Caged by Desire

The room was suffocatingly silent. Taehyung's gaze burned into my skin, searing through the distance between us like an unshakable force. My breath hitched as he prowled closer, his dark eyes hooded with something sinister—something dangerously intoxicating.

"You don't understand what you've done, princess," he murmured, his voice laced with warning yet dripping with something far worse. Possession.

I stepped back, but the cold marble wall met my spine. Trapped.

"I—I didn't do anything," I whispered, even though we both knew that was a lie.

His lips curled into something dark, something wicked.

"Didn't you?" His fingers lifted, brushing against my jaw before gripping it with a force that sent a shiver down my spine. "Running from me. Lying to me. Defying me." He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look into his abyss-like eyes. "That's cute, baby, but I don't do well with disobedience."

A dangerous hush settled between us.

Taehyung wasn't just a billionaire—he was a mafia king. A man who had built his empire on the bones of his enemies, a man who took what he wanted and left destruction in his wake.

And right now, I was the object of his fixation.

"You think you have a choice?" he mused, his thumb stroking over my trembling lower lip. "You don't, princess. You never did."

His other hand ghosted down my side, his touch featherlight yet commanding. Every nerve in my body ignited under his scrutiny, under the heat of his possessiveness.

"I should punish you for trying to run," he continued, his voice silk over steel. "But I have a better idea."

My heart pounded against my ribs. "Taehyung—"

He shushed me with a single press of his finger to my lips.

"From now on, you don't speak unless I allow it."

A storm brewed in his gaze, something raw, something unhinged.

Then, suddenly, he was gone.

Before I could even take a breath, he had turned on his heel, walking toward the door with an air of complete control.

I exhaled sharply, my knees weak, my mind spinning.

"Get dressed," he ordered without looking back. "We're leaving."

I swallowed. "Where?"

His head turned slightly, just enough for me to catch the sinister smirk tugging at his lips.

"Somewhere no one will ever find you."

Thirty Minutes Later

The drive was silent, except for the rhythmic thrum of Taehyung's fingers against the leather of the steering wheel. The city lights blurred past us as his black Aston Martin sliced through the night like a predator hunting its prey.

I should have been afraid. I should have been terrified.

But the worst part?

I wasn't.

I was drawn to him, to his darkness, to the way he owned me without even trying.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of a private estate, hidden away in the outskirts of the city. High walls. Armed guards. A fortress.

My pulse spiked. "Taehyung—"

Before I could finish, my door was yanked open, and a firm grip wrapped around my wrist.

"Out."

His command left no room for argument.

With an aching reluctance, I stepped out, my heels clicking against the stone pavement.

As soon as the doors shut behind us, I realized what this place was.

A prison.

A gilded cage.

I whirled around to face him. "You're keeping me here?"

Taehyung took a slow step forward, his expression unreadable. "I told you, princess," he murmured, his fingers brushing against my cheek before trailing down my neck. "You don't get to run. You don't get to hide."

I swallowed hard.

His lips ghosted against my ear. "You belong to me."

A shudder ran through me.

I hated him. I hated him for what he was doing to me.

But more than that…

I hated myself for wanting him just as much.

Inside the Mansion

The inside of the estate was just as opulent as I expected—black marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked acres of private land. But beneath its beauty, there was an undeniable chill.

This wasn't a home.

It was a trap.

Taehyung's hand remained firm around my wrist as he led me through the grand hall, his steps unwavering.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice small.

He didn't answer.

We stopped before a massive door. He pushed it open, revealing a bedroom so luxurious it could belong to royalty. Dark silk sheets. A fireplace crackling softly. Floor-length windows that led to a balcony—but I already knew they were probably reinforced.

I turned to him, my heart hammering. "Taehyung, you can't just—"

"You'll stay here," he interrupted, his voice final. "You have everything you need. Clothes. Food. Security."

I swallowed. "Security?"

He took a step closer, his fingers lifting my chin once more. "To protect you," he murmured, but the warning in his voice was clear.

To keep me from escaping.

His gaze darkened as he studied me, and for a brief second, something flickered in his eyes—something dangerous.

"I'm not your prisoner," I whispered, defiance lacing my voice despite the tremble in my hands.

He chuckled, low and rich. "Aren't you?"

He released me and stepped back. "Go to bed, princess."

Then, before I could argue, he turned on his heel and walked out, shutting the door behind him with a quiet finality.

The lock clicked.

My stomach twisted.

I was truly trapped.

Hours Later

I couldn't sleep.

The night was silent, yet my mind roared. My body was exhausted, but my heart pounded too wildly in my chest.

This couldn't be happening.

I had to escape.

Cautiously, I slipped out of bed and padded towards the window, pressing my palms against the cold glass. The estate grounds stretched endlessly beyond, the high walls topped with electric fencing. Guards patrolled every few meters.

No way out.

My only option was the door.

I tiptoed to it, pressing my ear against the wood. Silence.

Slowly, carefully, I reached for the handle—

Only to freeze when a deep voice shattered the quiet.

"Going somewhere?"

A gasp left my lips as I spun around.

Taehyung stood in the doorway, arms crossed, leaning against the frame like he had been expecting this. Like he had been waiting.

His eyes gleamed under the dim lights, dark and unreadable.

I swallowed hard.

"I—"

Before I could come up with a lie, he moved.

In an instant, he had me caged against the wall, his body pressed dangerously close to mine.

"You're mine, princess," he murmured, his fingers tilting my chin up so our eyes met. "And I don't share what's mine."

My breath hitched.

He leaned in, his lips a whisper away from mine. "If you try to run again," he purred, "I'll break you."

His words sent a shiver through me. Not from fear.

From something much, much worse.

Desire.

Because deep down, I knew…

No matter how much I fought.

No matter how much I denied it.

I already belonged to him.