Page 46 of The Caged Girl

“Raven, we have a special VIP guest. She’s interested in becoming a mother to well…a made-to-order child. She doesn’t want any from our shop, but rather one she can be a part of the journey with.”

“That’s lovely,” Raven said. But it wasn’t Raven, it was Layla. My Layla. I was frozen in place.

Sage leaned in and whispered, “She looks just like you, and you her, Demi.”

Kori glanced between us. “Absolutely no word of relation or this is all off.”

“Of course, I’m sorry.” Sage immediately walked away from me.

“You are breathtakingly beautiful. Do you stay in this?” Sage brushed her hand against the cold metal.

“This is my home. I’m to be kept safe here.” Layla continued to slowly swing as her gown dragged.

She was a vision.

This was so sick and twisted that she was here in an actual cage. How could Bradley allow this? How could…

“I wanted to know if you’d choose Declan and I to receive the next life as ours? We have a mansion in Rhode Island. We have four cars. I was…well, put through etiquette lessons when I was younger and lost. This life would be cared for and loved…”

“This is sick, and so are all of you,” I whispered to Kori.

Kori looked at me with anger. “Keep quiet.”

“That voice…” Layla said softly. “I know it.”

My heart stopped. I took a step forward as tears fell down my face and everything started to blur.

“Lay—”

“It’s time for you to lay down.” A cold, strong arm tugged me backward.

“Bradley…” Layla said, her face lighting up.

“Hello, my beautiful Raven.” I turned to him as he looked at me with agony painted on his face.

Slapping my mouth with my own hands, I cried into them and stumbled back toward the door.

“Well, you’re just in luck, Mrs. Rothschild. The male fertilizer is here.” Kori clenched her jaw as I hunched over in the corner crying.

Sage drifted away from the cage and toward Bradley.

“This is truly the greatest all-inclusive resort, isn’t it? This is where dreams come true.” She wiped away a tear from her face.

“I’m Sage Rothschild. It’s a pleasure to meet you. You’re just as beautiful as she is. We’d like the full medical records of both, if that’d be alright. I know my husband Declan would really like those. He’s a perfectionist.” She smiled at Bradley and brushed her hand across his face.

“My beloved,” Layla called out as Bradley walked to her.

“Mrs. Rothschild, we will have all that and more in the detailed files once Mr. Rothschild and you confirm payment. Mr. Ivory will want to meet with VIP clients—he’s particular about who gets Bradley and Layla’s precious baby birds.” Kori smiled.

“Of course. Of course. And just look at them! They are so in love. We wanted a loving environment. It’s proven, you know…” Sage looked at Bradley and Layla. He brushed her hair away and kissed her neck before he pushed her on the swing.

“Kori, I need to go…” I swallowed the vomit in my mouth. “Please.” I clawed at the door, then lifted my badge and scanned it against the keypad.

It opened. I fell into the darkness and ran toward the elevator, gasping for air as I felt someone’s hands wrap around my throat.

Falling to the floor of the elevator, I scanned my badge and pressed the floor of my room.

But the elevator kept going upward. It opened on the very top floor, where Alister Ivory’s penthouse was.

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