Episode 11 — The Cage Called Protection
378 Words
Blackthorn Estate felt quieter after the shooting.
Not peaceful.
Never peaceful.
Just quieter in the same way cemeteries were quiet.
Seraphina spent the next two days trapped inside the mansion beneath relentless security. Guards followed her through hallways. Cars monitored the gates constantly. Even her phone calls suddenly felt watched.
Kael denied nothing.
Which somehow irritated her more.
By the third evening, frustration finally exploded.
“You cannot lock me inside this house forever.”
Kael barely looked up from the documents spread across his desk.
“I can.”
Seraphina slammed both hands against the mahogany table. “You’re insane.”
“Possibly.”
His calmness only worsened her anger.
The west office smelled faintly of cigar smoke and cedarwood tonight. Rain shadows moved across the walls while city lights flickered behind the massive glass windows.
Kael looked exhausted.
But dangerous men often looked beautiful when tired.
“You think this is protection?” she demanded. “This is a prison.”
Kael finally lifted his eyes toward her.
Cold.
Sharp.
Controlled.
“A man died outside this estate three nights ago.”
“And you killed him.”
A brief silence followed.
Then Kael stood slowly from his chair.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Every time he moved toward her, the room somehow became smaller.
“You still don’t understand,” he murmured quietly.
Seraphina refused to step back even when he stopped directly in front of her.
“Then explain it to me.”
Kael studied her face for several seconds.
“You are Lucien Vespera’s granddaughter.”
His voice remained low.
“People kidnap women for less powerful surnames.”
Seraphina crossed her arms stubbornly. “I can protect myself.”
“No,” Kael said immediately. “You can fight. There’s a difference.”
The words hit harder than expected.
Because deep down—
Part of her feared he was right.
Kael reached beside her suddenly, opening a hidden drawer in the desk.
Then he placed a black pistol onto the table between them.
Seraphina froze.
“If you want freedom,” he said calmly, “learn reality first.”
The gun looked heavier than she imagined.
Deadlier.
“You’re serious?”
Kael’s expression never changed.
“I’m always serious.”
--
Episode End.
- Writer
