Chapter 2: The Gilded Cage

The harsh fluorescent light of Aria's cramped apartment felt like a slap after the golden warmth of the penthouse. She sat on the edge of her narrow bed, staring at the peeling paint on the opposite wall, trying to convince herself that last night had actually happened.

Her fingertips still tingled with the memory of Caden's touch, and she could still taste Seraphina's kiss on her lips. But in the unforgiving light of morning, surrounded by her thrift store furniture and overdue bills scattered across her makeshift desk, it all felt like an impossible dream.

Be ours. Be our unicorn.

The words echoed in her mind, both thrilling and terrifying. She pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her paint-stained cardigan tighter around her body. What did that even mean? And more importantly, what had she gotten herself into?

Her phone buzzed against the nightstand, making her jump. Unknown number.

"Hello?"

"Miss Evans." The voice was crisp, professional, and utterly unfamiliar. "Mr. Thorne requests your presence at Thorne Tower. A car will arrive for you in thirty minutes."

The line went dead before she could respond.

Aria stared at the phone, her heart hammering. This was real. This was actually happening.

Thirty minutes later, she found herself in the back of a sleek black sedan, watching the city blur past through tinted windows. The driver hadn't spoken a word, and the silence gave her too much time to think, to second-guess, to wonder if she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

Thorne Tower pierced the sky like a gleaming spear, all glass and steel reaching toward heaven. Aria had passed it countless times on her way to classes or work, never imagining she'd one day step through its revolving doors. The lobby was a cathedral of marble and chrome, and she felt impossibly small as her worn sneakers squeaked against the polished floor.

"Miss Evans?" A woman in an immaculate suit approached, her smile professional but kind. "Mr. and Mrs. Thorne are waiting for you on the sixty-second floor."

The elevator ride felt eternal. Aria watched the numbers climb, each floor taking her further from her familiar world and deeper into theirs. When the doors finally opened, she stepped into what could only be described as a throne room disguised as an office.

Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city, making her feel like she was floating among clouds. The furniture was all clean lines and expensive leather, and every surface gleamed with the kind of perfection that came from unlimited resources.

"Aria."

She turned to find Caden behind an imposing mahogany desk, and for a moment, her breath caught. In the penthouse, surrounded by silk and shadows, he'd been devastating. Here, in his element, wearing a charcoal suit that probably cost more than her rent, he was absolutely lethal. His grey eyes tracked her movement as she stepped into the room, and she felt like prey being studied by a predator.

"Please, sit." He gestured to one of the leather chairs facing his desk, and Aria obeyed, hyperaware of how out of place she looked in her faded jeans and cardigan.

"Where's Seraphina?" The question slipped out before she could stop it.

"She'll join us shortly." Caden leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "First, you and I need to talk."

The door opened behind her, and Seraphina glided in like she owned the world—which, Aria supposed, she essentially did. Even in a business suit, she was breathtaking, all elegant curves and confident grace. She perched on the arm of Caden's chair, her hand resting possessively on his shoulder.

"Hello, darling," Seraphina said, her emerald eyes warm with affection. "I hope you slept well."

Aria hadn't slept at all, but she nodded anyway.

"Good." Caden opened a leather portfolio and withdrew a thick document, sliding it across the desk toward her. "This is a contract."

Aria stared at the pages of legal text, her heart sinking. "A contract?"

"An arrangement," Seraphina clarified gently. "A way to make our proposal... official."

With trembling fingers, Aria picked up the document. The legal language was dense and intimidating, but certain phrases jumped out at her: exclusive arrangement, monthly stipend, luxury accommodation, absolute discretion.

"I don't understand," she whispered.

"It's simple," Caden said, his voice matter-of-fact. "You belong to us. Exclusively. In exchange, we take care of everything—housing, expenses, your student loans. You'll want for nothing."

"Belong to you?" Aria's voice cracked on the words.

Seraphina leaned forward, her expression softening. "What Caden means is that you'd be ours, and we'd be yours. A true partnership, just... formalized."

Aria's hands shook as she flipped through the pages. The numbers were staggering—more money than she'd ever dreamed of, enough to pay off her debts and live comfortably for years. But the restrictions were equally overwhelming: no other relationships, complete availability, absolute secrecy.

"This is..." She struggled for words. "You want to buy me."

"We want to protect you," Caden corrected, though his tone remained cool. "And us. This ensures everyone's expectations are clear."

"Take your time to read it," Seraphina added. "There's no pressure—"

"There's every pressure." Caden's interruption was sharp, and Aria saw Seraphina's jaw tighten slightly. "Let's not pretend this is a casual offer, Sera. Aria needs to understand what she's choosing."

He stood, moving around the desk to loom over Aria's chair. Even seated, she had to crane her neck to meet his eyes, and the power dynamic was impossible to ignore.

"Your current life is what, exactly?" His voice was quietly brutal. "A dead-end job, crushing debt, a tiny apartment in a neighborhood that gets worse every year? You're talented, but talent without opportunity is just frustration."

Each word hit like a physical blow because they were all true. Aria felt tears prick her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

"We're offering you everything," Caden continued. "Security, luxury, purpose. All you have to do is choose us over the nothing you have now."

"Caden." Seraphina's voice carried a warning, but he ignored it.

"The question is whether you have the courage to take it, or if you'll run back to your safe little cage and spend the rest of your life wondering what if."

Aria's hands clenched around the contract. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you're drowning," he said simply. "And I know last night was the first time you've felt truly alive. Am I wrong?"

She wanted to deny it, to tell him he was an arrogant bastard who could take his contract and his money and his devastating smile and go to hell. But the words wouldn't come because he wasn't wrong.

"I need time to think," she managed.

"Of course you do." Seraphina rose gracefully, shooting Caden a look that promised they'd be having words later. "Take all the time you need, darling."

But as Aria stood to leave, Caden's hand caught her wrist, his grip gentle but inescapable.

"One week," he said quietly. "That's how long this offer stands."

His thumb brushed over her pulse point, and Aria's traitorous body responded instantly, heat flooding her cheeks. His knowing smile told her he'd felt her reaction.

"Choose wisely, Aria. Some doors only open once."

The elevator ride down felt like falling, and by the time Aria reached the lobby, her hands were shaking so badly she could barely hold the contract. As she stepped onto the sidewalk, a folded piece of paper fell from between the pages.

Her heart skipped as she recognized Seraphina's elegant handwriting:

Darling— Please don't let Caden's intensity frighten you. Yes, this is unconventional, and yes, the contract makes it seem cold and transactional. But what we felt last night was real. What we're offering is real. You wouldn't just be ours—we'd be yours too. Think about what that could mean. All my love, S

Aria clutched the note to her chest, looking up at the gleaming tower that housed everything she wanted and everything she feared. Somewhere up there, two people were waiting for her answer—two people who could give her everything she'd ever dreamed of, or destroy her completely.

The contract felt like lead in her other hand, heavy with possibility and consequence. One signature, and her life would change forever. One signature, and she'd step into a gilded cage of her own choosing.

The question was: would it be a prison, or paradise?

As she walked away, the weight of their proposal pressed down on her like the sky itself, and Aria realized she was no longer the same person who had stumbled into their penthouse less than twenty-four hours ago.

Whether that was salvation or damnation remained to be seen.