While Adrian led me through polished halls and locked gardens, far away, a different kind of silence clung to the air—sterile, cold, heavy with the steady rhythm of machines. ----------- 3rd Person POV: Inside a private hospital room, Alyssa lay motionless, her face pale, her chest rising and falling with each artificial breath. She had been like that for months, a fragile porcelain doll suspended between two worlds. Then, a flicker. Her fingers twitched against the sheets. Subtle, but enough to draw the nurse’s sharp intake of breath. “Doctor,” the nurse called quickly, eyes widening. “She moved.” The door burst open minutes later, physicians rushing in, adjusting machines, monitoring her fragile body. But the ones who followed weren’t Jannah. They were her parents. Her mother’s eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling. “She’s coming back. Our Alyssa… our perfect Alyssa.” Her father’s jaw tightened, emotion restrained but clear. “We must be ready. When she wakes, e
The next morning, the air in the penthouse felt different—thicker, charged, as though Adrian’s new rule had changed the oxygen itself. I felt his presence before I even opened my eyes. He was already awake, already watching me. The weight of his gaze pressed into me like a brand. “Good. You’re learning,” he murmured when I stirred. His hand brushed my hair back, deceptively tender. “No running. No hiding.” I forced a smile. “I wasn’t planning to.” The truth sat like a stone in my throat. I was planning. Not escape—not yet. Just… moments. Small moments where I could breathe without him measuring the air for me. But the day stretched out like proof of his control. When I went to the kitchen, he followed. When I pretended to look for a book in the library, he leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, eyes never leaving me. Even when I retreated to the balcony, he stepped outside with me, his hand brushing my back as if to remind me the leash was still there, invisible but unbreak
Morning crept into the apartment in soft slants of light, but Jannah felt no warmth from it. The air was too heavy, too still. When she shifted on the couch, her limbs stiff, she realized Adrian was already awake.He sat across from her, coffee in hand, his gaze pinned on her like she was something fragile—and his.“You didn’t sleep much,” he said, not as a question but an observation.Jannah smoothed her hair nervously. “I was… restless.”“Restless,” Adrian repeated, as though tasting the word. His lips curved faintly, but his eyes didn’t soften. “That won’t do. You’ll rest better when you accept this place is yours, Alyssa.”Yours. The word curled inside her stomach, unwelcome yet heavy. She nodded faintly, pretending to agree, though inside, a tiny spark of rebellion flickered.“I’ll try,” she said, her voice gentle, practiced.Adrian leaned forward, setting the cup down. “Not try, Alyssa. You will.”The steel in his tone made her hands tighten in her lap. She lowered her gaze, hid
The moment she stepped into the apartment, a strange weight pressed down on Jannah’s chest. Adrian didn’t need to say anything—his eyes alone told her she wasn’t leaving, not tonight, maybe not ever. The door clicked shut behind her, and in that second, the world outside felt distant, unreal.“Where’s your phone?” His voice cut through the quiet, low but sharp, almost dangerous.“I… I left it in my bag,” she mumbled, her fingers clutching the strap instinctively.Adrian’s eyes narrowed. “Give it to me.”Before she could protest, he had it in his hands. He examined it with methodical precision, scrolling, checking, confirming. And then he tossed it onto the counter. “You won’t need this for a while,” he said, his tone soft but edged with authority, like velvet over steel.Fear fluttered in her chest. She wanted to argue, to demand it back, but every fiber of her being hesitated. He was always one step ahead, always knowing what to say and how to say it to make her question herself.“Ad
The morning light poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden streaks across the bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my trembling hands. The bruises on my wrists had faded, but the memory of Adrian’s tie binding me was still raw.I needed to see Alyssa.The guilt gnawed at me every waking hour. She was lying in a hospital bed, fighting for her life, while I lived hers—her fiancé, her home, her name. Every time Adrian touched me, I wanted to scream. Not only because of the shame but because my sister had trusted me to protect her secret.I rose quietly, slipping into a simple blouse and jeans. I didn’t plan to stay long. Just an hour at the hospital. Just enough to sit by her bedside and remind her that I hadn’t forgotten.But the moment I reached the foyer, Adrian’s voice cut through the silence.“Where are you going?”I froze, my heart pounding. He was descending the stairs, his dark suit impeccable, his tie perfectly knotted. His eyes, however, were sha
The room was quiet, the weight of the night pressing down on me. I had finally managed to drift into sleep when strong hands slid around my waist, pulling me back against a body I could never mistake. “Adrian…” I mumbled, half-asleep, my voice groggy. “Wake up,” he murmured against my neck, his lips grazing my skin. His tone was low, hungry, dangerous. “I’m not finished with you yet.” My eyes flew open, panic stirring in my chest. “It’s the middle of the night—” “I don’t care,” he cut in, his mouth hot on my shoulder. “When I want you, I’ll take you. Time doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except this.” His words wrapped around me like chains. He rolled me onto my back, straddling me, his eyes glowing in the dim light. He reached for his discarded tie from earlier, the silk smooth between his fingers. “Hands up,” he ordered. “Adrian, please…” My protest was weak, my body already trembling with anticipation and dread. “Now.” The command left no room for defiance. Slowly, hesitant