Chapter 0018MIND GAMES...ELENA,Becoming Emily’s tutor was not an easy task.I had known from the moment I accepted the position that it wouldn’t be a smooth ride. But I had underestimated just how deep the hostility between us ran.It wasn’t just resentment—it was something more. Something deliberate.Emily had been watching me, studying me, and though I couldn’t prove it, I knew she was waiting for the perfect moment to strike.And yet, I couldn’t understand why.I wasn’t with Ryan. I never had been. It was Ryan who had been obsessed with me, not the other way around. If anything, I had spent the majority of my time pushing him away.So why did Emily seem so fixated on me?The first day of our lessons arrived too soon, and despite my unease, I forced myself to move with confidence. Whatever game Emily was playing, I refused to let her see my doubts.As I stepped into the study hall, a strange hush settled over the room. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long shad
CHAPTER 0019 THE UNVEILING RYAN, Curiosity ate at me—relentless and unshakable. It lingered in my thoughts like a constant hum, refusing to fade. At first, it was just a quiet warning, a voice in the back of my mind telling me to stay away. But the more I ignored it, the stronger it became, growing into an obsession I couldn’t escape. I knew I should have stopped thinking about her. I knew I should have walked away. But no matter how much I tried, it was impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Every time I tried to focus on something else, her name echoed in my mind, drawing me back into something I had no business being part of. Now, as I gripped the steering wheel, the city outside blurred into streaks of neon lights and shifting shadows. New York stretched endlessly before me—a rush of honking taxis and hurried pedestrians—but none of it mattered. I wasn’t part of that world. My mind was locked on one thing. One person. Elena. I had no reason to go near her
Chapter 0020WEB OF CONTROLEVAN,I knew something was off the moment Mr. Damian requested Elena. There was an edge to his voice, a subtle condescension that grated on my nerves. He made it seem like a favor, as if he were offering her some grand opportunity. But I knew better. This wasn’t about Elena’s skills. It was about proving a point—to me.Mr. Damian had always been difficult, impossible to impress, but I never expected him to seek out Elena personally. The moment I realized why, irritation turned into something darker. He wanted her to tutor his daughter. That was it. Not because he respected her, not because he thought she was better suited for anything beyond this—but because she was convenient.And yet, as much as I resented it, I saw the advantage. If she worked for them, she would be in their home, close enough to hear things I couldn’t. She would have access to conversations, information—leverage. This could be useful. No, it would be useful.The first day of her lessons
Chapter 0021BOUND BY LOVE OR OBSESSION...RYAN,I stood outside her house again. I told myself I wasn’t stalking her, that I wasn’t obsessed, that I wasn’t violating every unspoken rule by standing here in the dark, watching. But deep down, I knew the truth. I had followed her here—just like I had trailed her to work, to the café she always stopped at, to the bookstore she visited on weekends. I had memorized the rhythm of her life, traced the patterns of her existence like an addict chasing a high.I couldn't stay away, no matter how hard I tried. Not after discovering the truth—she was connected to my family, and I needed to know how. Elena was married to my uncle. That knowledge alone had carved something hollow inside me, leaving a raw, gaping wound festering with unanswered questions. What happened to Jonathan? Who was the man she married? Why did she stay? None of it made sense. The Elena I knew—brilliant, strong-willed, passionate—would never allow herself to be trapped. So wh
Chapter 0022TWISTED DEVOTION.RYAN,I barely remembered getting back to my car.One moment, I was inside that house, drowning in the suffocating tension between us, searching—begging—for something in her eyes. A flicker of the past, a crack in her armor, any sign that she wasn’t as indifferent as she pretended to be. That she wasn’t lying to me. That the connection we had wasn’t just an illusion I’d built in my mind.And then, in the next breath, I was outside.The night air hit me like a slap—cold, sharp, cutting through the heat burning beneath my skin. I barely noticed.My fingers curled around the steering wheel, squeezing so tightly that my knuckles ached, the pressure sending sharp jolts of pain up my forearms. My pulse pounded at the base of my skull, a brutal, unrelenting beat that refused to settle. Each breath came too fast, too sharp, pulling in the scent of damp pavement, gasoline, and the faintest trace of her lingering on my skin.I was drowning in it.The scent of her.
Chapter 0023BETRAYAL IN THE DARK.EVAN,I couldn’t shake the shock from my mind. Who the hell was that guy, and why had he rushed to save her? The question burned through me, feeding the fire already raging inside. My fists clenched at my sides, my pulse hammering as I glared at Elena. My breath came in sharp, heated bursts.She brought him here.That realization hit harder than anything. This wasn’t an accident. It wasn’t a coincidence. She had brought him—to my house, into my space—as if she had the right."So, you have the audacity to bring your boyfriend into this house?" My voice was low but laced with fury, dripping with venom. "You date children now? And you come here to hurt me?"Elena’s eyes widened, and she took an instinctive step back. I saw it—the flicker of fear in her gaze. A dark satisfaction curled inside me.Good. She should be scared."I—I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.I scoffed, stepping closer, closing the
Chapter 0024SHATTERED VOWS.ELENA,My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. No matter how hard I tried to still them, the tremors wouldn’t go away. My back remained pressed against the cold wall where Evan had cornered me, his fury seared into my mind like a brand I couldn’t erase.The moment his fist slammed into the wall—just inches from my face—something inside me shattered. Fear, raw and unfiltered, coiled in my chest, suffocating me from the inside out. It was as if all the air had been forced out of my lungs, leaving behind nothing but a hollow ache and the echoes of his rage.I had seen Evan angry before. I had seen him reckless, dangerous even. I knew what he was capable of. But tonight was different. Tonight, I saw something in his eyes that I had never seen before. Something dark. Something possessive.I wrapped my arms around myself, struggling to breathe. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out rational thought. He had looked at me like I was his possession, something that b
Chapter 0025BETRAYAL AND LOVEELENA,I ran.I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe. I just ran.The cold morning air sliced through me, sharp and unforgiving, but I barely felt it. My pulse pounded in my ears, drowning out the distant hum of the waking city. My vision blurred—not from exhaustion, but from the sheer force of emotions crashing over me like a relentless wave. My heart wasn’t just racing; it was plummeting, sinking into a darkness so deep, so suffocating, that I feared I might never surface.Evan was in Diva’s apartment.Shirtless.Disheveled.Looking like he had spent the night.A violent twist of nausea rolled through my stomach, cold and sickening. My mind fought to process what my eyes had just seen, but no matter how I tried to reason with myself, the image remained—a cruel, inescapable brand seared into my memory.I should’ve known.I should’ve seen it coming.And yet, I had let him deceive me. Again.Like a fool, I had clung to his empty words, let myself believe in his
CHAPTER 80UNDER ATTACK.ADRIAN,"Boss, maybe we should confirm before heading to the docks—" I said to Evan skeptical about going into the docks without full information."Just drive," Evan barked, cutting me off.His voice was sharp, tight with urgency, leaving no room for argument. The air in the car was thick, charged, and heavy with something just shy of violence. My fingers curled into fists as I stared out the windshield, my heart hammering like a war drum, each beat a reminder of how much time we were wasting.I didn’t argue after that.The tires screeched as he swerved through the late-night traffic, weaving between cars like a predator hunting in the dark. Streetlights flashed past in bursts of white and gold, the reflection shimmering on the wet pavement as we tore forward, leaving nothing but the roar of the engine behind us.I pulled out my phone, fingers moving fast as I dialed.One ring.Two.Three.And then it went up to voicemail.Damn it.I muttered a curse under my
Chapter 0079 A GHOST ELENA, I laid down in the room, my mind filled with who the man was and what he wanted from me. For the first time, I wanted Evan to be here. If he was, he would be able to get me out of here. I was Evan's captive, but I wasn’t locked up with darkness crawling up over me. The darkness had been there, but now— The darkness was worse this time. It wasn’t just an absence of light—it was a presence. Heavy. Watching. I could feel it pressing in, curling around me like an unseen force, suffocating yet intangible. My breath came in shallow gasps, each inhale filling my lungs with the taste of dust and fear. The cold slithered over my skin like skeletal fingers, wrapping around me in a suffocating grip. I drew my knees to my chest, tucking myself into the smallest space possible, as if that could protect me from whatever lurked beyond the void. I didn’t know how long I had been here. Time had ceased to exist in this place. The silence stretched endlessly, coiling
CHAPTER 0078GETTING HER BACK AGAINEVANThe city never truly slept. It breathed, pulsing beneath the surface—hidden in the shadows of back alleys, behind tinted windows, between whispered deals exchanged under flickering neon lights. The underworld never stopped moving.Right now, neither could I.Rage burned through me like wildfire, scorching, relentless. Every inhale stoked the flames, every exhale carried the heat deeper into my bones. My hands ached from clenching my fists too tightly, my jaw locked with barely restrained fury.Elena was gone.And someone was going to bleed for it.I forced my fingers to loosen, letting the weight of the gun in my lap center me. Cold metal. Familiar. An extension of myself, something I could control. But it wasn’t enough—not when fury clawed inside me, desperate to be unleashed.My mind raced through every possibility. Every name, every face that might have dared to take her from me.The list was short. I had made sure of that over the years.Wh
CHAPTER 0077KIDNAPPEDELENA,Darkness. that was Alli saw when I woke up, Thick, suffocating, absolute.Pain radiated from the back of my skull, a deep, pulsing ache that sent nausea rolling through my stomach. It wasn’t just pain—it was a heavy, consuming fog, pressing in from all sides, making it impossible to think clearly. My body felt like dead weight against the cold, unyielding floor, my limbs sluggish and weak, as though I had been unconscious for hours—maybe longer.I tried to move, but every shift sent sharp jolts of agony through me. My fingers twitched against the rough, icy surface beneath me, and a shiver tore through my body. I wasn’t just cold—I was freezing, my thin clothing offering no protection against the chill that seeped into my bones. The air around me was stale, thick with a metallic tang that sent a warning bell ringing in the back of my mind.Blood.The realization sent a fresh wave of panic surging through my veins, tightening around my chest like a vice.
CHAPTER 0076LOST AGAIN.EVANThe rhythmic tap of my fingers against the polished wood of my desk was the only sound in the room. A slow, deliberate beat, like a clock ticking down to some inevitable moment. The air was thick with the scent of expensive leather and aged whiskey, but my mind was elsewhere, sifting through a web of problems that needed solving.Elena was a problem.Evelyn was an even bigger one.And I needed to find a way to silence them both—permanently.The screen of my phone lit up beside me, the faint glow cutting through the dimness. A vibration followed, a subtle hum against the heavy stillness. Business. A distraction. I glanced at the message—a confirmation of a deal that had taken months to close. Millions in negotiation, countless hours spent maneuvering, and now it was mine. A victory, yet it left me hollow. There was no satisfaction, no surge of triumph. Only the gnawing sense that something more pressing loomed in the background, something unfinished.Then
CHAPTER 0075 IN THE DARKNESS. ELENA, The whisper coiled around me like a breath against my skin. "You should have stayed asleep." My stomach clenched, and every muscle in my body locked into place, frozen by something more powerful than fear—dread. Deep, bone-deep dread. The kind that sinks into your marrow and holds you captive. I had tried to turn on the light, but it wasn’t working. I flicked the switch again. Nothing. My fingers trembled as I reached for the lamp instead, its glow weak but steady. It wasn’t much, but it was something. I gripped the lamp tightly, holding it close like a lifeline, my fingers aching from how hard I clutched the ceramic base. The air had changed. Heavy. Humming with something unseen, something wrong. I swallowed hard, forcing a breath into my lungs, but the simple act of breathing felt unnatural. Like I was inhaling something thick and tainted. Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe exhaustion had finally taken its toll, twisting reality into nig
Chapter 0074A LINGERING WARNINGELENA,I pushed the door open, stepping into the dimly lit hallway, my thoughts tangled in the web of lies I had once believed. The house was silent—too silent. The kind of quiet that doesn’t feel natural, like something was missing or waiting, holding its breath in the darkness.Shadows stretched long across the wooden floors, twisting unnaturally under the faint glow of the moon filtering through the windows. The air held a strange stillness, thick and suffocating, as though the walls themselves knew something I didn’t.For the longest time, I had pitied Evan. I had seen him as weak—a man drowning himself in alcohol, retreating into the haze of liquor to forget whatever haunted him. Broken beyond repair. A hollow version of himself.But that had all been a carefully constructed illusion.Evan was never helpless. He was never lost.He had been in control all along.A shiver ran down my spine, curling around my ribs like an unseen hand squeezing until
CHAPTER 0073THE GAME BEGINSEVAN,I heard her leave the house.I had been waiting for this moment. Sitting at the dining table, fingers tapping the polished wood in slow, rhythmic motions, I maintained the illusion of stillness. If anyone had been watching, they would have thought I was lost in thought, perhaps brooding over something entirely unrelated to her. But every breath I took, every fiber of my being, was tuned to her movements.I had known she would try again. It wasn’t a question of if—only when. Elena was many things: stubborn, reckless, restless. But above all, she was predictable when cornered. She hated being caged. She might have convinced herself she needed the walls I had built around her, might have played along for a while, but deep down, she would always test the limits.I had been waiting for the unraveling to begin.It had started in subtle ways, the way all things did with Elena. The way her pacing grew tighter, more erratic. The way her fingers twitched when
CHAPTER 72THE ARRIVAL.ELENA,The car rolled to a stop two blocks away from the house, just outside the range of the security cameras Evan had installed. The ones meant to keep intruders out. The ones that really kept me in.I clenched my hands in my lap, my fingers cold despite the warmth inside the car. Outside, the street was quiet—too quiet. Not the peaceful kind of silence, but the eerie, suffocating kind that filled the air before something terrible happened.Even in the dim glow of the streetlamps, I could still make out the cracks in the pavement, the familiar bends in the sidewalk, the warped wooden fences lining the yards of houses I once thought of as ordinary. But tonight, everything felt different. Foreign. Like I was walking into a place I no longer belonged. Maybe I never truly had.I swallowed hard and reached for the door handle, but hesitation kept me frozen.Evelyn exhaled beside me, her fingers drumming against the steering wheel in a slow, deliberate rhythm. “You