Semua Bab CRUEL OBSESSION: Bab 61 - Bab 70

The morning sun touched my face like a warm kiss, soft and calm. I stood on the porch of the lake house, holding a mug of hot coffee between my hands. The air was cold and clean, the kind that made you breathe deeper. I looked out at the lake, still and shining, like a huge mirror holding the sky. It was so beautiful it almost hurt.I didn’t want to leave.Inside, Cameron was still sleeping. His face looked softer in the morning light—relaxed, peaceful, not the sharp, driven man I knew in the city. I watched him through the open door for a moment. He looked truly happy here.A tiny ache curled in my chest.Was I really about to ruin that? Could I keep pretending? Keep smiling while my heart slowly pulled in another direction?He shifted under the covers, then opened his eyes and smiled like a boy seeing sunshine for the first time. “Morning, beautiful,” he said, voice still rough with sleep. “God, this weekend… it was perfect. Don’t you think?”I walked back inside, sat at the edge of

I threw my fists at him again and again, the sound of flesh connecting with flesh ringing in my ears. Every punch was like a release, each blow taking away a piece of the suffocating weight I’d carried for so long. His face, his chest, his body—nothing was off-limits.I heard Martha screaming in the background, her voice desperate and pleading, but it was like her words were muffled by the roaring fire inside me. I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to. He needed to feel every ounce of the pain he’d put us through.Then, I heard someone yelling for help, a voice rising above the chaos, but I couldn’t make out the words. My focus was locked on him, on making him pay for everything he’d done to our family. He had torn us apart and broken us down, and I wanted him to feel it.But then, I felt strong hands grabbing me, pulling me back. Mrs. Rodriguez, our neighbor, and two other men were forcing me away from him. I struggled, my chest heaving, adrenaline still pumping through my veins. But the

My phone buzzed in my hand again. Another message from Mother. Probably about the luncheon with Cameron’s aunt.I didn’t even look at it.Just thinking about Cameron made my chest tighten. That life—polished, perfect, planned—felt like a heavy weight crushing me from the inside.I couldn’t breathe.The knot in my stomach twisted tighter, becoming a dull, constant pain. Each breath felt sharp, like I was dragging glass into my lungs. Marry Cameron.The words spun in my head over and over, louder each time, like someone was screaming them inside me.Marry Cameron. Marry him.No. I couldn’t. I didn’t want this.My hands shook as I unlocked my phone. It took me three tries. My fingers were ice, my face burning hot, like my body didn’t know how to react.I scrolled to Tiffany’s name. My thumb hovered over the call button.Please pick up. Please be home.I pressed the button. The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times.“Hello?” Her voice finally came through—light, sweet, and familiar.I let

The door clicked shut behind Julian, and silence filled the room again. It wasn’t peaceful—it felt heavy, like he’d left behind all the pressure I was trying to ignore. I let out a slow breath, hoping it would calm me. It didn’t. The knot in my chest stayed right where it was.Then, just as the quiet started to eat away at me, the door burst open. Tiffany, Chloe, and Sabrina rushed in like a whirlwind of perfume, heels, and squeals. My bridesmaids.Tiffany came straight to me. No fake smiles, no silly excitement. She just wrapped her arms around me in a warm, tight hug. And in that moment, she felt like the only real person in the room.“You okay?” She whispered into my hair, her voice soft and steady.I nodded against her shoulder. “As okay as I can be.”She didn’t push. She just squeezed me tighter. Tiffany knew about Noah. She knew this wedding wasn’t something I wanted—it was something I had to do.Meanwhile, Chloe and Sabrina were already at the mirror, fussing over themselves.“

The lace of my wedding dress clung to my skin like it was trying to hold me back. Every stitch, every shiny bead—it all felt like a trap. Like I was being sewn into a life I didn’t choose.Noah’s hand found mine. Warm. Steady. Real.He didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to.His touch was a promise. I wasn’t alone.We moved fast, slipping away from the lights, the noise, and the fake smiles. No more congratulations. No more champagne toasts. Just us. And freedom.A taxi waited just outside the venue gates, headlights dim under the sky. The cool air hit my face, sharp and honest. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. This was it. This was happening. We were running.And then I heard it."Elena!"My body froze.That voice… It hit harder than I expected. Deep. Loud. Controlling. My father.He always sounded like a man who expected to be obeyed. Even now, even here, outside the hall and under the stars.I stopped for just half a second. Long enough to feel the pull of fear,