Chapter 3 - The Penthouse Cage
Three days later,
I brought her home to my penthouse,
against the advice of my advisors and the whispers of my staff.
The apartment was a fortress of glass and steel,
overlooking the city that I had conquered.
Maya walked through the foyer,
and her eyes took in the marble floors and the priceless art with a look of disdain.
“Is this where you count your gold?”
she asked,
her voice still weak but sharp with anger.
“It’s where I live,”
I replied,
feeling a strange need to defend myself.
“It’s where I keep you safe,”
I added,
and she turned to look at me with a frown.
“I don't need your protection,
Silas,”
she said,
using my name for the first time.
“I need my life back,
the one you took from my family.”
I didn't argue,
because I knew she was right.
I led her to a guest suite that was larger than most apartments in the city.
The windows offered a view of the park,
and the bed was covered in the finest silk.
“You will stay here until you are fully healed,”
I told her,
standing in the doorway.
“My chef will prepare your meals,”
“and my private doctor will visit every day.”
She sat on the edge of the bed,
looking lost in the vastness of the room.
“Why are you doing this?”
she asked,
looking up at me with those wide,
searching eyes.
“Is it guilt?”
“Is it pity?”
“It’s an obligation,”
I lied,
because I couldn't admit that her presence had awakened something in me.
I had spent years surrounded by people who wanted my money,
but she was the only one who saw the emptiness behind it.
She looked away,
her fingers tracing the pattern on the silk.
“I want to go back to my studio,”
she whispered.
“I am an artist,
not a pet.”
“When you are strong enough,”
I promised,
“I will buy you the best studio in New York.”
“I don't want your money,”
she snapped,
and the fire in her eyes made my heart skip a beat.
“Then I will find another way,”
May you like
I said,
and I left her alone in her golden cage.
