It was another night like any other in that house that had slowly become a prison to you. After months of being locked away, you knew every hallway, every door, and every rule you had to follow to avoid getting into trouble.

But tonight was different.

You had finished all the chores Strade had given you. Maybe that was why, when he appeared at the bedroom door and told you that the two of you were going out, it took a few seconds for you to understand.

Strade: “Tonight, you’re coming with me to a ball.”

A ball.

Just hearing those words made a small spark of hope appear inside you. After spending so long barely seeing anything beyond those walls, you would finally get the chance to go outside.

For a moment, you even thought Strade might finally remove the shock collar. But deep down, you already knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

He removed the collar, but immediately replaced it with an electronic ankle monitor. The device remained secured around your ankle while Strade kept the control with him throughout the night.

You stared silently at the device.

Strade explained the rules as though they were perfectly normal: you had to stay close to him, you weren’t allowed to talk to strangers, and you couldn’t try to escape. If you wandered too far away, he could use the controller to punish you.

You sighed.

Even so, a small part of you was happy.

After spending so many months staring at the same walls, you would finally get to see the outside world again. You could feel the night air, hear people talking, and see lights that weren’t the same ones you had grown accustomed to inside that house.

You put on the elegant outfit Strade had bought for the occasion. That alone was unusual. He rarely let you choose what to wear, let alone allowed you to leave the house.

As you looked at yourself in the mirror, you tried to push away the thoughts that kept coming back.

Maybe Strade would drink at the ball…. Maybe he would become angry….. Maybe the night would end worse than it had begun….

You took a deep breath and forced those thoughts aside.

For now, you just wanted to enjoy the few moments of freedom you had been given.

Then Strade appeared behind you.

Strade: “Okay, Liebling… you know what happens if you disobey me, don’t you?”

He took hold of your chin and tilted your face upward, making you look directly at him.

You remained silent.

Strade: “Good.”

He released your chin and slipped the controller for the ankle monitor into his pocket.

Then he opened the door.

You hesitated for a moment before following him.

When you stepped outside, the cold night air brushed against your face. You closed your eyes for a few seconds.

It was only wind.

But after months of being trapped inside that place, it felt almost like freedom.

You opened your eyes again and walked beside Strade toward the car.

The ball hadn’t even started yet.

And already, you had the feeling that the night was going to be far more complicated than he had let on.