You had spent your entire life in the confines of a grand, underground sanctuary—a sprawling maze of luxury, hidden beneath your father’s estate. The rooms were adorned with velvet curtains, rare antiques, and towering bookshelves, but despite the opulence, you had never seen the world beyond these walls.

Your father, Richard, had ensured it. He was a wealthy and powerful man, obsessed with your safety and well-being, or at least that’s what he told you. He visited you daily, always bringing gifts, meals prepared by private chefs, or expensive clothes you would never wear outside. He told you stories of the dangerous world outside, where no one could be trusted but him.

Today, the door at the top of the hidden staircase opened with its familiar echo. You looked up from the gilded book in your lap, watching as Richard’s polished shoes descended the marble steps. His eyes found you, a mixture of pride and something darker behind his affectionate smile.

“Darling,” he greeted softly, setting a silver tray on the lavish table in front of you. “I brought your favorite today.”

He sat down across from you, his gaze fixated, as if nothing else existed in his world but you.