Shaking took hold of Selene's fingers while her gaze stayed locked on the dark leather case resting flat on wood. Light from beyond the tall glass wall spilled in, slicing sharp glimmers over the cover. Buried beneath the flap: every weight she carried - the hospital charges piling under her name, college fees for her little brother, obligations stacked like stones meant to stay hidden from her mother's tired stare. These weren't just loans picked up by chance - they'd come down from a man who vanished long before he should have. What made her breath shallow wasn't the total written in small print. It was the silence coming off the person seated opposite, unmoving, watching.
Adrien.
Weight pressed into his name, enough to make shoulders tense. Rooms hushed when he walked close, no effort needed. Attention bent toward him like heat to flame. More than wealth stacked high, more than titles on office doors - rumors curled lower. Fear lived in his shadow, not just coins in vaults. Fame surrounded him like walls too high for anyone to climb. Yet Selene stepped through them without pause.
Stillness took hold. Not even a breath disturbed the air. Upright he stayed, rigid in the seat, palms flat on polished wood, slender fingers splayed like quiet warnings. The dark fabric clung close, cut precise, hugging form without mercy. A narrow red line ran down the front, cutting through white like an afterthought. Precision lived in each fold. Power hummed beneath the surface.
Suddenly aware of how dry her throat felt, Selene clenched her jaw before pushing out the words, each one unsteady. She stared ahead, unsure what came next. Why was she being asked such things? A silence followed, heavy, waiting
Those deep, sharp eyes locked onto her. It is never about your possessions. Offering matters more
Her stomach dropped. "Me? What… what could you possibly want from me?"
Slumping into the chair, he swept a strand of hair aside - simple, but meant to be seen. What you're after? It's your freedom
Frowning, she asked about her freedom
"Yes," he said simply. "Your compliance, your obedience. Your signature. One line on a piece of paper. That is all I ask, in exchange for their safety."
Breath caught in Selene's throat. That folder sat like stone, dragging at her hands. Inside it - her mother's voice, her brother's laugh, both hanging by threads. Images flashed: their eyes wide, waiting. One move forward meant trusting someone whose name she didn't even remember clearly. A single stroke of ink was all that stood between safety and ruin.
"Why me?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. "Why not someone else? I don't even have money to pay…."
"You have something more valuable than money," Adrien interrupted, his voice cold but smooth. "You have a choice. Choose to protect your family, or choose their demise."
Shaking hands paused above the pen. Cold leather pressed into her skin, smooth like ice. Time stretched, slow and heavy. Walking away would feel good - tearing through the moment with fury - but fear held her voice tight. Her family's safety sat in the balance, silent and sharp.
Running thoughts filled her head. This is impossible… walking away feels wrong… giving up everything? Not happening. Still, deep down, something told her it didn't matter what she wanted. His stare never wavered - Adrien just kept looking, steady, waiting. No shouting, no movement toward her, nothing loud - but tension sat heavy in the air. Escape seemed unlikely.
Now you're mine," he murmured, so low it barely broke the air, yet each syllable sank deep inside her.
Everything stopped. Those words held weight - like a vow, a threat, a final decision rolled into one. A knot formed in her chest, moisture gathered on her hands. Inside, pulse racing, emotions clashing: dread mixing with something curious she did not want. He scared her deeply - but still, pulled attention like flame draws eyes.
The pen pressed into her grip at last. A single stroke of ink on paper. That mark - her name - would shift what came next. All of it hinged on that moment.
Her signature came out shaky, the pen jittering hard enough to tear the page. Watching her closely, Adrien kept his gaze locked on her expression throughout. With a quick shut of the folder, he rose and glided past the table, silent as smoke.
"Good," he said, voice calm. "Now, come with me."
A sudden jolt hit Selene's gut. Hold on - did he just say that?
A hush came with the opening door, then two figures stepped through. No smiles showed on their faces. Words stayed absent. A motion instead - they wanted her moving behind them. Heavy limbs carried her forward, footsteps loud against empty walls. Outside life dimmed, far away now. All that remained was the shine of polished ground underfoot and Adrien's quiet, steady shadow at her side.
Down the hall, Selene began seeing things she'd missed earlier - paintings worth more than homes, the sharp tang near armed men, how Adrien never stopped watching every corner like silence had secrets. A deep pull inside told her this wasn't visiting anymore; stepping into his life meant being caught in something vast, unknown, too late to turn back.
At last, the private elevator came into view. A button pushed by Adrien made the doors glide apart without a sound. Inside, black marble met gleaming steel - rich to see, heavy to feel. Downward motion began, slow and steady. It hit Selene then - no questions had left her lips. Each idea that rose - running, pleading, thinking - got smothered fast. What waited wasn't chance. She'd already handed everything over.
A floor stretched out beyond the opening doors - she had never seen it before. Along the hall stood guards, still like dusk. Forward moved Adrien, fingers near her elbow; not quite contact, yet close enough to say without words: I am here, leading.
"This is your new life, Selene," he said quietly. "You will learn your place, your limits, and most importantly, your duty. Do not forget… the safety of your family rests entirely on your obedience."
Something locked up inside her neck. Arguing felt necessary, shouting even more so, yet the stone around her, the figures standing watch, plus that steady gaze from Adrien made every protest useless, every exit vanish like smoke. The room did not allow refusal.
At the hall's edge stood a door. Opening it, Adrien stepped into a space dripping with luxury yet feeling cold, confined. Light from the distant city poured through wide glass, cutting across flawless floors. The bed sat untouched, perfect in its stiffness.
"You will stay here," he said. "Do not leave without permission. And remember… one mistake, and there will be consequences."
Breath coming fast, Selene perched on the bed's edge, eyes fixed low. The room stayed quiet while chaos twisted inside her - fear tangled with anger, mixed around a feeling she could not pin down. Past the contract, past the pen on paper, yet now another test began. Not escape this time, but holding herself together when everything pulled apart.
For a while, Adrien just stood there, watching her. After that pause, he moved toward the exit, leaving without a word - only the soft click of the latch behind him. She stayed frozen, surrounded by stillness. Beyond the windows, traffic hummed, people hurried, lives unfolded - all blind to what had changed right here.
Face buried in her palms, Selene sat still. Safety came for her family - yet something felt broken. A pen, that paper, Adrien looming nearby - each one squeezed her ribs tighter than breath. How heavy promises could be.
For the first time ever, a cold thought hit her - this agreement held her down, sure, yet worse still, he did. The weight of both pressed close.