The car ride was suffocating, the silence between Isla and Ethan so thick that even the hum of the engine couldn’t drown it out. Ethan sat beside her, exuding the same calm arrogance that had unnerved her since the moment he’d taken control of her life. His gaze was fixed forward, his body language perfectly composed, as if none of this was out of the ordinary for him.
But for Isla, the tension in the air felt like it was suffocating her. Every second with Ethan was like being in a cage, his presence reminding her of how powerless she was in this situation.
Her thoughts whirled chaotically. How did it come to this? How had she, someone who had prided herself on her independence, ended up as nothing more than a pawn in Ethan’s game? The man she once thought she knew, the man she had loved, had transformed into someone she could barely recognize.
“Where are we going?” she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper, though it trembled with a mix of fear and defiance.
Ethan turned his head slightly toward her, his cold eyes meeting hers for just a moment before he returned his gaze to the road ahead. “You’ll see soon enough,” he said cryptically, his tone dismissive, as if her question didn’t even deserve a real answer.
Isla clenched her fists in frustration. The urge to fight back, to somehow break free from the web of control he had spun around her, was growing stronger with every passing second. But deep down, she knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Ethan held all the cards, and for now, she was at his mercy.
Minutes passed like hours as they sped through the darkened streets. Isla stared out the window, watching the city lights blur into a streak of neon against the night sky. She tried to think of any possible way to escape, any way to outsmart Ethan and regain her freedom, but nothing came to mind. Every scenario led back to the same grim conclusion: Ethan was always a step ahead.
Eventually, the car began to slow down, and Isla’s heart raced as they approached a sprawling, high-security estate. It was larger than any mansion she’d ever seen, its towering gates lined with armed guards who stood at attention as the car passed through. The sheer size of the place was intimidating, and Isla couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread wash over her.
As the car came to a stop in front of the grand entrance, Ethan finally turned to her, his expression unreadable. “Welcome home,” he said, his voice laced with a dark amusement that made Isla’s skin crawl.
“Home?” Isla repeated, her stomach twisting with the realization of what he meant.
Ethan stepped out of the car, motioning for her to follow. Isla hesitated for a moment, her mind screaming at her to run, but she knew it was pointless. The guards were everywhere, and Ethan had made it clear—there was no escaping him.
Reluctantly, she got out of the car, her legs feeling weak as she took in the full view of the estate. It was a fortress. Cold, imposing, and designed to keep anyone who entered trapped inside.
“You don’t actually think I’m going to stay here, do you?” she said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the panic rising in her chest.
Ethan chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping over her. “You don’t have a choice, Isla. This is where you belong now. As my wife.”
The word “wife” felt like a knife twisting in her gut. The marriage she had once dreamed of had become a prison, and Ethan was its warden.
“I’m not your wife,” Isla spat, her defiance flaring up once more. “Not in the way that matters.”
Ethan’s eyes darkened, and for a moment, the amused mask he wore slipped, revealing the dangerous man beneath. He stepped closer to her, his voice low and menacing. “Oh, you’re my wife, Isla. Don’t ever forget that.”
Isla’s heart pounded as he closed the distance between them, his presence overwhelming her. She backed up instinctively, but there was nowhere to go. Ethan’s gaze was locked onto her, a dangerous intensity simmering just beneath the surface.
“You wanted to fight me, right?” he continued, his voice soft but dripping with menace. “Then fight me. But know this—I never lose.”
Isla’s breath caught in her throat as his words hung in the air, heavy with warning. He was playing a game she didn’t fully understand, but one thing was clear: Ethan wasn’t just fighting for control. He was determined to break her, to mold her into something that fit into his twisted version of love.
“So, let’s go? My wife,”
Before Isla could respond, Ethan grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward the entrance of the mansion. The touch was rough, possessive, and despite her instinct to pull away, she knew resisting would only provoke him further.
They entered the massive foyer, the opulence of the place making it feel more like a palace than a home. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the marble floors gleamed under the dim lighting. Every inch of the place screamed wealth and power, but to Isla, it felt cold, sterile—like a gilded cage.
Ethan’s grip on her wrist loosened slightly as they moved deeper into the mansion, but he still held her close, his control over her unyielding. “You’ll be staying in the west wing,” he said casually, as if this were some normal arrangements. “Everything you need will be provided for. All I ask is that you stop trying to run.”
Isla’s jaw clenched. “And what happens if I don’t?”
Ethan stopped walking, turning to face her fully. The air between them crackled with tension, and when he spoke, his voice was cold and unwavering. “Then you’ll see just how far I’m willing to go to keep you.”
Isla’s blood ran cold. The threat in his words was clear, and she knew Ethan was more than capable of following through on it.
For now, she had no choice but to comply. But as she stood there, staring into the eyes of the man who had once been her lover and now felt more like her captor, Isla made a silent vow to herself:
She would find a way to escape. No matter what it took.