RAVENHALL: CROWN OF SHADOWS

Chapter 3

The bedroom was bigger than Elena's entire apartment had been.

A four-poster bed dominated the space, covered in deep blue silk. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the estate gardens. A private bathroom connected through an oak door. Bookshelves lined one wall, already stocked with legal texts.

They had prepared for her.

Elena stood in the center of the room, still processing everything. An hour ago, she had been a law student with a future. Now she was a prisoner in a gilded cage, her sister was alive but captive somewhere else, and she had legally bound herself to the most dangerous family in the city.

A soft knock interrupted her spiraling thoughts.

"Come in," she called, then realized she probably should not be giving permission in someone else's house.

An older woman entered, carrying folded clothes. She had kind eyes and gray hair pulled into a neat bun.

"I'm Maria," she said with a slight accent. "I manage the household. Brought you some things to sleep in. Your clothes are soaked."

Elena looked down. She was still wearing the same outfit from three days ago, rain-stained and wrinkled. She had not even noticed.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Maria set the clothes on the bed. "Bathroom has everything you need. I'll bring breakfast at eight. Is there anything you don't eat?"

The normalcy of the question made Elena want to laugh. Or cry. "No. I eat anything."

"Good. You're too thin." Maria moved toward the door, then paused. "The locks are for your protection, not to keep you trapped. Emergency release is on the inside panel. You're safe here, child."

After Maria left, Elena heard the lock engage from outside. She tested the emergency panel. It worked, but an alarm would sound if she used it.

Safe. Right.

She showered, standing under hot water until her skin turned red. Washed away three days of fear and grime. Put on the soft pajamas Maria had brought.

The bed was comfortable. Too comfortable. Elena lay staring at the ceiling, her mind racing.

Sofia was alive.

That one fact overwhelmed everything else. Her baby sister, who loved drawing and hated vegetables, who had cried when Elena went to high school because it meant less time together. Alive. Suffering. Thinking Elena was dead.

Elena had spent ten years grieving a ghost while Sofia lived in captivity.

The guilt crushed her chest until she could not breathe.

She must have slept eventually, because Maria's knock woke her. Sunlight streamed through the windows.

"Breakfast in the dining room," Maria called. "Mr. Matteo wants to see you after."

Elena dressed in clothes from the closet that fit perfectly. Someone had known her size. Had probably known everything about her long before she signed that contract.

The dining room was formal and intimidating. Long table, crystal, expensive china. Rowan sat at one end, eating eggs and reading something on a tablet. He looked up when Elena entered.

"Sit," he said. Not friendly, but not hostile either.

Elena took a chair several seats away. Maria brought coffee and a plate loaded with food. Elena had not realized how hungry she was until she smelled bacon.

"You always this quiet?" Rowan asked after a few minutes.

"I'm processing."

"Process faster. This life doesn't wait for you to catch up."

Elena met his blue eyes. "My sister is alive. Your family knew and didn't tell me for ten years. Forgive me if I need more than eight hours to process that."

Something flickered in Rowan's expression. Almost like respect. "We didn't know about you. Thought you died in the same hit that killed your father."

"My father who worked for your family."

"Yeah." Rowan set down his fork. "David Moreau. Good man. Loyal. Didn't deserve what happened."

"What did happen?"

"Eat first. Matteo will explain."

They finished breakfast in silence. Elena noticed Rowan never fully relaxed. He sat with his back to the wall, eyes constantly scanning. Combat awareness, she realized. He expected danger even in his own home.

After breakfast, Rowan walked her to Matteo's office. Knocked once and entered without waiting for permission.

Matteo sat behind his desk, looking exactly as controlled as the night before. Morning sunlight made his gray eyes almost silver.

"Miss Moreau," he greeted. "I trust you slept well."

"As well as anyone could while processing that their entire life was a lie."

Lucien laughed from where he lounged near the windows. "I like her."

"You like everyone," Rowan muttered.

Matteo ignored them both. "We need to discuss your situation clearly. You have questions. I'll answer them honestly."

Elena sat. "Start with my father."

"David Moreau worked as our accountant for five years. Brilliant with numbers. Completely trustworthy, or so we thought. Ten years ago, we discovered someone was feeding information to the Konstantin family. Evidence pointed to David."

Elena's hands clenched. "You're saying my father betrayed you."

"I'm saying evidence suggested that. Before we could confirm, Konstantin soldiers attacked your family's home. Your father and mother were killed. The house burned. We assumed you and your sister died too."

"Why would Viktor kill his own informant?"

"That's what never made sense," Lucien said. "Killing your asset before extracting full value is stupid. Viktor is many things, but not stupid."

Matteo pulled out a file. "We recently discovered the truth. Your father wasn't the mole. He was blamed to cover for the real traitor. Someone in our organization set him up, then arranged the hit to eliminate evidence."

"Who?" Elena demanded.

"We don't know yet. But we will."

Elena processed this. "So my father was innocent. And my family was murdered to hide someone else's betrayal."

"Yes."

"And you've known this for how long?"

"Three months."

Three months. Elena's vision went red. "You knew my sister was alive for three months and didn't contact me?"

"We didn't know how," Matteo said calmly. "You were a civilian with no connection to this world. Approaching you would have put you in danger. We were developing a plan to extract Sofia and bring you both somewhere safe when you witnessed Castellano's murder."

"Convenient timing."

"Not convenience," Lucien said. "Matteo arranged it."

Elena's head snapped toward the Don. "What?"

Matteo's expression did not change. "We knew Viktor was hunting for David's daughters. He discovered Sofia months ago but couldn't move against her directly without revealing his connection to medical facilities. Then he found references to you. We needed to bring you under protection before he located you. So I arranged for you to witness something that would force our hand."

The room tilted. "You used me as bait?"

"I used a situation to accomplish necessary protection. The murder you witnessed was happening regardless. I simply ensured you would be there and that my people would be ready to extract you immediately after."

Elena stood, rage burning through her shock. "You manipulated me. You took away my choices, my agency, my entire life, all so you could...what? Feel less guilty about failing my father?"

"Sit down," Rowan said quietly.

"Don't tell me what to..."

"Sit. Down." His voice carried command that made Elena's knees weak.

She sat, hating herself for it.

Matteo leaned forward. "I understand your anger. It's justified. But understand this: Viktor would have found you within a week. You would be dead or wishing you were. Your sister would remain his prisoner. I took away your illusion of choice to give you actual survival."

"That's not your decision to make!"

"In this world, someone always makes the decision. I'd rather it be me than Viktor."

Elena wanted to scream. To throw something. To run. But she was trapped by that contract and by the terrible truth that Matteo was right.

"What happens now?" she asked finally.

"Now you live here under protection. Continue your studies remotely. We'll arrange for your classes to be accommodated. In six months, after Viktor's current operations are disrupted, we'll extract your sister and relocate you both somewhere safe."

"Six months?"

"Moving against Viktor now would endanger Sofia. We need to weaken his position first, make him vulnerable. Then we strike."

Elena closed her eyes. Six months of captivity. Six more months Sofia would suffer. "And what do you want from me in exchange?"

"Nothing yet," Matteo said. "This protection is not conditional. You're David's daughter. We owe him a debt."

"I don't believe you."

Lucien smiled. "Smart girl."

Matteo's jaw tightened slightly. "Believe what you want. The agreement stands. You're under our protection. Follow the rules, and you'll be safe."

Elena stood. "What are the rules?"

Rowan answered. "Don't leave the estate without permission and escort. Don't contact anyone outside without approval. Don't enter restricted areas. Don't ask questions about business operations. And for God's sake, don't try to escape. Guards have orders to stop you, and they won't be gentle."

"So I'm a prisoner."

"You're protected," Matteo corrected. "There's a difference."

"Is there?"

No one answered.

Elena walked to the door. Stopped. "My sister. I want proof she's okay. Real proof, not just footage."

Matteo nodded. "I'll arrange a secure call. You can speak to her."

"And she thinks I'm dead. What do I tell her?"

"The truth," Lucien said. "That you've always been alive. That you're coming for her. That she's not alone anymore."

Elena left before the tears could fall.

She found her way back to her room and locked the door from inside. Sat on the perfect bed in the perfect room that was really just another cage.

Sofia was alive. That was all that mattered.

Everything else...her anger, her fear, her shattered trust...could wait.

First, she would survive.

Then she would make them all pay for the choices they took from her.