Chapter 5
1362words
"Miss Winters? Your breakfast is ready."
I blinked in surprise. Morning had come, and somehow I'd actually slept—without a single nightmare.
This was unprecedented. Since being bound to the system, my sleep had been plagued by constant nightmares. Could Sean's presence actually be suppressing these effects?
I opened the door to find a young woman in an immaculate maid's uniform, holding a silver breakfast tray.
Her face was completely blank, her eyes vacant and glassy—like a beautiful, meticulously crafted doll.
"Miss Winters, breakfast is served," she said with perfect politeness but absolutely no inflection.
I studied her carefully. She emanated neither the warmth of the living nor the cold of the dead—something in-between that defied categorization.
"What are you?" I asked cautiously.
"I am Lucy, the housekeeper," she replied mechanically. "Master has instructed me to attend to all your needs during your stay."
Lucy placed the tray on a small table by the window, then stood perfectly still, like a mannequin awaiting instructions.
I cautiously bit into a sandwich and was startled by its perfection—the bread freshly baked, the ingredients perfectly balanced. The unexpected quality caught me by surprise.
"Where's Sean?" I asked casually, hoping to gather information.
"Master is in his study," she replied without emotion.
I set down the sandwich and tried the door, finding it locked once again. "Can you let me out?" I asked Lucy, unable to hide my frustration.
She bowed slightly, her voice polite but unyielding. "I apologize, Miss Winters. Master's instructions are clear—you are to remain here until he permits otherwise."
My heart sank. I was literally a bird in a gilded cage. I paced the room, rage building with each step.
"Please calm yourself, Miss Winters." Lucy's emotionless voice attempted something like reassurance. "Master is only concerned for your safety."
"Safety?" I laughed bitterly. "I'm being held prisoner, and you're talking about my safety?"
"Missing me already?" A deep voice interrupted as Sean pushed open the door. He wore casual loungewear that softened his dangerous edge, giving him a deceptively relaxed appearance.
I glared at him, seething. His dark eyes sparkled with amusement, as if my anger was a particularly entertaining show.
"What exactly do you want from me?" I demanded, my voice shaking with rage. "Am I your prisoner now?"
My body tensed involuntarily as he approached.
He stepped closer and reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face with unexpected gentleness. His fingertips barely grazed my skin yet left trails of electricity in their wake.
"Prisoner?" He chuckled softly as his finger traced down my cheek to lift my chin. His touch remained ice-cold yet somehow burned. "I prefer to think of it as protection, Sophie."
"Protection?" I scoffed. "Locking someone up isn't protection—it's control."
"Would you prefer I let you wander freely?" He leaned closer, his breath carrying that strange cold scent as it caressed my cheek. "Those entities would tear you apart within minutes."
His gaze dropped to my lips, his eyes darkening with something dangerous and intimate.
My breathing quickened traitorously, my heart hammering against my ribs.
"Besides," his voice dropped to a hypnotic murmur, "don't you need me? Only in my presence does your life force remain stable. Isn't that right?"
I froze in shock. He knew exactly how my life force worked! Nothing about me was hidden from him. The vulnerability was terrifying.
"You..." Words failed me completely.
Before I could recover, his fingers traced my lips with deliberate slowness.
His touch was frigid yet sent sparks of electricity through me, raising goosebumps across my skin as he outlined my mouth.
I couldn't breathe, couldn't move—trapped not just by his presence but by something deeper and more primal. His eyes held the intensity of a predator about to strike.
I instinctively backed away until I hit the wall. Cornered. Trapped. No escape.
"You taste exquisite," he whispered, his voice dark velvet wrapped around steel. His gaze fixed on my lips with hungry intensity. "The essence of the living—especially yours—is the finest sustenance."
He didn't kiss me, merely pressed his thumb against my lower lip in a gesture both intimate and threatening.
Ice crawled up my spine. The threat was unmistakable—he could devour me anytime he wished, and I would be powerless to stop him.
"Don't fear," he chuckled, the sound sending electric currents through my veins. "I won't consume you. After all, what man destroys his own possessions?"
His words weren't reassurance but a declaration of ownership—I was his property, his territory, his possession.
Humiliation and fury boiled within me. I was being treated as a thing—a pet, a trophy, a potential meal.
"I am not yours!" I hissed, attempting dignity despite my trembling voice.
He straightened, regarding me with cool amusement rather than anger—like a cat watching a mouse's futile struggles.
"Aren't you?" One eyebrow arched elegantly, his voice carrying absolute certainty. "We'll see about that."
He turned and strode to the floor-to-ceiling window, making a casual gesture with his elegant fingers.
The previously sealed window unlocked with a soft click. Cool garden air rushed in, carrying the scent of damp earth and night-blooming flowers, yet did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.
"Your cage is open," he said without turning, his tone casual as if offering a trivial courtesy. "You're free to leave whenever you wish."
I stared in confusion. What new game was this? His apparent indifference made me more suspicious, not less.
I approached the window cautiously. The garden below stretched into darkness, mysterious and forbidding in the moonlight.
He remained with his back turned, seemingly unconcerned with my potential escape. Hope flickered briefly before common sense extinguished it. This wasn't freedom—just a more sophisticated trap.
"What game are you playing now?" I asked bitterly.
He turned, moonlight silhouetting his perfect profile, highlighting his otherworldly nature.
He approached and picked up a dead orchid I hadn't noticed on the windowsill. With a single touch, the withered plant burst into vibrant purple blooms, releasing an intoxicating fragrance.
The transformed flower seemed to glow with unnatural beauty in the darkness, pulsing with strange power.
I couldn't hide my shock.
This was far beyond any ghostly ability I'd ever heard of. Whatever he was, his power was immense and ancient. This was a demonstration—a reminder of what I was dealing with.
"You are mine," he held the orchid before me, his eyes bottomless with possessive intensity. "Everything about you—your life, your death, your very essence—belongs to me now."
I refused to take the flower, meeting his gaze with whatever defiance I could muster despite the fear coursing through me.
"Miss Winters," Lucy's voice came from the doorway. She held an elegant garment bag. "Master has prepared new clothing for you."
I accepted the clothes—impossibly soft silk that probably cost more than a month's rent. Sean turned to leave but gave me a final look that clearly warned: Don't push your luck.
The outfit fit perfectly, highlighting my figure with designer precision. Standing before the mirror, I barely recognized myself in these expensive clothes. No satisfaction came from the beautiful image—only the disturbing realization that he knew my exact measurements, my coloring, even what styles would suit me best. The level of observation required was chilling.
Over the next several days, Sean orchestrated every aspect of my existence.
I could roam the villa freely, but whenever I neared an exit, Sean would materialize as if from nowhere. He never physically stopped me—he simply watched with those fathomless eyes, silently communicating: Try if you wish, but you won't succeed. His gaze held such absolute certainty that my resolve always crumbled.
I tested the boundaries several times. Each attempt revealed unseen watchers—cold spots in the air, whispers just beyond hearing, the sensation of countless eyes tracking my movements.
My life force remained stable only within the villa's walls. The moment I approached an exit with serious intent to leave, my system would flash warnings as my energy began to drain. I was completely trapped—not just by Sean, but by my own survival instinct.
