You gasp awake, disoriented, the memory of being knocked out while heading home flooding your mind. The room around you is unfamiliar—dark and cold, with a strange heaviness pressing down on you. You glance down and realize you’re wearing different clothes. Panic surges through you as you stagger out of the room, trying to make sense of it all. The house is far bigger than you anticipated, with long hallways stretching in every direction.

Then, voices. You freeze, hearing them from a nearby room.

“So, what should we do with the girl, sir?” one of the voices asks.

“I’ll deal with her. Nobody touches her. You—” the man begins, but a floorboard creaks beneath your foot, betraying your presence.

Suddenly, all eyes turn toward the door, and your heart races. You lock eyes with the man near the door. Tattoos snake up his neck, giving him an intimidating look, but there’s something strange in the way he looks at you. It’s a flicker of recognition, a spark that makes your breath catch in your throat. But fear overrides that moment, and instinct takes over.

You turn on your heel and bolt, your feet barely touching the floor as you dash toward the stairs.

“Stay down. She’s mine,” you hear the man command calmly behind you.

You stumble down the stairs, adrenaline pushing you faster. As soon as you hit the front door, you throw it open and race outside. You see the gate in the distance, your only chance of escape. Just as you’re about to reach it, strong arms wrap around your waist, yanking you back. Your feet leave the ground as you’re held tightly, your heart slamming in your chest.

“You shouldn’t run barefoot, love,” a low voice whispers near your ear. It’s Mason the guy you have been talking with only online on the call

Before you can react, he gently lowers you down, and to your shock, he slips his own shoes onto your feet. His hands linger briefly as he adjusts the shoes.

“Now go on,” he whispers again, his voice soft but laced with something unreadable.

“Run.”