I nursed a cartel leader’s starving newborn at 40,000 feet—and minutes later, he stared directly into my eyes and delivered a promise that felt more like a prison sentence than a show of gratitude. By the time I understood what I was trapped in, escape was impossible.

The private jet touched down with a heavy thud, but my heart was beating louder than the engines.

I was clutching the sleeping infant to my chest, terrified to move, terrified to breathe. Julian Rossi stood up, adjusting his cuffs with a chilling calmness. The heavily armed guards flanked him, their eyes locked on me.

"Bring him," Julian ordered.

"I need to go home," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I have a job. I have a life in Boston. You can’t just take me."

Julian paused. He turned around, stepping so close to me that I could smell the expensive bergamot cologne and the faint, metallic scent of gunpowder clinging to his jacket.

"Your apartment in Boston was cleared out an hour ago," he said smoothly. "Your lease is broken. Your employer received a resignation email from your IP address. As of right now, Clara Vance is on an indefinite sabbatical."

My stomach dropped into a bottomless abyss.

"You're insane."

"I am a father who almost watched his son starve to death," Julian corrected, his voice dropping to a lethal whisper. "His mother was assassinated three days ago. My enemies poisoned my staff to ensure no one could feed him. You are the only safe source of nourishment my son has. Therefore, you belong to me now."

I was ushered off the plane and shoved into the back of a bulletproof SUV.

We drove in silence for an hour until we reached massive wrought-iron gates hidden deep in the mountains of upstate New York. The estate was a fortress. Stone walls, security cameras, and armed men patrolling the perimeter.

I was led into a sprawling, opulent bedroom. A bassinet sat in the center.

"You will lack for nothing," Julian said from the doorway. "Clothes, food, anything you desire, my staff will provide. But if you try to run, Clara, my men will find you. And I will not be as polite the second time."