The loud ringtone shattered the silence. I quickly reached for my phone, trying to stop the sound, but it was already too late.
The steady sound of Luke's shoes stopped. Then they turned in my direction.
"Bingo!" His voice was filled with excitement.
A second later, Luke's face appeared around the edge of the shelf. His eyes were wide and bright, but there was no kindness in them.
"Did you really think I wouldn't find you, my little runaway?"
Before I could crawl away, Luke's hand shot toward me. His fingers grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled hard.
Pain shot through my scalp. I cried out as he dragged me out from behind the shelves and forced me onto my feet.
"I'm sorry! Luke, please, I'm sorry! Have mercy on me!" I sobbed, my hands clawing weakly at his wrists as he dragged me across the kitchen floor.
He didn't say a word. He only laughed. It was a low, quiet laugh that made my blood run cold.
Without letting go of my hair, he dragged me out of the kitchen and up the grand staircase. Every step sent fresh pain through my bruised body as I was pulled across the carpet.
"Don't worry, baby," Luke smirked, leaning down so his hot breath brushed against my ear. "I want to see you naked and crying my name tonight."
Luke threw the bedroom door open and shoved me inside. I landed hard on the bed, the force knocking the air out of my lungs.
Before he could reach me again, I quickly got onto my knees. I pressed my hands together and begged through my tears.
"Please, Luke... don't do this. I beg of you, please!"
Luke didn't even look at my tears. His face turned cold as he stared at me.
"Take off your clothes. Now."
Without waiting for an answer, he started taking off his own clothes, throwing them onto the floor.
"Luke, please, let's not do this now!" I pleaded, my voice cracking as I backed away until my spine hit the headboard. "Let's wait. Let's wait until our wedding night, please! I'll do whatever you want then, just please-"
"Oh, stop this silly pleading," he interrupted arrogantly, completely naked now as he stepped onto the edge of the mattress. "I want to feel my soon-to-be wife's tight virgin pussy tonight. And I get whatever I want."
Luke smirked as he slowly crawled across the bed toward me like a predator closing in on its prey.
I kicked my legs and tried to push myself farther against the wall, but he was too fast.
His hands grabbed my ankles and pulled me toward him.
I struggled and tried to scream, but his mouth crashed onto mine in a violent, suffocating kiss. Then, with one rough pull, he grabbed my gown and tore it down the middle.
Terror rushed through me as I fought to break free.
"Luke, please don't!" I wept against his lips, my hands thrashing blindly in the dark as he pinned me down.
My hand hit something cold and hard on the nightstand.
It was the table lamp.
The heavy brass lamp felt solid in my hand. A sudden burst of courage pushed away my fear. While Luke was focused on me, I gripped the lamp tightly, lifted it, and swung it at the side of his head with all the strength I had left.
Luke cried out in pain and let go of me at once. He grabbed his bleeding forehead, his face twisting with rage.
"What the hell did you just do, you stupid dog?!" he shouted.
I didn't waste a second. I quickly jumped off the bed, pulled away from Luke's reaching hands, and ran out of the bedroom.
I rushed down the stairs, my bare feet hitting the cold marble floor with every step. I had no slippers, no jacket, and my gown was torn, but none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was getting out alive.
"Stop right there!" Luke shouted from the top of the stairs.
I looked back for only a second.
Luke was running after me. He had thrown on a white bathrobe, and blood was running down the side of his face. He looked like a madman.
I reached the huge front door and pushed hard on the handle. It didn't move.
I pulled and shook it over and over, then looked at the lock.
My heart dropped.
The deadbolt was locked, and there was no key in it.
"Oh my God... no, no, no. I'm dead."
Panic gripped me, making it hard to breathe. I turned around and pressed my back against the locked door.
Luke slowly walked down the last few stairs. He wasn't in a hurry anymore and the frightening smile was back on his face.
He reached into the pocket of his bathrobe and slowly pulled out a silver key. He held it between his fingers, letting it shine in the dim light.
"Do you really think you can escape from me?" Luke laughed.
The truth hit me all at once.
Luke had locked the entire penthouse before he started looking for me.
There was no window I could escape through. No back door. No way out. I was trapped in a cage with a monster and I was going to die here.
To the rest of the world, Luke Paul was a handsome young billionaire. Everyone admired him. Five years ago, at just nineteen, he took over his late father's multi-billion-dollar company. As the only son of Billionaire Paul, people saw him as the perfect heir.
But the man standing in front of me wasn't a businessman. He was a monster wearing a human face.
Luke closed the distance between us in a few quick steps, his shadow falling over me. Before I could raise my hands to protect myself, his fist slammed into my jaw.
Pain shot through my face, and my vision blurred.
Then he grabbed my hair and pulled me close. With a furious growl, he slammed the back of my head against the wall.
Everything around me began to spin.
The darkness closed in and then everything went black.
