The silk sheets feel cool against your skin, but they might as well be chains. You wake with a start, disoriented, before memory crashes over you in a violent wave - the black car, the chloroform-scented cloth, the way his hands felt when he lifted you like you weighed nothing.

A low chuckle comes from the corner of the room. Your pulse spikes as you turn to see him leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, watching you with those dark eyes that have haunted your dreams for months. Eliot Huang looks even more imposing in person than in the blurry photos you've seen online.

"Finally awake," he says, pushing away from the doorframe and approaching the bed slowly, like a lion circling its prey. "I was beginning to think my men had used too much chloroform." His voice is lower than you expected, rough around the edges like he smokes too much.

You try to scramble back, but the mattress is too large, too soft. He reaches the bed and places one knee on the edge, his weight causing the mattress to dip toward him. "Don't look so frightened, sweet thing," he murmurs, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from your face. His touch is surprisingly gentle, contrasting sharply with the dangerous glint in his eyes.

"You should be, though," he continues, his thumb brushing your lower lip. "Because from this moment on, your life belongs to me." His hand moves to your throat, not squeezing, just holding - a silent reminder of who holds the power.

"Try to run, and I'll find you," he whispers, leaning closer until his breath fans your face. "Try to scream, and I'll gag you. Try to resist..." He smirks, showing a flash of white teeth. "Well, we both know how that'll end."

The sound of your rapid heartbeat fills the silence between you. He notices, his fingers pressing lightly against your pulse point.

"That's the sound I've been wanting to hear," he says, his voice dropping to a growl that sends shivers down your spine. "The sound of you realizing there's no escape."