Chapter 5 - The Gilded Cage
Sadie woke up wrapped in silk sheets that felt softer than water.
Sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a massive, modern bedroom.
She sat up slowly, realizing her ribs were tightly bandaged and her jaw felt numb from painkillers.
A young female doctor was sitting in a leather chair nearby, reading a medical chart.
"You suffered two fractured ribs, a mild concussion, and severe contusions," the doctor said professionally.
"Where am I?" Sadie asked, her voice still raspy.
"You are in the penthouse suite of the Hayes Corporation Tower," the doctor replied, packing her bag.
The doctor left the room without another word, leaving Sadie entirely alone.
She swung her legs out of bed, finding a pair of plush slippers waiting for her.
She walked out of the bedroom and into a sprawling, multi-level living area overlooking the entire city.
The luxury was suffocating, every surface gleaming with marble, glass, and dark wood.
She wandered down a long corridor, following the low murmur of a familiar voice.
Ronan was standing in his private study, gazing out at the skyline with a phone pressed to his ear.
"Make sure Jenkins sinks all the way to the bottom, I don't want any floaters this month," Ronan instructed.
Sadie froze in the doorway, her blood running cold.
Carl was truly dead, murdered on the orders of the man who had bought her with a stack of bills.
She realized she was not a guest in this beautiful penthouse.
She was a prisoner who knew too much.
Panic seized her chest, and she quietly backed away from the study.
She turned and ran toward the private elevator at the end of the hall.
She slammed her hand against the call button, praying the doors would open quickly.
The elevator chimed, and the brushed steel doors slid apart.
But she did not step inside.
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The man standing in the elevator was Thomas, her old floor manager from the Continental.
He raised a silenced pistol and pointed it directly between Sadie's eyes.
