
"Has he… done this before?"
"To other girls?" Bati asked. "No… not like this."
"What do you mean?"
"You're the first he's ever bought from the auctions." She paused just for a heartbeat.
Lia gasped. Was that why everywhere went silent on the day he spoke? Why people stared at him in a different way?
"First he's ever branded. Ever brought to this wing" Bati spoke again.
Lia's chest tightened. "Why me?"
"I... I don't know."
"You must have some idea."
Bati didn't speak. Then softly, she said "He's not the kind to explain his reasons."
That night, Lia lay on the bed, wide awake.
The room was too quiet. Every creak of wood, every whisper of wind through the open shutters made her flinch. Her ankle still ached, but the bandage dulled the pain. It was her mind that refused to rest.
She touched the brand again. It wasn't healing well. It was meant to scar.
The thought made her sick.
She turned away from the golden walls, burying her face in the pillow. She remembered the way he said it... "I was curious what you'd do, if spared."
What did that mean?
Was this a test?
Or was he just toying with her?
Either way, she knew what she was now. Nothing. No name, no country, no protection. Just a girl with a ruined ankle and a branded chest, locked in a palace with a man who owned her.
A sharp clink echoed from outside the room.
Lia sat up straight, heart racing. She held her breath.
Another thud... then... silence.
She turned toward the door, the fire in the lanterns flickering shadows across the walls.
"Bati?" she whispered.
No answer. The girl had left hours ago.
Lia froze.
Then a shuffle. A whisper too faint to make out.
She stared at the door, breath shallow, heart racing.
Was it him?
She lay back down, pulling the blanket to her chin, every muscle tight with fear.
Minutes passed, but no one came in. Still, the noises didn't go away.