Ch. 3: Freak

Third person's point of view

In the darkened limo's rear seat, Astrella stared fixedly out the window at the hazy city lights below. It was as if the shadows that had fallen upon her heart were mirrored in every bright flash. With Dax Donomie Martinelli, she had no idea what to expect.

What more could she do? Here she was, tied to him again, her mind racing with a thousand questions, yet none of them appeared to matter.

She glanced across at him, but he didn’t acknowledge her. He sat there, his back straight, eyes locked on the road ahead, his expression cold and unreadable. That's his signature now, or it's always been.

The silence in the car was suffocating.

“You did this. All of it. The auction. The debts. You manipulated everything to get me back.” Astrella broke oppressive quiet, her voice trembling with disbelief.

Dax didn’t look at her. He knew exactly how her words would land.

“Not everything,” he groaned, his voice low, filled with a cool detachment. "Astralla, I didn't manipulate your life. You were always within reach. Certainty was mine."

Anger washed over Astrella. She desperately grasped the door handle, fearing a trap, only to hear the latch click as her fingertips touched it. As her anger escalated, she forcefully struck her fist against the seat. "Do you really believe this is a game, Dax? Really? I mean, really? You can buy me and put me in your hands? You have no right to treat me this way. No one has the right to accept my return to your world just because you do."

He finally turned his head, his eyes still cold. His gaze pierced through her, the intensity in it so raw.

"I never wanted you to leave, Astrella," Dax murmured, his voice still composed but with a hint of irritation. "I should have known better. I deeply regret the things I did. Yet, I never intended for you to leave. Do you really believe that my motive behind doing all this was to exact revenge? Rest assured that is not the case. I want you back, not just your body. I’ve never stopped wanting you.”

Astrella jerked back when he spoke, and she could feel her chest tighten.

"You think that after everything you've done, everything you've become, I would want to be with you again?" Her voice cracked with emotion. "You’ve turned into a monster, Dax. This isn’t love. This is an obsession. And it’s terrifying."

The car slowed, and Dax’s eyes flickered toward the mansion that loomed ahead. The sprawling estate looked like a fortress, its dark silhouette towering over the skyline. This is it.

✧✧✧

The mansion doors creaked open as they entered, and Astrella couldn’t help but shiver as she looked around. The place was luxurious, grandiose, yet overwhelming.

She took a hesitant step forward. There was no comfort here. This wasn’t a home; and it was a prison. A gilded cage.

Dax, who had led the way, turned back to face her. “This is where you’ll stay, Astrella. Safe, secure. The world outside isn’t kind. Not for people like us.”

“People like us?” Astrella’s voice dripped with venomous sarcasm. “Ha. Ha. Wow, us? Really? That’s rich, Dax. There hasn’t been an us since you decided to destroy whatever we had left. Look at you, you’re a stranger now, some twisted version of the boy I used to know. I don’t even recognize you anymore, and honestly? I’m not sure I want to.”

He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze unwavering. Then, slowly, almost too calmly, he walked closer, his steps deliberate. “I’m the same man, Astrella. Just hardened by what happened. The actions of your father shaped me. By what he made me become.”

Astrella let out a sharp laugh, her eyes narrowing with disdain. “Oh, so we’re playing the blame game now? Let me guess. Next, you’ll tell me it’s my fault the sky’s blue. Spare me, Dax. You’re not ‘hardened’; you’re just another bitter man using his pain as an excuse to ruin everything in his path. Get over yourself.”

Dax reached out, placing a hand lightly on Astrella's arm, his touch almost tender, but the coldness in his eyes erased any illusion of warmth.

Astrella flinched at his touch, pulling away.

“You’re wrong,” Dax said softly, the edge in his voice returning. “I’ll burn this world for you if I can’t have you. You’ll be back in my life where you belong.”

Astrella shivered at the chill creeping up her spine as she locked eyes with him. “Controlling freak. Ha, the only place I’ll be is far from your messed-up world. Burn me alive now, let’s see what happens next. I’m not playing your twisted game.”

Dax’s lips twisted into a sad smile, nodding. “You’ll see soon, Astrella. You can’t outrun the past. It’s always lurking, waiting to rise when you least expect it.”

His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. “And no matter how far you run, no matter how much you fight, the price for what’s been done is waiting for you.”

He stepped back, his gaze lingering on her. “Come on, there’s someone you need to meet. Hope you’re ready for the encore.”

Astrella stood frozen for a heartbeat. She could not deny the unmistakable dread that enveloped her. She had thought she was prepared for this, but as the walls of the mansion closed in around her and Dax's words echoed in her mind, she felt as though she had been shoved headfirst into a wild lion's den.

As Dax turned to lead her deeper into his domain, the weight of the situation hit her hard. This wasn’t just some twisted game for him anymore.

He’d actually burn the world to the ground to claim her again.

She couldn’t even wrap her head around it. Where did she even start? Kill him? No. She was too innocent for that, too far removed from the monster he'd become. This was his war now; she was done playing. All she needed was a way out, though, truth be told, she had nothing left.

"Can you imagine investing three hundred billion dollars? I mean, if I start calculating the worth of my organs, hell, a hundred billion wouldn’t even cut it. Damn. Is that all I’m worth? Three hundred billion? Ugh. That’s cheap." Astrella muttered to herself, laughing bitterly at the absurdity. "Am I losing it, or am I just really that undervalued?"

"Maybe this is a hangover striking me," Astrella thought, shaking her head. "What am I even thinking? I was so brave earlier. Later, I’ll have to be braver. I can’t let him win, not yet."