Caged Love

Our story started off with a completely opposite track. He was living his life while I was dying day by day.

I never thought that my life would change its course the way it did when I first met him. The one and only Ryker Xander.

He didn’t even know that a woman named Cynthia Deveraux existed, not before the day we first met.

My home was a simple 2 bedroom home, and his was a penthouse. He was around his family while I was alone with the one who I was forced to consider my family.

I never wanted to live with him, but I guess he just got me Caged in every way I could have never expected.

It all started when I was in the hospital giving birth to my first baby and he was preparing for a meeting with the “Collins” family.

-------Penthouse-------

-------Mia Xander’s POV-------

“Where the h*ll is he, Connor?”

I scoff because I don’t want to be disturbed when I’m smoking a cigarette. I turn to look at Mia, who’s filled with aggression.

“I said, where the h*ll is he?” Asks Mia.

Where’s who? I say.

“You know who I am talking about.” Don’t play games with me. Otherwise, you know I will shoot you!

Connor stares at me, without even expressing a single emotion on his face. This is the only thing that made me attracted to him. He knew how to stay calm at times like this.

“Let me guess, you lost at the Auction again? Please tell me if I’m wrong." Says Connor while he winks at me, toying with me.

“I don’t have time for this bullsh*t Connor, Tell me where he is before I pull my baby’s trigger in your favourite weapon.”

“You’re really going to throw daggers at me now?” Asks Connor.

I gazed intensely at him, keeping up with my aggression, but I knew he wouldn’t give me the information I needed by interrogation.

I put my anger down as I walked toward Connor. I grab the collars of his shirt and pull him into a deep, long, passionate kiss he could have never imagined I would be giving.

As I lock my lips into his, I move one of my hands down his stomach, going even lower.

“Al...All right, you win!” Says Connor. “I’ll tell you where he is!”.

I adjust my head backwards so I can still have easy access to his lips while I look into his eyes.

“I missed you too, baby.” Says Connor.

“Where?” I ask.

“He’s with Kol in the living room,” says Connor.

I smile at him as I bite his bottom lip, teasing him, and making him remember who the boss is here.

“I’ll see you later”. I say while making my way to the living room and reloading my gun.

“You’re going to be the death of me, Mia Xander” Shouts Connor from the balcony, as I walk away.

--------Ryker Xander’s POV--------

“I don’t understand why we have to meet up with them again. They don’t give a sh*t about what we have built, Ryker.” Says Kol.

“The Collins are more than that, Kol. You don’t know everything about them. They hold a dominant position.” It doesn’t even matter now, anyway. Good business is good business.

“Fine!” But don’t blame me for pointing a gun at their heads if they do something like last time again. And you can’t stop me this time!

I scoff because I know even if Kol has a little hint of maturity, he still is the youngest in our family.

“We’ll see.” I don’t want to get into an argument with him. So I stay neutral. It’s a waste of time, anyway." Being his age has its perks of being angry and naïve and, most of all, being impatient."

Ryker!!

I hear a click behind my back as if someone just loaded a gun. I knew whose voice it was. I was expecting her, in fact.

"Oh Oh, what did you do now?" Asks Kol.

“What I always do,” I reply

“Why do you always mess with Mia, Ryker? She f*cking dangerous.” Says Kol.

“Not to me she isn’t,” I reply.

"Did you interfere with her...?" Asks Kol.

“Bidding, Auction, Of course.”

“Do you have a death wish or something, Ryker? You know how much Mia has been trying to be the highest bidder of all time.”

"You know what don’t tell me. You may want to die, but I perfectly love my freaking life so. Have fun dealing with the demon." Kol walks out of the living area. I turn around to see my sister’s face, filled with anguish, irritation, and the urge to kill me.

“Mia.”

“Why the h*ll did you do it, Ryker? You freaking son of a...”

“Technically, he was your father too so, be careful what you say next, Mia.”

Don’t tell me what to say or not. How dare you do that to me?

“What did I do?”

You da*n well know what! Fo ones in your life Ryker, Leave me be. I’m not a stupid 4-year-old girl anymore who you have to buy everything! There I was trying to make the highest bid on that Diamond. You had to come in between that, didn’t you? And after I say my price, what did I hear? Some guy telling me that “Ryker Xander” raised more than a Hundred Million dollars for that Diamond. “Seriously, Ryker?”

“So, did you lose at the bidding?.” I ask.

Hah, Lose? I’m Mia Xander, Ryker. I don’t lose at anything.

“Problem solved then,” I say as I make my way out, too.

Don’t you f*cking turn your back on me, Ryker Xander! We’re not finished.

-------------

This was a part of his life, complaining about who bid the highest on a diamond or a sapphire. But mine?

It was nothing related to him.

------Cynthia’s POV------

I woke up still in terrible pain from labour. Everything was blurry and I couldn’t keep my head straight to function. It was like I was waking up from a coma.

I look around to see the ICU is still empty. It suddenly hits me.

“Wher-Where’s my? Nu-Nurse?” Where’s my baby?

Where’s “Hope?” NURSE!

“You’re finally awake.”

I see him standing at the door, looking at me with no absolute emotions. He didn’t care about me, He never loved me, Yet he chose to marry me.

“Where’s Hope, Charles?” Where the h*ll is my baby?

"She... She didn’t make it, Cynthia. I’m sorry."

“No.... No. I.... She was fine. We were healthy. I was careful. How could she not.. How....You’re lying! Please stop joking and tell me where my baby is?”

I well up. Hope was my first child. I planned so much with her. I knew she was going to be a keeper the first time I will hold her in my arms.

“You’re lying!”

I could see Charles’s face getting red from anger and he clenches his fist.

“Listen, Cynthia. I don’t like this too, okay? She was my blood as well. Now have some rest and don’t speak a word about this. You got it?” I don’t enjoy spending time in these hospitals."

"Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I need to run some tests. A nurse comes from behind holding an injection and some files."

“Good, she was just about to call you, anyway. Please, Be fast so we can go back home,” Charles commands the nurse and storms out of the ICU room.

As soon as he leaves, I get to my knees crying so hard, only thinking that I lost the greatest gem in my life I could have ever gotten. I waited for her for nine months. I kept her safe. I did everything for her. I lived with her. And now she’s gone.

The nurse walks to me and sits down as well, caressing my shoulders to give me the support that I need. It wasn’t the first time that I was getting emotional support from a stranger rather than my own husband.

“Your baby was alive, Ma’am.”

“I immediately turn to her in shock, wanting to know more about what she just said.”

She looks at me with an intense gaze as she finally speaks her heart.

“You deserve to know where she is.”

“What exactly are you talking about?.” I ask the nurse.

“I’m sorry, But I think you deserve to know.” After all, you were the one who gave her birth. You’re her mother. I... I’m sorry. Says the nurse.

“How could she have been alive?” Charles just said.

“I know what he said, Ma’am. ” she takes a deep breath and guides me to the ICU bed, asking me to sit down for this one." It’s not your husband’s fault. He was more devastated than he looks. He couldn’t leave her even after she.. I’m sorry. But your husband may not show what he’s feeling right now. He is sad. Him showing anger and frustration are just a sign of remorse and guilt. It’s normal."

“Of course he is, I think to myself. He would be very sad to know that his wish came true. Charles never wanted me to have a baby. Even if she wanted to cheer me up, I knew Charles is a good actor who can manipulate others into thinking what he wants others to think. I don’t blame her. “

“When she was born, she had