The Billionaire's $500,000 baby

Liora's POV

I woke up because the sun was being too loud...

Yeah I know that sounds stupid. But that is exactly how it felt.

A single, sharp beam of light was hitting me right in the eye...

I tried to roll over, but the bed was too soft. I felt like I was being swallowed by a giant marshmallow.

I forgot where I was for a second. I thought I smelled the grease of the diner.

Then I felt the silk.

Oh Right. I'm a prisoner.

I sat up too fast. My head spun. The room was exactly as it was last night.

Perfect....Cold.

The little red light on the camera was gone. Now it was just a dull black eye watching me.

"Asshole," I muttered.

I looked at the nightstand. There was a piece of heavy paper sitting next to the black phone.

The handwriting was sharp and It looked like the person who wrote it didn't have time.

Rules for the Estate:

1. 07:00: Breakfast is served in the West Dining Nook.

2. 08:00: Medical vitals and nutritional intake.

3. 09:00 – 12:00: Personal time (West Wing Gardens).

4. 12:00: Lunch.

5. No contact with the Main Wing.

6. No contact with staff beyond basic requirements.

I looked at the clock. 7:15. I was already late for his stupid list.

I scrambled out of bed. I didn't even have my own clothes, so I went to the closet...

Everything was cream, beige, or green.

I grabbed grey leggings and a sweater that felt like it was made of foam...I felt like a fraud wearing it.

I walked out of the room and followed the smell of coffee.

The Dining Nook was all glass. It looked out over a garden that was so green it looked fake.

A girl was there. She looked about my age. She was setting a silver pot down.

"You're late," she said. She didn't look at me.

"I'm Liora."

"I know. I'm Anya." She scowled at a spoon. "I'm the one who gets in trouble when you sleep in."

"Sorry. The bed is... a lot."

"Is he here?" I asked. "Darian?"

Anya snorted. A real, human sound. "Mr. Volkov left at five. He doesn't eat with people like you."

"People like me?"

She stiffened. She realized she'd said too much. "Drink the green stuff. It's a requirement."

I took a sip of a glass filled with swamp-colored liquid. It tasted like grass and dirt.

"This is disgusting. I want a donut."

Anya let out a tiny laugh. Then she killed it.

"No donuts. Your body is a temple now. Or a greenhouse. Whatever he calls it."

"A greenhouse," I said. My chest felt tight. "Grow the plant, take the flower, throw away the dirt."

Anya gripped her silver tray. Her face softened for a split second.

"Just eat the fruit, Liora. Save your energy for the big things."

"What big things?"

"The Obsidian Circle," she whispered.

She turned and marched out before I could ask what that was.

I sat alone. The silence was so heavy it made my ears ring. "What the fuck the Obsidian Circle"I whispered

I reached for my father's journal. It was the only thing I had left that wasn't "V" branded.

I opened a random page. The ink was faded.

"The air in the city is getting thin, Lio. But as long as you can breathe on your own, you're free."

I touched the words. My eyes stung.

I can't breathe on my own here, Dad. He bought the air.

I tried to read more, but my mind was messy. I kept thinking about the camera.

Was he watching me read this? Was he looking at my father's secrets?

I slammed the book shut.

I walked out to the garden. It was beautiful, but there was a ten-foot wall beyond the trees.

I saw the silver wire at the top.

I wasn't a guest. I wasn't even a vessel.

I was a prisoner in a very expensive cage.

I walked back inside just as the doctor arrived. He didn't say hello.

"Sit. Vitals."

I let him take my blood. I felt like a ghost watching a movie of my own life.

When he left, I went back to my room.

The silence started to feel like a weight on my chest. I needed to move.

I walked to the door. I wanted to find a library. Or Anya. Or anyone.

I turned the handle.

It didn't move.

I turned it harder. I pulled. I pushed.

Locked.

"Hey!" I shouted. I banged my fist against the wood. "Open the door!"

No one answered.

I slumped against the door and slid down to the floor.

He hadn't just bought my time. He had bought my air.

"I'm still here," I whispered.

I reached for the black phone in my pocket. My hand was shaking.

I looked at the only name in the contacts.

Darian.

I pressed the button. I didn't care if he was busy. I didn't even care about the rules.

The phone rang. Once. Twice.

I held my breath, waiting for the monster to answer.