---
*365 Days with Bright*
The city hummed with life, a symphony of honking cars, distant laughter, and the faint wail of a siren cutting through the night. Sea strode down the empty street, her leather boots clicking against the pavement. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, the brisk air biting at her skin, and tilted her head back to look at the stars.
Not that she could see them. The city's neon haze drowned out everything, even the constellations.
It wasn't the stars that made her pause, though. It was the quiet. The unnatural kind that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She glanced over her shoulder. The street was empty, save for a sleek black car idling several feet away.
Sea turned her gaze forward, her heart quickening. Probably nothing. She'd walked this route a hundred times.
Still, she slipped her hand into her pocket, fingers brushing against the cold, reassuring weight of her pocketknife. Just in case.
The car's engine roared softly to life. It followed her, slow and deliberate.
Okay, that's not nothing.
Her pace quickened, her boots clicking louder now as she tried to keep her breathing steady. The car matched her speed, creeping closer like a predator stalking its prey.
Sea spun around. "Hey!" she shouted, hoping her voice carried more confidence than she felt. "What's your problem?"
No response.
The car stopped.
And then the doors opened.
Three men stepped out, their silhouettes sharp under the streetlights. One of them moved toward her with an air of authority that sent a chill racing down her spine.
She didn't wait to see what they wanted. Her instincts screamed at her to run, so she did, her boots pounding against the pavement as she darted toward the nearest alley.
It didn't matter.
The first man caught her before she could take three steps, his grip iron-tight on her arm. She screamed, twisting and kicking, but it was no use. A second man clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her cries.
"Quiet," the first man said, his voice low and commanding. "You'll only make this harder on yourself."
Her heart hammered in her chest as they dragged her toward the car. She thrashed wildly, her teeth sinking into the hand over her mouth. The man cursed, but before she could scream again, something sharp pricked her neck.
Her vision blurred.
The last thing she saw was the glint of a watch on the first man's wrist as he carried her toward the waiting car.
---
*Chapter 2: The Proposition*
Sea's head throbbed when she woke. The world tilted and swayed as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She blinked, trying to make sense of her surroundings.
Marble floors. Chandeliers. A massive fireplace crackling in the corner.
Where the hell am I?
She pushed herself up, wincing as her muscles protested. The room was grand, almost absurdly so. The kind of place that screamed money and power.
And then she saw him.
A man stood by the window, his back to her. He was tall, his broad shoulders framed by the cut of an impeccably tailored suit. The moonlight streaming through the glass illuminated his profile—sharp jawline, dark hair slicked back, and an air of quiet menace that made her stomach tighten.
"Who are you?" Her voice was hoarse, but it carried enough venom to make him turn.
He faced her slowly, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. "Good. You're awake."
"I said, who the hell are you?" she snapped, forcing herself to stand despite the wobble in her legs.
The corner of his mouth twitched, almost like he was amused. "I'm Bright," he said simply.
Sea frowned. "Bright? What kind of name is that? Were you going for ironic?"
His smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Sit down, Sea."
Her breath caught. He knew her name.
"How do you—"
"Sit," he said again, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.
She hesitated, every instinct telling her to run, but there was nowhere to go. She sat, her hands gripping the edge of the chair.
"Why am I here?" she demanded.
Bright crossed the room, his movements deliberate, and stopped just in front of her. He leaned down, his face inches from hers.
"You're here," he said, his voice a soft, dangerous murmur, "because I want you. And now, you're mine."
Her blood turned to ice.
"You're insane," she whispered.
He straightened, unbothered by her fear. "Maybe. But you'll come to understand soon enough."
Sea glared at him, defiant. "If you think you can keep me here—"
"You have 365 days," he interrupted.
She blinked. "What?"
"That's how long you'll stay," he said, his expression unreadable. "One year. At the end of it, you'll either love me... or you'll walk away. Your choice."
Sea stared at him, her mind racing. Was he serious?
"You think I'll fall in love with you?" she asked, incredulous.
Bright's smirk returned, dark and confident. "Oh, I don't think. I know."
---
Would you like me to continue? We can dive deeper into Sea's reaction,---
*365 Days with Bright*
Chapter 1: The Kidnapping
The city hummed with life, a symphony of honking cars, distant laughter, and the faint wail of a siren cutting through the night. Sea strode down the empty street, her leather boots clicking against the pavement. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, the brisk air biting at her skin, and tilted her head back to look at the stars.
Not that she could see them. The city's neon haze drowned out everything, even the constellations.
It wasn't the stars that made her pause, though. It was the quiet. The unnatural kind that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She glanced over her shoulder. The street was empty, save for a sleek black car idling several feet away.
Sea turned her gaze forward, her heart quickening. Probably nothing. She'd walked this route a hundred times.
Still, she slipped her hand into her pocket, fingers brushing against the cold, reassuring weight of her pocketknife. Just in case.
The car's engine roared softly to life. It followed her, slow and deliberate.
Okay, that's not nothing.
Her pace quickened, her boots clicking louder now as she tried to keep her breathing steady. The car matched her speed, creeping closer like a predator stalking its prey.
Sea spun around. "Hey!" she shouted, hoping her voice carried more confidence than she felt. "What's your problem?"
No response.
The car stopped.
And then the doors opened.
Three men stepped out, their silhouettes sharp under the streetlights. One of them moved toward her with an air of authority that sent a chill racing down her spine.
She didn't wait to see what they wanted. Her instincts screamed at her to run, so she did, her boots pounding against the pavement as she darted toward the nearest alley.
It didn't matter.
The first man caught her before she could take three steps, his grip iron-tight on her arm. She screamed, twisting and kicking, but it was no use. A second man clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her cries.
"Quiet," the first man said, his voice low and commanding. "You'll only make this harder on yourself."
Her heart hammered in her chest as they dragged her toward the car. She thrashed wildly, her teeth sinking into the hand over her mouth. The man cursed, but before she could scream again, something sharp pricked her neck.
Her vision blurred.
The last thing she saw was the glint of a watch on the first man's wrist as he carried her toward the waiting car.
---
Sea's head throbbed when she woke. The world tilted and swayed as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. She blinked, trying to make sense of her surroundings.
Marble floors. Chandeliers. A massive fireplace crackling in the corner.
Where the hell am I?
She pushed herself up, wincing as her muscles protested. The room was grand, almost absurdly so. The kind of place that screamed money and power.
And then she saw him.
A man stood by the window, his back to her. He was tall, his broad shoulders framed by the cut of an impeccably tailored suit. The moonlight streaming through the glass illuminated his profile—sharp jawline, dark hair slicked back, and an air of quiet menace that made her stomach tighten.
"Who are you?" Her voice was hoarse, but it carried enough venom to make him turn.
He faced her slowly, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. "Good. You're awake."
"I said, who the hell are you?" she snapped, forcing herself to stand despite the wobble in her legs.
The corner of his mouth twitched, almost like he was amused. "I'm Bright," he said simply.
Sea frowned. "Bright? What kind of name is that? Were you going for ironic?"
His smile widened, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Sit down, Sea."
Her breath caught. He knew her name.
"How do you—"
"Sit," he said again, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.
She hesitated, every instinct telling her to run, but there was nowhere to go. She sat, her hands gripping the edge of the chair.
"Why am I here?" she demanded.
Bright crossed the room, his movements deliberate, and stopped just in front of her. He leaned down, his face inches from hers.
"You're here," he said, his voice a soft, dangerous murmur, "because I want you. And now, you're mine."
Her blood turned to ice.
"You're insane," she whispered.
He straightened, unbothered by her fear. "Maybe. But you'll come to understand soon enough."
Sea glared at him, defiant. "If you think you can keep me here—"
"You have 365 days," he interrupted.
She blinked. "What?"
"That's how long you'll stay," he said, his expression unreadable. "One year. At the end of it, you'll either love me... or you'll walk away. Your choice."
Sea stared at him, her mind racing. Was he serious?
"You think I'll fall in love with you?" she asked, incredulous.
Bright's smirk returned, dark and confident. "Oh, I don't think. I know."