I woke up to the same suffocating room I'd been trapped in for what felt like forever. The air was thick, stale with fear No matter how hard I tried, there was no way out of this damn place.
I dragged myself off the bed and checked the door—still locked. Of course.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... when are you ever going to learn, tesoro?"
A deep, velvety voice slithered through the air, stopping my heart cold.
I spun around—
And there he was. The man from the club.
Him.
"You," I breathed, voice tight with shock and disgust. My eyes narrowed as a familiar smirk curled on his lips, confident and twisted.
"What the hell do you want from me?" I demanded, pressing my back against the door as he moved closer with predatory ease.
He tilted his head slightly, eyes darkening. "Isn't it obvious?" he said, voice low and thick with something unhinged.
"Ever since I saw you at that club—fuck—you've been in my head. Day and night.
Crawling under my skin, ruining my peace.
It's only fair you make up for the chaos you caused."
He kept coming closer. I turned my head, refusing to look at him, but I could feel his breath against my cheek.
"I have a boyfriend," I muttered, forcing myself to meet his eyes. He just smirked wider.
"Oh, I'm very aware," he said darkly. "But that won't matter anymore… because you'll never see him again."
I blinked, confused. "What…?"
"From this moment on, you belong to me," he whispered. "You'll live in this house. As my pet. You'll fulfill my needs, my desires. You follow my rules. You don't leave this room until I say so."
My breath hitched.
"And before you think about resisting—know this: your family's lives are dangling by a thread you're barely holding onto."
He leaned in, lips grazing my ear.
"It would be such a tragedy if your sweet mother... slipped during a night shift at her clinic."
I froze.
"And little Maliya," he whispered, "walking home from school, crushed under a truck's wheels..."
My world caved in. My knees nearly buckled.
He had them. He really had them.
"Please," I choked, tears slipping down my cheeks no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. "Just let me go…"
He grabbed my chin and forced my gaze to meet his. His eyes were cold. Hungry.
"Impossible," he said, voice coated in venom.
I jerked my face away, revolted. But he only chuckled, dark and satisfied, and leaned in closer.
His hands gripped my waist with bruising force as he pressed me against the door, lips brushing the side of my neck.
"You belong to me, tesoro. No one else."
I clenched my fists. Rage and fear twisted inside me as his breath ghosted over my skin.
He buried his face into the crook of my neck, and then I felt it—wet. No. He was sucking on my neck.
Panic surged through me.
No. No. No. This isn't happening.
I shoved at him with everything I had, but he didn't budge.
He only held me tighter, possessive, like I was his goddamn prize.
Then, suddenly, he stopped.
He pulled away just enough to lock eyes with me. His expression had shifted—murderous, dangerous.
"Who touched you?" he growled.