CHAPTER 6: THE SILK CAGE
ARORA'S POV
The words hung in the air: "You are my missing piece." The raw vulnerability in her own voice, the desperate hope in Nathaniel's eyes—it was too much. Too fast. Too real. Her mind, already reeling from the impossibility of their connection, screamed one word: escape.
Before Nathaniel could react, before Jake could even shift, Arora bolted. The kitchen, the living room, the grand foyer—it was a blur of polished marble and shimmering light as her bare feet slapped against the floor. She ignored the startled shouts from behind her, ignored the confused faces of the few crew members still lingering in the mansion. Her only thought was out.
The heavy oak front doors seemed miles away, but she lunged, fumbling with the intricate latch. It clicked open, revealing the cool pre-dawn air and the promise of freedom. She burst out, gasping, not caring if a camera caught her panicked flight.
But freedom wasn't waiting.
A sleek, black limousine, impossibly long and tinted, purred silently at the foot of the mansion's steps. Its back door opened with a soft hiss, revealing not a show driver, but a figure shrouded in shadow.
"Get in, Miss Creek," a voice, silken and unyielding, commanded from within.
Arora froze. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. This wasn't an escape. This was an interception. Every instinct screamed danger, but the door remained open, an undeniable invitation. Or a threat. She glanced back at the mansion, expecting Nathaniel to burst out, but the doors remained closed. Trapped.
With no other choice, she slid into the opulent interior. The door closed behind her, cutting off the last vestiges of the pre-dawn light. The scent of expensive leather and something cloyingly sweet filled the air. The limo glided forward, away from the mansion, away from Nathaniel, and into the deepening mystery.
The shadowy figure shifted. A hand, elegant and manicured, emerged from the dimness, pushing a single silk rose towards her. It was a deep, velvety red, unnervingly perfect.
"Arora Creek," the voice said, closer now, belonging to a woman. "Such a unique blend of strength and… possibility. My name is Elara Thorne."
Arora's breath hitched. Thorne. The host's last name. A cold dread seeped into her bones. The show, the scholarship, the visa—it was all connected.
"What do you want?" Arora managed, her voice barely a whisper.
Elara's lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile. "Only what's best for Nathaniel. And perhaps, for you." Her eyes, even in the dimness, gleamed with an unsettling intelligence. "You are indeed his missing piece, child. A divine coincidence in a world of carefully calculated risks."
Arora's blood ran cold. Divine coincidence. The word echoed the desperation in Nathaniel's own eyes moments ago. This woman knew. She knew everything.
"He's… important to us," Elara continued, her voice soft, yet chillingly firm. "His condition has been a burden for too long. And you, Arora, are the solution we've been searching for." She paused, leaning closer. "A solution we went to great lengths to find. And to bring here."
Arora felt a fresh wave of panic. They had brought her here. Orchestrated it all. She was no accidental participant, no lucky find. She was a carefully selected, naturally occurring variable in someone else's grand experiment.
"What do you mean?" Arora whispered, though a terrifying suspicion was already forming.
"The details aren't important right now," Elara said, dismissing her with a wave of her hand. "What is important is your cooperation. You see, Nathaniel has a… unique reaction to you. A highly beneficial one. You will stay with us, away from the cameras, away from the prying eyes of the network. You will help us understand why you are Nathaniel's key." Her gaze hardened. "Or your scholarship disappears for good, your visa is revoked, and you will be sent back home, having gained nothing."
The threat was clear, unequivocal. Arora's mind raced, desperate. The man she'd just left, broken and searching for answers, had been lying to her. But this woman, who claimed to want to cure him, seemed to have orchestrated her entire life just to put her in this position.
She looked out the window, but there was nothing but the blur of trees and the impenetrable night. She was trapped in a silk cage, and suddenly, the million dollars seemed like a cruel joke.