1. Emily

A beam of light pierces the boards covering the small basement window—particles of dust dance in the air.

I watch it, transfixed, from the cold and unfriendly corner of the basement that has been my home for months. At least, I think it’s been months. It was December when I was brought here, and now it’s warm outside, letting me know that winter has turned into spring.

Spring has always been my favorite time of year, but it’s been years since I was last outside.

Years.

It has been years since I gave away my freedom, and for what? All I ever managed was to set ablaze my entire life.

The ray of sunlight seems to get closer, inviting me to let it touch me. But I’m not worthy of it. Perhaps one day I will be; after repenting for all my sins and begging for forgiveness, I’ll finally walk into the light.

It’s been so long since I’ve felt the sun on my skin that I’ve forgotten how it feels. I miss the sun’s warmth kissing my skin during long, hot summer days, but I especially miss the rain. I’ve always preferred the rainy days over the sunny ones, as the sound of rain falling calms me. But what I miss most is the warmth of Stefan’s arms around me.

Stefan.

The only man who has truly loved me. I lost him because of my stupidity. I lost him and his two blood-brothers, Alekos and Reyes. If I were smarter or braver, I’d not be here, locked in this dark and forsaken basement, withering away while I fantasize about the life I could have had alongside three amazing men who genuinely cared about me—the years spent with them slowly made me realize what true love really is.

I could have had everything if not for Jason.

Jayson Deymar. The son of one of the most influential senators in the US. A rich boy. A mama’s boy. A narcissist. An angel of destruction. The man that I naively allowed to ruin my life. I even helped him destroy my last ounce of happiness. He was the first to want me for me and not for my mother’s money or my good looks. He asked me out because I reminded him of a princess and he wanted to turn me into his queen.

What a stupid fool I’ve been. I fell for his charms and sweet smile. I believed him when he told me how much he loved me. For the first time in my life, someone wanted me. Me!

Emily Lisette Morin.

And not the money I would one day inherit from my parents.

For the first time, I felt like I belonged to someone.

I belonged to Jason. I was so head over heels in love with him that I did everything he asked me without question because I thought that’s what love was. But I was wrong. That wasn’t love, that was manipulation.

Not even when Jason suggested I sleep with one of his friends did I realize something was wrong. It never occurred to me that a Duke would never share his girlfriend, who he swore he loved, with others. As a Lady, I thought it was normal to be fucked by his friends. After all, many blood-brother Lords have one woman they bond with and marry. In my mind, it was a similar situation.

I was the top student in my class, and yet I failed to see who Jason actually was until it was too late. By the time I wanted to break up with him, I was neck-deep in his shit. And so in love with Stefan, Alekos, and Reyes and the life we’d planned, I made the mistake of mentioning it to Jason when he wanted me to entertain at one of his parties, which always meant that I had to sleep with any man who wanted me. I didn’t want to do that anymore because it meant cheating on Stefan, and it was breaking me apart.

Each time I had to see Jason, I was forced to add another thread to my intricate web of lies that I trapped Stephen and his blood-brothers in. Slowly, I was getting caught up in them. That’s when my entire life imploded, and I became Jason’s captive. When he got bored of me, he sold me to Azael.

My entire body shudders as I remember what Azael did to me.

The upstairs floor creaks under his heavy footsteps. 514. I can hear him walking around when the house is quiet, which is most of the time. Jason loved loud music because it drowned out all the sex noises happening at his place.

An eerie silence envelops this house. It’s been like this since I got here.

Today, it has been so quiet that I thought he was gone. Or maybe it’s one of his friends. I don’t even know how many of them are in here. One minute, I was at the train station, heading as far away from this place as possible, and the next minute, I was in an unfamiliar place, locked in the basement. While sometimes I’ve heard conversations, I only ever saw 514, but I could swear I heard at least two or three different voices—or so I think.

For all I know, I might be losing my mind. There have been moments when I woke up because I felt someone touching me, but no one was with me in the basement. A few times, I even saw my old dog, Goliath, a St. Bernard my father got for me when I turned eight. My mother, who absolutely hates animals inside the house, made Goliath sleep outside. She didn’t even change her mind when my sweet Goliath got sick. I had to beg her for two days before she finally agreed to take him to the hospital.

Goliath was my best friend. Each day of the five years I had him, I loved and spoiled the hell out of him. I still don’t understand what made him run away. My father and I looked for him for months until my mother demanded I stop wasting my time and focus on my studies.

The sunlight is so tempting that I let my mind fool me into thinking that I’m worthy of it. I will let it warm my soul for only one moment. It will be enough to give me the strength to endure whatever comes. Any punishment I receive is too little to compensate for the pain and grief I caused.