Velvet Cage

Prologue

Rain hit the city like it wanted revenge.
The streets below glowed with blurred lights and reflections, cars moving like ghosts through the storm while thunder shook the glass walls of the penthouse.
Inside, silence.Heavy silence. The kind that made breathing feel too loud. Noeul stood near the massive windows, his fingers trembling slightly around the glass of whiskey he hadn't touched. His heart was beating too fast. Too hard. Behind him, someone moved. Slowly. Calmly.
"Are you scared of me?" Boss's voice was soft. That was what made it worse.
Noeul let out a quiet laugh, forcing confidence into it. "Should I be?"
The room fell silent again. Then- A hand reached past him. Boss took the untouched glass from Noeul's hand and placed it down carefully on the table beside them. Every movement was controlled. Precise.
Noeul hated how calm he always looked.
Like nothing in the world could shake him.
Boss stood close now.Too close. "You're shaking," he murmured. "I'm cold."
"That's a lie." Noeul swallowed hard. Boss's eyes slowly lifted to meet his reflection in the window. Dark eyes. Unreadable eyes. The type of eyes that looked empty one second... then terrifyingly intense the next.
"You keep looking at the door," Boss said quietly. "Do you want to leave?"
Noeul opened his mouth.Nothing came out.Because the truth was... He didn't know anymore. Boss stepped even closer until Noeul could feel warmth behind him.
"Say it," Boss whispered. The storm outside grew louder. Noeul finally turned around, anger flashing through his fear.
"You think you can control everything."
For the first time that night- Boss smiled.
Not warmly. Not kindly. The kind of smile that made something feel deeply wrong.
"I already do." Noeul's breath caught.
And then Boss gently fixed the collar of Noeul's shirt like a loving boyfriend would.
Soft. Careful.Terrifying. "You should've never walked into that hotel that night," Boss said quietly.A pause.Then-

"Now it's too late to leave."