The world seemed to fade around as Olivia’s body was falling through the air. The wind past her ears, sinking out her scream, and the sharp rocks below grew closer with every passing second. Her heart raced with panic, her thoughts was fill with fear and regret.Just as she braced for the situation, a strong hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. The shaking halt sent a sharp pain through her arm, but it was lifesaving.“Got you!” the stranger groaned, their muscles straining as they held her hanging body.Olivia looked up, her wide eyes locking onto the stranger’s. Their face was tense with effort, drops of sweat glowing in the moonlight.“Don’t let go!” she plea, tears running down her cheeks.“I won’t,” they said clenching their teeth.With a determined sound, the stranger pulled her up, inch by inch, until she was back on the cliff. Olivia clung to the rock; her body was shaking from the nearly-death experience.For a moment, neither of them spokes. “Are you okay?” the stranger fina
Olivia’s breathing was coming in shallow gasps. She crept closer to the cave’s entrance, her were shaking.“Please,” she whispered, clinging to the stranger’s promise. “Please come back.”The light sound of footsteps reached her ears, breaking the silence. A man comes out from the shadows. For a moment, relief passed over her as she recognized the stranger’s face.But the relief was short. Blood stained their shirt, the dark blood spreading across the fabric.“You’re hurt!” Olivia said, rushing toward them. The stranger jaw clenched in pain. “I’m fine.”“No, you’re not,” she argued, her hands moved uncertainly over their wound. “Let me help.”“There’s no time,” they said sharply while glancing towards the forest. “They’re regrouping. We should move.”Olivia hesitated with concern towards them. “You’re bleeding…”“I said I’m fine!” the stranger raised their voice, harsher than intended.The anger in their voice startled her into silence, but the glimpse of guilt in their eyes softens th
The narrow entrance became a block point. Olivia hides behind the stranger, her heart pounding so hardly. The stranger steadies their breathing, every muscle stiff as they gripped the bloody handle of the knife.“Don’t move,” they whispered, their voice was low.Olivia nodded, she wanted to run. But there was nowhere to go.The first man entered; his gun raised as his eyes goes over to the spot, but he didn’t find them immediately. The stranger waited, their breathing hard despite the pain coming from their side. When the man took another step inside, their movements became quiet.Suddenly, the stranger attacked, their knife digging into the man’s side before he could react. A loud cry echoed through the forest as the man fell, his weapon falling to the ground.Before the stranger could recover, another man ran through the entrance, raising his rifle.“Behind you!” Olivia screamed, unable to hold back.The stranger turned just in time, quickly avoiding the aim of the rifle aimed at th
The growls outside the gap deepens into loud snarls, echoing through the tight space. Olivia pressed herself against the rocky wall. The stranger adjusted their grip on the knife.“Stay close to me,” they ordered. Olivia’s fear turns into frustration. “I’m not useless! If we’re going to survive, I need to know how to help!” The stranger’s eyes go over her. “Survival isn’t about fairness. It’s about doing what it takes to stay alive.”“They’ll level us out,” the stranger said. “The creatures will attack them first, but it won’t hold them off for long.”“Then, what do we do?” Olivia whispered.The stranger looked at the narrow space, in thought. “We need to force them into each other’s path. Let Victor’s men deal with the creatures.”Olivia nodded, though her mind was racing. “How do we do that without getting killed?”A surge of hope crossed them. “We bait them.”Before Olivia could ask, the stranger crawled toward the gap’s edge. Carefully, they throw a small rock in the opposite dire
But Olivia didn’t stop.The thumping of her heart was loud. It sounded like the heartbeat of someone who had made a decision.She glanced over her back; her chest tightens. Victor was still locked in fight with the stranger, but she could see that he was beginning to overpower them. The stranger’s movements were slowing, and Victor’s was heavy on them.Then, she saw something that paused her in place like a flash of metal in the stranger’s hand. It wasn’t the knife. Something darker and more dangerous. A small dagger, hidden within their jacket. Olivia’s breath stuck as the stranger managed to drive the blade into Victor’s side arm.Victor grumbled in pain, but his anger didn’t go. Instead, his lips curled into a smirk and he shoved the stranger off with new violence, sending them crashing into a tree.Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. The stranger was on the ground, their body was limp, blood coming out from them. But Victor wasn’t finished.Victor slowly stand up, wiping a stream of bl
The moon was high in the sky, casting shadows across the expansive grounds of Victor’s mansion. The night was cold, rustling the trees as Olivia stepped quietly into the garden, her breath small and quick. She had thought she was free. For a few moments, she could pretend to forget the grip of Victor, who had on her life. But even in this illusion of freedom, she wasn’t truly free. That constant and suffocating control remained settle deep within her.As she goes around the garden, she saw a man standing under near the fountain, his features were half-hidden in shadow. His name was Richard, a stranger she had met only a few days earlier in town. He had been kind, gentle in a way Victor never was.It wasn’t supposed to mean anything. She told herself that. But tonight, the loneliness and suffocation she felt inside Victor’s house had driven her to seek someone to talk with.Olivia approached Richard with a careful step, as if she were walking on weak glass. But she never noticed that s
The days become a blur for Olivia; long, endless, and exhausting. Victor had become more possessive over the last few weeks, his every action immersed in a darkness that was impossible to ignore. He didn't just want her body anymore. He wanted her entire life.One night, after dinner, she was in the study, attempting to escape her thoughts. But the moment of peace was short.The door gets open, and there was standing Victor. His expression looked exhausted like he was finding her. "Where do you think you’re going, Olivia?"She stands up from the desk. "I’m not going anywhere. Just trying to read."Victor’s eyes frowned. "Are you hiding away from me like some… prisoner?" His tone was heavy with the bitterness of his jealousy."I’m not hiding from you, Victor," she shot back, "I’m just trying to find some space. I can’t breathe with you around all the time." she said gritting her teeth. "I’m not your toy or your possession."He gave a cold smirk. "You’re right. You’re not my toy. You’re
Victor had always known how to take people according to his will, his power, his dangerous allure. But Olivia was different. She had resisted him at every turn and yet the more she pushed back, the more he wanted to claim her.As the days passed, their encounters became more charged. She didn’t love him, but he knew she couldn’t deny the attraction that pulled her closer to him each time. That’s what haunted him. He knew it wasn’t enough to simply control her body anymore.Victor was standing in front of the large window in his study, watching the rain outside. His thoughts were far from the business matters. Olivia had resisted him, but now…she was slipping. He could feel it but couldn’t quite understand. Was this love? Or was it just obsession? A need to control, to possess every part of her until there was nothing left of the woman?The next morning Olivia woke up and her eyes fell upon the tray of breakfast placed neatly on the side table. It was a disturbing routine, Victor’s way
Victor’s mood was unpredictable the next morning. He avoided Olivia entirely, retreating to his study and shutting himself away. The silence was suffocating, but Olivia couldn’t bring herself to approach him after what had happened.By the time evening was around, Victor emerged. He found Olivia in the library, her fingers idly tracing the back of books.“Come with me,” he said, his voice leaving no room for argument.Olivia followed him to his study, her heart pounding. She half-expected him to get angry, to punish her for her attempted manipulation.But instead, Victor surprised her.He poured them both a drink and gestured for her to sit. For a long moment, he simply stared into his glass, the weight of unspoken words pressing down on them.Finally, he spoke. “Do you know why I am the way I am, Olivia?”She shook her head, unsure of how to respond.Victor’s jaw clenched. “When I was a boy, I had a sister. Isabella. She was everything I wasn’t kind, compassionate, full of life. She
The following morning, Olivia’s was ready to confront Victor.When she enters the dining room, Victor was already there, sipping his coffee and reading a file. He glanced up as she approached.“Good morning,” he said, his voice normal.Olivia took a seat across from him. “We need to talk.”Victor raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond immediately. He put the file aside, giving her his full attention.“What’s on your mind?” he asked, his voice calm but laced with curiosity.“I want to know you,” Olivia said.For a moment, Victor said nothing. Then he leaned back in his chair, his eyes dark and thoughtful.“You want know me?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.“I think I can try,” Olivia replied.Victor studied her for a long moment before finally speaking. “You’ve probably heard stories about me. People love to talk about the monster Victor Castellano. But what they don’t understand is that monsters are made, not born.”His words sent a fear in her. She wanted to ask further, bu
The note haunted Olivia throughout the day. Someone knew about her conversations with Marco. Was it Victor? One of the other guards? The mansion’s each corner feels like hiding unseen eyes.When she finally saw Victor again, he was seated in the dining room. But as soon as their eyes met, she felt the weight of his stare, as though he already knew everything.“Join me,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him.Reluctantly, Olivia sat down.Victor poured himself a glass of wine, his movements thoughtful. “I hear you’ve been making friends,” he said casually, though his voice carried an edge.Olivia’s heart skipped a beat. “Is that a problem?”“That depends,” Victor said, leaning back in his chair. “Are you planning to use those friendships against me?”A Warning DeliveredOlivia met his eyes, refusing to back down. “Maybe I’m just trying to survive in a situation I didn’t choose.”Victor’s expression hardens. “Survival is a delicate game. You need to know when to push and when
The night before had ended in silence, Victor’s words hanging in her mind like a thunder. She didn’t know what to expect today, but she wanted to stand her ground no matter what came her way.For the rest of the day, Victor imposed strict rules on Olivia. She wasn’t allowed to leave her room, her meals were brought to her, and even the staff avoided her as if following some unspoken command.Victor didn’t see her himself, but she felt his presence everywhere; in the guards outside her door, in the silence that seemed to echo through the halls. It was suffocating.By the evening, Olivia had had enough. When her dinner was delivered, she shoved the tray aside and stormed out of her room, ignoring the guards’ protests. She found Victor sitting in his room, a glass of wine in his hand.“What kind of punishment is this?” she asked, her voice trembling with anger.Victor looked at her. “You want to disobey me. There are consequences for that.”“This isn’t punishment, it’s control,” she snap
Victor stood in the room. Olivia sat stiffly in a chair by the fireplace, her hands gripping the arms. The coldness in the air was suffocating. She didn’t know what Victor wanted, but the look in his eyes made her heart leapt.“You’ve been pushing boundaries, Olivia,” Victor said, his voice low.“I’m not a prisoner,” Olivia shot back.Victor gave humorless smile. “You’re more than a prisoner. You’re… mine.”The word sent a sense of dread within her. His eyes were dark and intense, and she couldn’t tell if it was anger, obsession, or something else.“You don’t own me, Victor,” she said firmly, though her voice shakes slightly.Victor get closer, his presence suffocating. “In my world, Olivia, possession isn’t about ownership. It’s about protection. Control.”“That’s not love,” she snapped.Vi
Olivia stares at Victor Castellano, her heart heavy with the force of her suppressed anger and fear. His dark eyes dig into her, unwavering and cold. The ultimatum he had delivered at the end of their tense confrontation still echoes in her mind: Work for me to pay off your father’s debts, or you’ll face the consequences.Victor leaned back in his chair; his confidence unshaken. The room fell silent except for the light ticking of the clock on the wall. Olivia’s hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palms."Why are you dragging me into this? I don’t even know what my father did!" Olivia finally asked.Victor gave a smirk, his amusement at her defiance barely hidden. “Your father’s actions made this your problem. His debts, his betrayals, they’ve landed basically on your shoulders.”“I’m not my father!” she shot back. “Whatever he did, you can’t just&he
The corridor was weirdly silent as Olivia crept back to her room, her heart hammering in her chest. Victor’s words replayed in her mind: “If she finds out the truth about her father, it’ll ruin everything.”What truth?Olivia knew she couldn’t confront him right away. Victor Castellano wasn’t the kind of man you could ask questions with and expect honest answers. No, she’d have to play this carefully.When she reached her room, she locked the door behind her and laid onto the bed, her heart racing.She needed to think. If Victor was hiding something about her father, it meant there was more to this story than she’d been led to believe. And if she wanted to get out of here, she’d have to figure out what it was.But how?Her eyes landed on her phone, still sitting on the nightstand. She picked it up, scrolling through her contacts. Most of her friends wouldn’t understand, what could they do against a man like Victor? But there was one person who might.Taking a deep breath, she dialed t
The car sent by Victor Castellano arrived at Olivia’s house precisely at 7 AM the next morning, its black exterior glowing beautifully in the sunlight. She stood on the doorway; her bag clutched tightly in her hands. Her mother hovered behind her; concern etched on her face.“You don’t have to do this,” her mother whispered, placing a shaking hand on Olivia’s shoulder.“I do,” Olivia replied, her voice steadier. “It’s the only way to protect us.”The driver, a man in a suit, stepped out and opened the car door for her. Olivia glanced back at her mother one last time, trying to ignore the aching feeling in her chest.“I’ll be okay,” she said, more to herself than her mother.She gets into the car, the door shutting with a heavy thud that seems to seal her fate.The ride to Victor’s house was silent. The driver didn’t say a word, his eyes were fixed on the road ahead. Olivia stared out of the window, her heart dropping as the city skyline gave way to countryside. After what felt like ho
The light buzz of the streetlamp outside Olivia’s bedroom window was the only sound accompanying in the quiet night. She was sitting at her desk, the soft glow of her laptop illuminating her face as she stared at her unfinished college application essay. Her fingers hovers over the keyboard, the words refusing to come. Life had been complicated lately, too complicated for an eighteen-year-old.“Olivia, are you coming down for dinner?” her mother’s voice called from the hallway.“In a bit!” Olivia replied, not looking away from her screen.Her mother’s footsteps retreated, leaving her alone with the quiet sound of the laptop. The house feels emptier than ever since her father’s sudden disappearance two weeks ago. No explanation, no note… just gone. Her mother kept reassuring her that he’d return, but Olivia wasn’t sure. Her father wasn’t the type to leave without saying something.As she leaned back in her chair, the faint creak of the front gate caught her attention. She turned toward