Morning came too soon.
The bedroom door creaked open. A woman entered—neatly dressed, cold and expressionless. She placed a folded outfit on the chair.
"Put this on," she said curtly. "The master is waiting."
Sera looked at the outfit: a plain white dress, clean… but it felt like a prisoner's uniform.
Reluctantly, she changed. Her ankle still ached from the night before, but she forced herself to move. Outside, two large men waited and escorted her down a long hallway to a lavish dining room.
At the far end of the room, Vince sat reading the newspaper like nothing had happened.
He looked up as Sera entered.
"Sit," he said calmly, motioning to the chair across from him.
Sera obeyed slowly. The silence between them was louder than any scream.
After a few tense moments, Vince finally spoke.
"There are rules in this house. And you will memorize them."
Sera lowered her gaze, saying nothing.
"One—you are not to leave without my permission. Two—you speak to no one unless I say so. Three…" He leaned in slightly, locking eyes with her. "...you never try to escape again."
Her fists clenched. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Because you're valuable," he said simply. "And I protect what's mine."
"I'm not a thing…"
"But you are mine."
Vince stood and walked over to her. He picked a fresh red rose from a vase on the table—its thorns sharp and unapologetic.
He held it out to her.
"This rose... it's beautiful, but it can hurt you. Just like you. That's why it needs to be watched."
She took it hesitantly. One of the thorns pricked her finger. She winced.
Vince smiled faintly. "First lesson: not everything beautiful can be touched freely."
He looked at her for a moment before turning away. "If you try again, I will put a chain on your ankle."
Sera froze. She wanted to scream, to run—but her voice was lost.
Without another word, Vince turned and walked back to his chair.
He sat calmly, continuing his breakfast as if he hadn't just threatened her.
The clinking of silverware against the plate echoed in her ears—more terrifying than any shout.
Then he stood and left, leaving Sera behind—holding a bleeding rose and a heart that didn't know whether to fear him... or herself.
And for the first time, Sera felt... this was only the beginning.