Adrian's Mansion
Another day – Late Afternoon after training
Raya sat on the stone steps outside the grand estate Adrian had locked her in—or rather, kept her in. "Locked" made it sound like she was chained in some dark dungeon. But no, her prison was a paradise… if you didn't know better.
The garden around her was manicured to perfection. Wild roses curled up white trellises. A quiet fountain trickled peacefully in the center of the yard, birds sang in the distance, and the sky above looked far too free for how she felt inside. The mansion itself towered behind her—modern, intimidating, and beautiful—a fortress wrapped in elegance.
She rested her chin on her knees, eyes drifting to the winding driveway beyond the iron gate. It was long—almost impossibly so—and guarded like a military base. Two men stood near the entrance, armed and alert. Another patrolled the yard, pretending to mind his own business but glancing at her every few seconds.
She wasn't stupid.
