“The begining of obsession”

I took him to one of the finest art galleries in the city.

It felt……right.

I watched him as he moved slowly from one painting to another, his eyes attentive, thoughtful. At some point, I pulled out my phone and took a picture of him. When I looked at it, my breath caught.He looked even more handsome in stillness.

And in that quiet moment, I realized something unsettling My feelings for him were no longer fleeting. They were growing… steadily, deeply… like something alive inside me.

“You’re very well received here,” someone nearby murmured, offering a compliment.

I barely heard them,my attention was fixed on James.He stood before one of my paintings, his gaze lingering longer than usual. There was something in his expression recognition, perhaps. A memory.

For a second, I wondered if he was thinking about the first day we met… or the moment on the bus when our paths unknowingly crossed.

“These people…” he said softly, gesturing toward one of my pieces, “…they don’t look happy.”

There was concern in his voice.

I stepped closer.

“In real life, I can’t change their stories,” I said quietly. “But on canvas… I try to take away their sadness. Even if it’s just for a moment.”

He turned to look at me, and something in his eyes shifted something softer.Before I could say anything more, my phone buzzed.

Andrew.

Again.

My expression hardened slightly as I declined the call.

Then again.

And again.

Each vibration chipped away at the peace I had been feeling.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered under my breath, silencing it once more.James noticed.

“Maybe we should step outside?” he suggested gently. “Are you alright? Is someone bothering you?”

“I’m fine,” I replied quickly—too quickly. “Can we just… leave?”

He studied me for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright.”

While we walked out, my phone continued to buzz relentlessly in my hand.

And somewhere else, Andrew was losing control.

(Andrew’s POV – briefly implied through narration)

“The number you are calling is not available. Please try again later.”The automated voice repeated itself.

He slammed his phone onto the table, his jaw clenched tight. Investors watched him uneasily as he paced back and forth in the boardroom, barely containing his anger.

“We’ve prepared the agreement,” one of them said cautiously. “We’re ready to sign…”

“I’m not,” Andrew cut in sharply, his voice cold enough to silence the room.Without another word, he stormed out.

Moments later, his office echoed with destruction chairs overturned, glass shattered, papers scattered like fallen leaves.Back at the gallery entrance, I felt the weight of everything pressing in on me again.

James broke the silence.

“Irene… do you have someone in your life?”

I looked at him, surprised by the question.

“No,” I answered calmly. “There’s… someone who troubles me. But he’s not my

lover. And it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

His shoulders relaxed slightly.

“I’m not worried,” he said, though his tone betrayed otherwise.

I smiled faintly, trying to ease the tension.

“Come on… don’t start imagining things.”

He chuckled softly.

“If it’s not a problem, then I won’t make it one.”

I reached for his hand without thinking.He didn’t pull away.And for a moment, everything felt simple again.

Outside, he stopped.

“I have to head to the university,” he said.

“Alright… I’ll see you later.”

He nodded, but lingered for a second like he didn’t want to leave.I waved lightly and turned away.Halfway to my car, I hesitated.A strange feeling pulled at me, urging me to go back.But when I turned, He was already gone.Somewhere else, chaos still lingered.

Andrew stood in his office, breathing heavily, staring at a photograph in his hand.

“I will find every single one of you,” he muttered darkly. “And you will all pay.”

In a fit of rage, he slammed the frame down. The glass shattered instantly, cutting into his palm.

Blood dripped, but he didn’t react.

“Andrew…..your hand….”

“Get out!” he roared.

The door opened again.His father stepped in, taking in the destruction with a calculating gaze.

“What happened?” he asked calmly.

Andrew laughed bitterly, his voice breaking.

“I’m in love, Father,” he said hoarsely. “I love Irene… and she looks at me like I’m nothing.”

Tears burned in his eyes

“I gave her everything. Everything. And she still won’t choose me.”

His father’s expression darkened not with sympathy, but strategy.

“Then we make her choose,” he said coldly. “We will make this official.”

“She doesn’t want me!” Andrew snapped. “Even if I put the whole world at her feet, she wouldn’t look at me.”

His voice dropped, dangerous.

“I don’t care. I want her. Only her.”

He stepped closer, his eyes wild.

“If another man touches her…” he whispered, “…I will kill him.”

Silence filled the room.His father placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re my son,” he said firmly. “And you will not lose.”

His voice turned darker.

“I will handle everything.”

A pause.

“She will marry you.”

And somewhere in the distance, I had no idea that the war for my life….. had already begun.