CHAPTER THREE: SHIPPED AWAY
1630 Words
LENA POV
The drive to Dominic Kane's estate took two hours.
James, the driver, was polite and professional, offering her bottled water and asking if she needed anything else. Lena declined quietly and pressed her forehead against the cool window, watching her old life disappear behind her.
They left Westchester and headed north, the landscape gradually changing from suburban neighborhoods to sprawling countryside. The houses grew farther apart, hidden behind tall gates and manicured hedges. This was where the truly wealthy lived—people who valued privacy and space, who built kingdoms away from ordinary eyes.
Lena's phone buzzed constantly. Text messages from college friends. A voicemail from her academic advisor. Three missed calls from her Columbia roommate. She ignored them all. What could she possibly say? That she'd sold herself to save her family?
The lie Dominic had insisted on felt impossible. How could she pretend to love a man whose eyes held nothing but cold calculation?
After ninety minutes, James turned onto a private road marked only by a discreet bronze plaque: KANE ESTATE. The road wound through dense woods before finally opening up.
Lena's breath caught.
The estate sprawled before her like something from a movie—a massive modern mansion of glass, steel, and stone that looked both elegant and intimidating. It was at least three stories tall, with floor-to-ceiling windows that reflected the afternoon sun. Perfectly manicured lawns stretched in every direction, dotted with sculptures and ornamental trees.
This wasn't a home. This was a fortress.
"Mr. Kane is waiting in the main house," James said as he pulled up to the entrance. "I'll bring your luggage to your room."
"My room?" Lena asked, confused.
James's expression remained neutral. "Yes, miss. Mrs. Chen will show you."
Before Lena could ask more questions, the front door opened. A woman in her fifties emerged, dressed in a crisp gray uniform. Her black hair was pulled into a tight bun, her expression professionally pleasant but distant.
"Miss Hart, welcome. I'm Mrs. Chen. Please, come inside."
Lena climbed out on shaky legs. The front entrance was imposing—massive double doors of dark wood with modern steel handles. Everything screamed wealth, power, and control.
Mrs. Chen led her inside, and Lena stopped, overwhelmed.
The foyer was enormous, with marble floors that gleamed like ice and a dramatic staircase curving upward. Modern art hung on the walls—pieces worth more than her family's house. Everything was pristine, cold, perfect.
It felt like a museum, not a home.
"Mr. Kane is in his study," Mrs. Chen said. "But first, let me show you to your room."
"I thought—" Lena hesitated. "Aren't we getting married tomorrow?"
"Yes, miss. The ceremony is at two PM."
"Then why do I have my own room?"
Mrs. Chen's expression flickered with what might have been sympathy. "Mr. Kane will explain his expectations. This way."
She led Lena up the staircase and down a hallway lined with expensive art. The carpet absorbed sound, making their footsteps eerily silent. Finally, Mrs. Chen stopped at a door.
"This is your room."
Lena stepped inside and felt her stomach drop.
The room was beautiful—spacious and elegantly decorated in soft grays and whites, featuring a massive four-poster bed, a sitting area, and French doors that opened onto a private balcony. One wall was entirely windows, offering a stunning view of the grounds.
But it was a guest room. Impersonal. Temporary.
Not the master bedroom she'd expected to share with her husband.
"The bathroom is through there," Mrs. Chen gestured. "Your clothes will be unpacked. If you need anything, dial zero on the phone." She paused at the door. "Mr. Kane will send it to you when he's ready."
Then she was gone.
Lena stood alone in the center of the room, heart pounding. She walked to the French doors and stepped onto the balcony. The view was breathtaking—rolling lawns, a distant lake, forest beyond.
A prison disguised as paradise.
Her phone buzzed. Her mother.
"Lena? Sweetheart, are you okay? You said you'd call."
"I'm here," Lena whispered. "I'm at his estate."
"What's it like?"
"Big. Beautiful. Cold." Lena closed her eyes. "Mom, I have my own room. Separate from him."
Silence. Then: "Maybe that's better. Maybe he's giving you space—"
"Or maybe he doesn't want me near him unless he needs something." The words came out bitter. "This isn't a marriage. It's a transaction."
"Lena—"
"I have to go. I'll call you after the wedding." Lena ended the call before her mother could respond, before she started crying.
She couldn't cry. Not yet. She needed to stay strong.
An hour later, there was a knock.
"Miss Hart? Mr. Kane will see you now."
A young woman in a staff uniform stood in the hallway. She couldn't have been more than twenty-five, with nervous eyes.
"Lead the way," Lena said.
They walked through a maze of hallways until they reached double doors. The staff member knocked once, then opened them.
"Miss Hart, sir."
"Thank you, Maria. That will be all."
Lena stepped inside, and the doors closed behind her.
Dominic Kane's study was all dark wood, leather furniture, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. He sat behind a massive desk, reviewing documents on his laptop. He was dressed casually—black slacks and a gray dress shirt with rolled sleeves—but still radiated cold authority.
He looked up, gray eyes fixing on her with predatory focus.
"Sit."
It wasn't a request. Lena sat in a leather chair facing his desk, feeling like a student called to the principal's office.
Dominic closed his laptop and leaned back, studying her in silence. The scrutiny made her skin crawl, but she forced herself to meet his gaze.
"You look upset," he finally said.
"I'm fine."
"You're a terrible liar. That's going to be a problem."
"I thought you wanted me to lie—to pretend we're in love."
"In public, yes. In private, I expect honesty." He stood and walked around the desk, leaning against it. "Let me be clear about how this works. Tomorrow, you'll become my wife in name and legal status. You'll live here, attend social functions with me when required, and present the image of a devoted spouse to the outside world."
"And in private?"
"In private, you'll stay out of my way." His voice was matter-of-fact. "I have my own life, my own interests. As long as you fulfill your public duties, what you do with your private time is your concern."
"So this really is just a transaction," Lena said bitterly. "You bought yourself a trophy wife."
"I bought your family's freedom," Dominic corrected coldly. "Don't pretend you're the victim. You made a choice."
"Some choice—watch my family be destroyed or sell myself to you."
"And yet you're here." He crossed his arms. "Which tells me you're practical. That's good. I have no patience for drama or emotional outbursts."
Lena stood, anger breaking through her fear. "You want me to play a role? Fine. But don't expect me to pretend I'm grateful. Don't expect me to smile and thank you for buying me like property."
For the first time, something flickered in those gray eyes. Interest.
"There it is," Dominic said quietly. "The fire I saw that first day. That's why I chose you, Lena Hart. You have strength underneath the fear. You'll need it."
"For what?"
"For surviving me." He moved closer, and Lena forced herself not to step back. "I'm not a good man. I'm not kind or patient. I built my empire by destroying people who got in my way. The only reason you're here is that you intrigued me. Don't make me regret that choice."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a warning." He was close enough that she could smell his expensive cologne. "Play your role convincingly. Be the perfect wife in public. In private, stay out of my business and we'll get along fine."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you'll discover exactly how ruthless I can be." His voice dropped to something dark and dangerous. "Your family's freedom depends on your cooperation. Remember that."
He stepped back, the moment broken. "The wedding is tomorrow at two PM. A designer will arrive in the morning with dresses. Mrs. Chen will help you prepare. We'll have a small ceremony—just the officiant and two witnesses. No guests. No family."
"My family can't come?" Lena's voice cracked.
"No. This wedding is private. Afterward, we'll have a reception for my business associates next month. That's when you'll begin your role as my wife." He returned to his desk, already dismissing her. "Mrs. Chen will show you around tomorrow. Until then, stay in your room."
"So I'm a prisoner?"
"You're my fiancée. There's a difference." He opened his laptop, his attention already elsewhere. "Dinner will be brought to your room at seven. Don't be late for breakfast tomorrow. Eight AM sharp."
Lena stood there, trembling with rage and humiliation and fear. This was her future—being ordered around like a servant, kept isolated, paraded out only when needed.
"Was there something else?" Dominic asked without looking up.
"No," Lena said quietly. "Nothing else."
She walked to the door on shaking legs.
"Lena?"
She stopped but didn't turn around.
"Welcome to your new home."
The words felt like a death sentence.
Lena left the study and somehow found her way back to her room. Once inside, she locked the door and finally let herself collapse onto the bed.
She'd known this would be hard. She'd known Dominic Kane was ruthless and cold.
But she hadn't understood what it would fee
l like to be owned.
Tomorrow she will marry him.
Tomorrow she will become Mrs. Dominic Kane.
- Writer
