Chapter 4 A Glided Cage

• Madeline stood motionless in the center of the grand bedroom, her eyes darting from one opulent detail to the next. The high ceilings were adorned with an intricate chandelier that shimmered faintly in the soft afternoon light. A plush, king-sized bed sat at the far end of the room, its velvet canopy draped like something out of a fairy tale.
• But nothing about this place felt magical.
• If anything, it felt suffocating.
• The heavy door clicked shut behind her, and Madeline turned, startled, to see the same suited man who had escorted her in. His face was blank, his posture stiff.
• “Your belongings will be brought to you shortly,” he said, his voice clipped and professional. “You are not to leave this room unless instructed otherwise.”
• Madeline stared at him, her lips parting slightly. “What do you mean, ‘instructed otherwise’? I’m not a prisoner.”
• The man didn’t reply. He simply inclined his head slightly and left, the lock clicking behind him.
• Madeline’s fists clenched at her sides. She strode to the door and yanked on the handle, but it didn’t budge. The realization hit her like a blow to the chest.
• She was locked in.
• Her breath came quicker as she paced the length of the room. This wasn’t permanent. It couldn’t be. They were probably just being cautious, making sure she wouldn’t try to run.
• That’s what her sister had done, after all.
• The thought of Madison twisted like a knife in her stomach. How had she been so selfish, leaving Madeline to face this nightmare?
• The anger came quick and hot, but just as quickly, it fizzled into something colder.
• Fear.
• Madeline crossed the room to the window. The estate sprawled beneath her in carefully manicured perfection, but beyond the gates, a dense forest stretched as far as the eye could see. Dark. Impenetrable. An illusion of freedom.
• A soft knock came at the door.
• Madeline spun as it opened, and a young woman in a simple black dress entered, balancing a tray in her hands. She was petite, with wide blue eyes and brown hair pulled into a tidy bun.
• She set the tray on the small table near the bed and offered Madeline a timid smile. “I’m Kayla,” she said softly. “Mr. Callahan sent me to bring you dinner.”
• Madeline didn’t move from the window. “Is he in the habit of locking his… guests in their rooms?”
• Kayla hesitated, her smile faltering. “It’s… for your safety.”
• “My safety?” Madeline let out a bitter laugh. “Is that what they call it?”
• Kayla looked down, clearly unsure how to respond. She busied herself with arranging the tray, her movements quick and efficient. “If you need anything, you can ring the bell by the door,” she said after a moment. “I’ll be close by.”
• Madeline watched her, a thousand questions bubbling to the surface, but she bit them back. Kayla didn’t seem like the type to have answers—or the freedom to give them, even if she did.
• “Thank you,” Madeline said finally, her voice quieter.
• Kayla nodded and left, closing the door behind her.
• The lock clicked again.
• Madeline’s jaw tightened. She stared at the tray for a long moment before finally crossing the room. The scent of roasted chicken and vegetables wafted up, but her appetite was nowhere to be found.
• Instead, she sank onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, the weight of her new reality pressing down on her.
• The first knock came late that night.
• Madeline sat up quickly, her pulse spiking.
• Before she could call out, the door opened.
• Ivan stepped inside.
• The air in the room shifted instantly.
• His presence was overwhelming, consuming. A shadow stretching across the room, swallowing the light.
• Madeline gripped the edge of the sheets as she took him in. He wasn’t dressed as he had been earlier—no suit, no tie. Instead, he wore a black button-down, unbuttoned at the collar, the sleeves rolled up to reveal the strong forearms beneath.
• Her pulse quickened.
• It was ridiculous. She shouldn’t be noticing things like that.
• Ivan’s gaze swept over her, assessing, unreadable. Then he stepped forward, closing the door behind him.
• “You’re awake,” he said.
• She forced herself to hold his gaze. “Hard to sleep when you’re locked in a cage.”
• Something flickered in his eyes—amusement, perhaps, but it was gone too fast to tell. He leaned against the door, arms crossed over his chest.
• “This isn’t a prison,” he said.
• Madeline let out a sharp laugh. “Could’ve fooled me.”
• His lips twitched, but his expression remained composed. “Would you rather be elsewhere?”
• Yes.
• The word was right there, waiting to be spoken. But when she met his gaze, her mouth refused to form it.
• He was watching her so intently, his gray eyes like a storm cloud rolling over the horizon, unreadable yet charged.
• Dangerous.
• She swallowed hard. “I don’t know.”
• Ivan pushed off the door and took a slow step closer.
• Madeline’s breath hitched.
• It wasn’t fear. Not entirely.
• “You should get some rest,” he said, his voice lower now, quieter. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”
• He turned to leave, but before he could reach the door, she spoke.
• “Why me?”
• He stilled, his back to her.
• She bit her lip, forcing herself to continue. “You could’ve rejected the deal. Could’ve sent me back. But you didn’t.”
• Slowly, he turned to face her again.
• The tension between them thickened, stretching across the space like a tether neither of them could sever.
• “I don’t like loose ends,” Ivan said finally.
• A chill ran through her.
• “That’s it?” she asked.
• His lips curved into something almost resembling a smirk. “That’s all you need to know.”
• Madeline’s stomach twisted, frustration bubbling up. “And what if I don’t accept that answer?”
• Ivan took another step closer, and this time, she didn’t move away.
• “You don’t have to accept it,” he murmured. “You only have to live with it.”
• For a moment, they just stood there, silence stretching between them.
• Madeline wasn’t sure who looked away first.
• But when Ivan finally turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind him, the room felt impossibly empty.
• And Madeline…
• She felt more trapped than ever.