Drawn to Lust

The Cage Of Vows (prologue)

Bambi stood in front of the mirror, her hands trembling as she fastened the last pearl button on her wedding dress. The satin fabric clung to her skin like a prison, and the lace collar choked her every breath. This was not how she had imagined her life. No girl grows up dreaming of being trapped in a marriage with a man like Valerian Dimitri-a cold, ruthless head of the mafia whose power and wealth stretched farther than she could comprehend.

Her parents had arranged it. For them, it was a matter of survival. Valerian's empire protected them, kept them safe from rivals and ensured their family stayed out of financial ruin. But for Bambi, this was a sentence. The moment her father signed the contract, her life ceased to be her own.

The door creaked open behind her, and Bambi didn't need to turn around to know who it was. She could feel his presence, the air in the room thickening with the suffocating weight of him. Valerian Dimitri-tall, imposing, and far too dangerous. His dark eyes, like bottomless pits, locked onto her through the reflection in the mirror.

"You look beautiful," he said in that low, gravelly voice of his. It wasn't a compliment. It was a claim, a reminder that she now belonged to him.

Bambi forced herself to meet his gaze in the mirror, her chin lifted defiantly. "I don't belong to you," she whispered, even though every part of her body screamed the opposite.

His lips curved into a slow, cruel smile. "You've belonged to me since the day your father signed that contract. Today just makes it official."

She wanted to scream, to tear off the dress, and run as fast as she could. But every time she tried to escape, Valerian would always find her. The first time had been a month ago. She had packed a small bag, slipped out of the house in the middle of the night, and made it as far as the train station. She thought she was safe. She had even felt a brief flicker of hope, imagining a life far away from him, far from the stifling grip of his world.

But before she could board the train, two of his men appeared, grabbing her before she could even react. They dragged her back to Valerian, and the punishment had been swift, brutal, and unforgettable. He didn't have to lay a hand on her to make her understand what defiance would cost her. One look from those cold, calculating eyes was enough. That night, he had locked her in a room with nothing but a mattress on the floor for three days. No food, no water. Just isolation and the knowledge that there was no escape.

She had tried again a week later, hoping to slip away during a social event he had taken her to. But Valerian was always three steps ahead. It was as if he could sense her every move, anticipate her every thought. This time, the punishment had been worse-days spent in the basement of his mansion, shackled to the wall like a prisoner, the darkness closing in around her until she thought she would lose her mind.

"Don't think of running again, Bambi," he murmured, stepping closer, his breath warm against her neck. "The next time, I won't be so forgiving."

She shuddered, hating how powerless she felt. Hating him. Hating her parents for selling her off like some commodity.

"You can't keep me forever," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He moved closer, his hand tracing the delicate line of her jaw, sending a chill down her spine. "Forever isn't long enough, sweetheart."

Valerian stepped back, his eyes still locked on hers, as if daring her to challenge him again. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her reflection and the crushing reality of her situation.

Bambi's fingers tightened around the edge of the vanity, knuckles white. She needed a plan, something he wouldn't see coming. Every time she ran, he found her, but there had to be a way out. There had to be.

She would wait. Wait until he believed she had accepted her fate. Wait until he let his guard down, just once. And when that moment came, she would disappear without a trace.

But tonight... tonight, she was marrying the devil.

The ceremony was a blur. Valerian's hand felt heavy around hers as he led her down the aisle. The guests, a mixture of her family and Valerian's associates, watched with cold, calculating eyes. There was no love in this union. No warmth. Only the promise of control, power, and ownership.

When they exchanged vows, Valerian's gaze never wavered from hers, as if daring her to resist even in this final moment. She couldn't. Not now. Not yet.

The reception was just as hollow. She danced with him, her body stiff in his arms, while his fingers pressed possessively into her waist. Every step felt like a countdown, every forced smile a reminder that she had become a prisoner in a gilded cage.

Later that night, when the guests had finally left and the mansion was silent, Bambi sat on the edge of the massive bed in Valerian's private suite. Her wedding dress was crumpled on the floor, a ghost of the woman she had once been. She heard him enter the room behind her, his footsteps slow, deliberate.

She didn't turn around. She didn't want to see him, didn't want to feel the weight of his gaze. But she couldn't stop herself from asking, "Why me?"

There was a long silence. Then, his voice, dark and cold, cut through the air. "Because you're mine, Bambi. And nothing you do will ever change that."

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms until they drew blood. She would prove him wrong. She had to. She just needed one chance, one moment where he wasn't watching, where his control slipped.

As Valerian moved closer, his presence enveloping her, Bambi closed her eyes and made a silent vow.

She would find a way out.

No matter the cost.