Alicia's POV
The morning light was cruel.
It streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Liam's penthouse, flooding the bedroom in pale gold. My eyes stung when they opened, and my throat felt raw, as if every word I'd cried last night still clung there. My body ached, not just physically, but deep, in a place beyond the skin, somewhere fragile, where shame and defiance warred with exhaustion.
For a moment, I didn't move. I lay still on the bed, covers twisted around me like chains, staring at the ceiling. Every detail from last night replayed in vivid fragments, the sound of the zipper... opening my bag, the snap of my passport closing in Liam's hand, the fire devouring my escape, his body pinning mine until I couldn't breathe.
I wanted to believe it was a nightmare. But the faint bruises on my wrists said otherwise.
I pulled my arms against my chest, curling in on myself.
The apartment was quiet. Too quiet.
I didn't know if he was still here, or if he'd gone to work. I didn't even know which possibility terrified me more.
Slowly, I sat up. My legs shook when they touched the floor. I padded to the bathroom, avoiding my reflection until I couldn't anymore.
The mirror showed a girl I barely recognized…. eyes rimmed red, lips swollen, hair tangled from restless sleep. The faint imprint of his fingers ghosted my skin, reminders of how tightly he'd held me.
"God," I whispered, gripping the counter.
I had to leave. Somehow, some way. Last night proved it. He wouldn't let me go. He would destroy anything that threatened his control.
I splashed cold water on my face, forcing myself to breathe.
When I opened the door, the smell hit me first: coffee, toast, something sizzling.
He was in the kitchen.
My stomach dropped.
I froze in the hallway, my bare feet sinking into the plush rug. The clatter of a pan, the low hum of a voice, he was humming. Humming, like an ordinary man on an ordinary morning.
I wanted to scream.
But instead, I forced my legs forward.
Liam stood at the stove, sleeves rolled up, frying eggs. His dark hair was damp, pushed back carelessly, as if he'd just showered. When he turned, he smiled, that devastatingly calm, composed expression that made it seem as if last night had never happened.
"Good morning."
Two words. So normal. So wrong.
I swallowed. "Morning."
He gestured toward the dining table. "Sit. Eat. You need it."
I obeyed. Not because I wanted to, but because my body moved before my mind caught up. The weight of his authority lingered like a leash around my throat.
He set the plate in front of me: eggs, toast, fresh fruit. A glass of orange juice followed. He poured coffee for himself and sat opposite me.
I couldn't eat. The food blurred in front of me, my stomach twisted too tightly.
"You need strength, Alicia," he said, watching me. Not a suggestion. A command.
My hand shook as I picked up the fork. I forced myself to chew, each bite like lead.
He studied me, dark eyes unreadable. "Better," he murmured, as though I were a pet he was training.
I dropped the fork, clattering it against the plate. "Stop acting like nothing happened."
Silence.
For a moment, I thought he'd explode, but he only leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee leisurely.
"And what happened, exactly?" His voice was soft, almost amused. "You tried to run. I stopped you. We had… a conversation. End of story."
My jaw tightened. "You broke me."
He smiled faintly. "No, Alicia. I reminded you who you belong to."
My vision blurred with tears, but I refused to let them fall. "You can't….."
He cut me off. "I can. And I will. Because you need me, whether you admit it or not."
I couldn't breathe. I pushed back from the table, standing so quickly the chair scraped the floor. His gaze followed me, sharp, but he didn't stop me when I retreated to the bedroom.
I collapsed on the bed, burying my face in the pillow. My phone was gone...taken, like the passport, like the cash. My escape routes burned away.
I was trapped inside his penthouse. No! It's no longer a house, it's now a prison to me.
But Chloe.
My chest tightened. Chloe must be waiting. She must have realized I hadn't shown up last night. Maybe she'd called. Maybe…..
The intercom on the nightstand buzzed. I jolted, heart leaping.
Liam's voice flowed through, smooth as silk. "You'll stay inside today. No exceptions."
The line clicked off.
A cage. This entire place was a cage.
I pressed trembling hands to my face. If I didn't find a way to reach Chloe soon, Liam's grip would suffocate me completely.
And somewhere deep inside, a terrifying thought clawed at me: a part of me still burned when I thought of his hands, his mouth, his voice. Desire tangled with dread until I couldn't tell them apart.
That was his real control. Not the locks, not the threats. The way he made me betray myself.
Chloe's POV
Chloe paced their shared apartment, phone clutched to her ear. The call went straight to voicemail again.
"Alicia, where the hell are you?" she whispered, panic seeping into her voice. She'd waited last night, telling herself maybe Alicia had stayed late at work. Then she'd stayed awake until dawn, hoping the door would creak open.
But it hadn't.
Now it was nearly noon, and silence pressed on her chest like a weight.
She dialed again. Straight to voicemail.
Chloe raked her fingers through her hair, muttering, "This isn't like you."
She grabbed her jacket, pacing the living room. Should she go to KnightCorp? March up to Liam Knight's office and demand answers? The thought alone made her skin crawl…..he was powerful, untouchable, dangerous in ways she couldn't even name.
But Alicia was more than her roommate. She was her best friend, her sister in everything but blood. And something was wrong.
Chloe stopped, staring at the silent phone. "If you don't call me back soon, I swear I'll come to that damn penthouse myself."
Her chest tightened. She didn't even know if she could get in.
But she'd try.
Back to Alicia's POV
The intercom on the nightstand buzzed, making me flinch.
Liam's voice flowed through, smooth and low. "Stay inside today. Don't test me again."
The line clicked dead.
I buried my face in my hands, suffocating on the truth: I was trapped. Even if Chloe called, even if she came, Liam would know. He always knew.
The walls felt closer than they had last night, the air too thin to breathe.
My cage wasn't only steel and glass. It was Liam. It was the way my body still trembled at his voice, the way desire clung to the edges of my fear, confusing me, betraying me.
And it was closing in.