Olivia Ramirez woke to the unfamiliar scent of leather and cigar smoke. Her eyes blinked against the dim, golden light streaming through heavy curtains. Panic gripped her chest as she struggled to remember where she was. The familiar warmth of her room, the comfort of home—it was all gone.
Her hands trembled as she pushed herself up. The soft carpet beneath her feet felt alien, and the furniture was dark, rich, and intimidating. A tall figure stood by the window, his silhouette framed by the city lights outside.
"Who…who are you?" she stammered, her voice shaking.
The man turned around slowly. In that moment, memories hit her like a hammer—the muffled conversation she had overheard before passing out: her parents, speaking in hushed tones, smiling as if it were just business. "She's ours to sell…Soren Smith will take her."
Her heart skipped. Her stomach churned. Her breath caught. So this was Soren Smith, the man whose name had been whispered with fear and respect in equal measure. The powerful, untouchable figure her parents had handed her over to.
"Oh…no," she whispered, sinking onto the edge of the bed as the full realization crashed over her.
The room spun, and the fear she'd tried to push away the moment she woke up returned tenfold.
Her breath caught in her throat. "You…you bought me?" she whispered, disbelief cracking her voice.
"Soren Smith smirk was faint but dangerous. 'And your parents made the choice, Olivia. One I'm bound to honor.'"
The betrayal hit like a punch. Her own parents… the people who were supposed to protect her…sold her. She sank to the edge of the bed, trying to process the nightmare her life had become.
"You…you can't do this!" she choked out, tears threatening to fall. "I'm your daughter, your responsibility—how could you…"
"Right now, I don't think self pity is the best thing to do, you should focus on performing your role".
"Her heart pounded my role?, what do you mean"
He stepped closer, the weight of his presence pressing down on her.
"You are under a contract. A marriage contract. You're…mine, legally and.... otherwise."
The words were like ice. Olivia's mind spun. Marriage? Contract? Trapped? Her chest tightened as the walls of her world crumbled. She had never felt so powerless.
"You…you can't make me do this!" she shouted, her voice cracking—anger and fear mixing into a strange, burning defiance.
Soren's gaze didn't waver. I'm afraid it's already done. Resistance.....only makes it harder for you".
Olivia swallowed hard. Rage and desperation surged. Her parents had betrayed her, and now she was bound to a man she barely knew, a man whose power could crush her without a thought. She wanted to scream, to run, to dissappear_but there was no where to go.
Hours passed_or maybe it was minutes_ she didn't know. soren left the room briefly and Olivia's mind race.how could she escaped from this bottomless pit?, her life had been ripped from her hands, and she was now trapped in a golden cage.
When soren returned, he carried an envelope. He place it on the table and looked at her with an expression that was both intimidating and oddly calm, "read this, it explains everything".
Trembling, Olivia opened the envelope. Inside was the contract, all formal language and signatures,her name, his name, her parent's signature, Everything legal, binding, inescapable.
"good now she'married without knowing it"
Tears spilled down her cheeks. She crumpled the paper in her hands but the reality didn't change. She was trapped, sold, framed, forced into a life she hadn't chosen.
Soren watched her silently then finally spoke. "I know this is hard but you will learn and eventually...you'll underage why this was necessary
"Necessary?" Olivia's voice was barely a whisper. This is cruel. This is wrong.
He stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on the table, inches from hers.
"Life isn't always fair, Olivia. Sometimes… survival means enduring things you never wanted."
For a brief moment, something softened in his expression. But before she could understand it, it disappeared.
Wait… did he just comfort me?
Olivia wanted to scream. She wanted to fight. She wanted to disappear. But most of all, she wanted answers. And somehow, she knew this was only the beginning.
Soren stood up and left the room, instructing the maids he came across on his way to the study to bring Olivia some food since she hadn't eaten all day.
"Yes, young master," they bowed and hurried away.
Olivia sat down at the edge of the bed, lost and confused. Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
"Miss Ramirez?" a maid whispered nervously. "Young master has instructed that food be brought to you, and your room prepared with everything you might need."
Olivia blinked, still trying to process everything.
"Everything?" she asked quietly.
The maid nodded. "Clothes, shoes, toiletries… anything you require. Young master said to ensure you are comfortable."
Comfortable?
The word twisted painfully in her chest. She was anything but comfortable. She had been taken, treated like an object, and now expected to relax?
"I don't need anything for now, you can leave"
"Yes maam"
A moment later, another maid returned with a tray of warm, neatly arranged food.
Hunger battled fear, and hunger won. She ate slowly, each bite reminding her she had no control over her life anymore
She had just finished eating when another knock came.
"Miss Ramirez… young master requests your presence in his study," the maid whispered.
Her heart jumped.
Following the maid through long, echoing corridors, Olivia watched servants slip silently out of her way. Their whispers faded as she passed.
When they reached the study, Soren sat behind a massive desk, radiating power and authority. Even the air seemed to belong to him.
"You're here," he said, calm but firm. "Good. I want to inform you of tonight's plans."
Olivia's stomach lurched.
"Plans?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"There's a gala tonight," he replied, eyes fixed on her. "Important people will be there. You are expected to attend, and you will dress appropriately."
"A… gala? Tonight?" Olivia stuttered. "I haven't even recovered from the news of being sold—"
Soren's expression didn't change.
"This is the way of my world. You either adapt… or you suffer."
The words hit her like ice.
Shocked and still reeling, Olivia had no choice but to follow the maid back to her room. It was already half past eight. Inside, two maids waited with stacks of gowns, shoes, and accessories.
They helped her into a deep-colored gown that hugged her figure, styled her hair into soft waves, and added subtle jewelry that sparkled under the lights.
Finally ready, she barely recognized the girl in the mirror.
A stranger.
Dressed for a life she had never chosen.
Downstairs, Soren was already waiting. Calm and composed. His gaze flicked over her for only a second, unreadable.
He masked whatever thought crossed his mind and walked toward the car. Olivia followed.
The drive to the gala was silent—heavy with tension. Olivia couldn't meet his eyes, but she felt every bit of his presence pressing down on her. City lights smeared across the windows as her thoughts raced.
I don't belong in this world. And yet… there's no escaping it.
When they arrived, Olivia's breath caught.
The ballroom stretched out, glittering with crystal chandeliers and gold accents. Elegant people filled the room, their clothes expensive enough to blind her.
But what stunned her most was the reaction to Soren Smith.
Respect.
Fear.
Obedience.
People parted for him without a word. Some whispered his name. Some bowed their heads.
Olivia finally understood:
Soren didn't just live here. He ruled this world.
And she was trapped inside it.
"Appearances matter," he said quietly as they walked. "One wrong move… one mistake… and the consequences won't fall on me."
He paused.
"They'll fall on you."
"Understand?" he added.
"Yes…" she whispered, though the word felt hollow.
She forced herself to smile at the people introduced to her, but inside, her heart raced. Every glance from soren reminded her he held all the control. And his world demanded only three things:
Perfection.
Obedience.
Fear.
By the time the car drove them back to the mansion, Olivia was exhausted, overwhelmed, and strangely aware. She had survived her first night in Soren Smith's world.
But deep down, she knew this was only the beginning.
As they entered the mansion, Soren went straight to his study, leaving her to wonder if he ever left that room at all.
A bodyguard guided her back to her room through the maze-like hallways. At her doorstep., she turned to thank him—
but he was already gone.
Vanished.
Without a sound.
Confused, but too drained to dwell on it, she stepped into her room.
She switched on the lights and finally saw the room properly.
It was huge—beautiful, soft, decorated in shades of pink and purple. A king-sized bed in the middle. A chandelier worth millions. A large vanity on the left side. Two doors on the right—one leading to a massive bathroom, the other to a walk-in closet filled with clothes and shoes she had never dreamed of owning.
She walked into the bathroom and froze again.
It was larger than her entire bedroom at home.
Everything she needed was here.
Everything except freedom.
Needing to clear her mind, she stepped into the shower and turned the water cold. The icy water hit her skin, but her thoughts drowned out the feeling.
How is everyone at home?
Is Laila worried?
How do I escape if my connection to the outside world is completely cut off?
Her chest tightened, and before she could stop herself, tears spilled out.
Soft sobs echoed in the bathroom, her cries muffled by the steam. She didn't know how long she cried—long enough for her tears to stop and her body to grow numb from sitting too long.
Shivering, she finally stood up and dried herself.
She dressed in a simple white pajama set and turned off the lights.
She lay in the huge bed, staring into the darkness.
But sleep didn't come.
Her mind kept whispering the same terrifying truth:
She was trapped in his world.
And she had no idea how to break free.