CAGED - A prisoner to their obsession

CHAPTER 24

AUGUST's POV

15,356.

15,357.

15,358.

That's how many seconds have passed. It took me that long to calm myself down.

My eyes grew heavier with each passing moment as I fought the urge to sleep. Fear gripped me. What would they do to me if I let my guard down, if I slipped into unconsciousness?

I tried to stay awake.

I tried to keep my eyes open.

I...

But I couldn't hold on any longer.

.
.
.

2 hours later

Shittttt.

I slept. Panic surged as I looked around frantically, but I was okay. The door was still closed.

Nobody came.

I am okay.

I will be okay.

I will be o—

"Wooohooo, c'mon, try a little higher!" I flinched at the familiar voice, followed by others, and then the crying sound of a... child?

Fuckkkk.

I ran toward the balcony, my eyes widening with horror.

Then, with a surge of adrenaline, I sprinted to the door. To my surprise, it was unlocked.

Breathing heavily, I made my way to the garden. Dread filled my heart as I saw the three brothers enjoying their evening snacks. Alexander and Lucius were working, while Elijah cheered on the guards who were tossing Aiden like a toy.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I saw his condition. Aiden was screaming, crying, and utterly terrified.

"Fucking stop that right now! What the hell are you doing? It's child abuse!" I yelled, my voice cracking with desperation.

My heart pounded like a war drum, each beat a reminder of the terror gripping me. The fear of losing Aiden clawed at my chest, a relentless beast threatening to consume me whole.

.
.

"Nooo, stop it please! He'll get hurt. He's already weak, pleaseee!"

"Pleaseee, pleaseee, pleaseee," August pleaded, grabbing the arm of one of the men. He pushed her away, making her a laughing stock.

"You're begging the wrong man, little doll," Lucien sneered. Before she could comprehend or react, the man who was laughing at her misery a second ago lay dead in a pool of his own blood. Lucien had shot him dead.

"The only men you will ever beg in front of are me or my brothers. If you ever let another man even think that he has some sort of ownership over you, I will rip him to pieces and make you sew his whole fucking body back together," Lucien growled.

August shivered, fear gripped her like icy chains tightened around her heart.

"You got it, doll?" Lucien sneered as he gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Did you? ANSWER ME!" he thundered.

August flinched and nodded vigorously, terror etched on her face.

"Try again, little bird," Elijah mocked. Lucien returned to his original position, a devilish smirk plastered on his face.

August's gaze shifted to the men still tossing Aiden in the air. Their earlier amusement had vanished, replaced by uneasy glances at their fallen comrade's lifeless body.

Aiden no longer screamed; he had fainted, prompting August to act on sheer instinct.

"Please, tell your men to release Aiden. Please, he's just a child. Do whatever you want to me, but let him go. I'm begging you," August implored, her voice trembling as she avoided their eyes.

"I think Alex is still hesitant. Look at him, little bird; he didn't even bother to glance your way," Elijah taunted, sipping his orange juice.

Alexander's ominous words echoed in her mind:

Soon you will be begging on your knees, darling.

The atmosphere was charged with palpable tension. August's heart pounded like a drum as fear and desperation gripped her. The brothers' cold, mocking stares served as a cruel reminder of the power they wielded over her and the fragile life of Aiden.

With the last shreds of her dignity clinging to her, August sank to her knees before the brothers.

"I am begging you, on my knees, please command your men to release Aiden and hand him over to me. Please, I am begging you," she pleaded, her voice raw and exposed.

Every ounce of her desperation lay bare before them, like a cracked and parched desert pleading for rain.

AUGUST's POV

Desperation drove me to crawl toward Alexander and clutch his leg. He hadn't spared me a single glance, the cruel bastard was reveling in my humiliation. I should have known what he would eventually use against me.

"M-Mr. R-Rivera, I-I a-am," I stammered, my voice choked with sobs. Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision. I gulped down my fear and tried to steady my breath before continuing.

"I-I am begging you on my knees, p-please order those m-men to release Aiden. I-I will do whatever you and your brothers want me to d-do. Please, sir." Finally, he glanced at me, only to roll his eyes and return to the file he had been reading.

It felt like my very presence was a waste of his precious time.

I was already on my knees, begging. What more did he want from me?

"Tsk, tsk. Little bird, you're failing to please my brother," Elijah taunted with a smirk.

"P-please, what else do you want me to d—" The realization hit me like a storm. His words echoed in my mind. A sob escaped my lips as I looked back at the men still tossing Aiden around. My heart raced; one wrong move could be fatal for him.

"I a-am ready to become whatever you want me to be," I whispered, barely audible. Never in my darkest nightmares had I imagined begging someone to strip me of my dignity.

"Huh? What was that? Can you repeat that, Rose?" Alexander set his file aside, his full attention now fixed on me.

I clutched the fabric of my dress tightly, my knuckles white from the pressure.

"I will be what you want me to be," I said, my gaze fixed on the ground.

"And what is that, Rose?" He feigned ignorance, a cruel glint in his eyes. Inside, I seethed with rage and humiliation.

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