Shattered Vows

New cage

The air was heavy with tension as Isa sat in the backseat of Luca De Santis’ car, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat so tightly her knuckles turned white.

The hum of the engine drowned out her frantic thoughts, but nothing could quiet the pounding in her chest. She had been sold like a piece of property, taken from one nightmare and thrust into another.

Her eyes darted to the man beside her—Luca, silent and unreadable, his posture relaxed as if this was just another transaction.

His sharp profile was illuminated by the dim streetlights as the car sped through the city. He didn’t look at her, didn’t speak, but his presence was overwhelming.

Isa could feel the weight of his power, suffocating and inescapable.

She wanted to ask him what was going to happen to her, what he intended to do now that she belonged to him, but the words wouldn’t come.

Her throat was tight, fear knotting in her stomach. Would this be worse than the life she had just escaped?

Could there even be something worse than Antonio’s fists, his cruel laughter, his constant reminders that she was nothing?

Isa turned her gaze to the window, watching the city lights blur past.

She didn’t know where they were going, but wherever it was, she knew her fate had been sealed the moment Luca accepted her as payment.

The car came to a stop in front of a large, gated estate. The high walls loomed over them, cold and foreboding, the wrought iron gates slowly creaking open as the car rolled inside.

Isa felt her heart sink even further. She was entering another cage, just as dark, just as suffocating.

The driver pulled the car to a stop in front of the grand entrance, and Luca finally moved.

Without a word, he stepped out, leaving Isa in the backseat for a moment that felt like an eternity.

The door opened, and she flinched slightly as Luca stood over her, his expression unreadable.

“Get out,” he said, his voice low but commanding.

Isa’s body obeyed before her mind had a chance to process. She stepped out of the car, her legs unsteady beneath her.

The cool night air wrapped around her, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside. She stood there, staring up at the massive mansion in front of her, its windows dark, its structure imposing.

It wasn’t a home—it was a fortress.

Luca walked ahead, expecting her to follow, and she did, trailing behind him as if tethered by an invisible chain.

Her mind was still reeling, her instincts screaming at her to run, to hide, but there was no escape. Not from him.

They entered the mansion, the doors closing behind them with a soft thud that echoed through the large, empty foyer.

Isa’s eyes swept over the luxurious interior, but the coldness of it all only deepened her fear. Everything was pristine, polished, and sterile. This place felt like it held secrets—dark, dangerous secrets.

Luca didn’t stop walking until they reached a door at the end of the hallway.

He opened it, stepping aside to let her in. Isa hesitated, her feet rooted to the floor.

The small flicker of defiance she had buried deep inside her was fighting to surface, but the cold look in Luca’s eyes snuffed it out.

“Go inside,” he ordered, his voice leaving no room for argument.

Isa stepped into the room, her heart pounding as she crossed the threshold.

The door closed behind her, and she was suddenly alone in what seemed to be a guest room—elegant but empty of personal touches.

The large bed, the antique furniture, and the curtained windows all seemed like pieces in a display, lifeless and devoid of warmth.

She stood there, unsure of what to do. Her mind flashed back to the last few hours—Antonio’s drunken threats, Luca’s cold acceptance of her as a payment, and now this.

Trapped again, only this time in a much grander cage. She was powerless, her fate in the hands of a man who had barely spoken to her, but whose presence screamed of danger.

Isa’s legs gave out beneath her, and she sank onto the edge of the bed, her hands trembling in her lap.

She stared down at them, willing herself to hold it together. She had survived Antonio’s cruelty for years. She could survive this too, couldn’t she?

A soft knock at the door made her jump, and a woman entered the room, her movements quick and efficient. She was older, dressed in dark clothing, her expression neutral but not unkind.

“Mr. De Santis asked me to bring you something to eat,” she said, setting a tray down on the small table by the window. “You should eat something.”

Isa didn’t respond. She barely acknowledged the woman’s presence, her mind still swirling in a fog of fear and uncertainty. The woman lingered for a moment, her gaze softening as she looked at Isa.

“I know you’re scared,” she said gently, her voice low. “But you’ll be safe here. Mr. De Santis doesn’t tolerate harm coming to those under his protection.”

Isa blinked, her eyes darting to the woman. Protection? Is that what this was? She didn’t feel safe. She felt like a prisoner in a place she didn’t belong, surrounded by people she couldn’t trust.

The woman gave her a small nod and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Isa was alone again, the silence pressing down on her.

Her stomach twisted, and she glanced at the untouched tray of food, but the thought of eating made her nauseous.

She curled up on the bed, pulling her knees to her chest, trying to block out the reality of her situation. She was no longer in Antonio’s clutches, but she wasn’t free.

She was in Luca’s world now, and she had no idea what that meant for her future.

As exhaustion finally took hold, Isa’s thoughts grew hazy. Her last coherent thought before sleep claimed her was that, despite everything, she would survive. She had no choice.

But as her eyes closed, a quiet voice in the back of her mind whispered that this was only the beginning. And in Luca’s world, survival would come at a cost.

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