Lahat ng Kabanata ng Her Dark Obsession: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

The gun was already pointed at her father's head when Bianca realized she had made a terrible mistake. But let me back up. Just a little. Because thirty minutes ago, everything had been normal. Thirty minutes ago, Bianca was washing coffee cups and thinking about candles. The cafe was finally empty after the dinner rush. Her hands moved on autopilot, scrubbing at the dishes while her mind wandered to the ritual waiting for them at home. Nineteen years. Nineteen years since her mother died, and every single year on this day, she and her father lit candles in their cramped living room and sat in silence, remembering a woman Bianca barely had memories of anymore. When she was six, the ritual had terrified her. All those candles in different colors, flickering in the darkness while her father cried. She used to think they were summoning something. Now at twenty-five, Bianca was the one who bought the candles. She arranged them herself, and sometimes she cried too. Tonight, they needed

Bianca's shirt was twisted so tight in Anna's fist that the fabric cut into her neck. She could feel Anna's breath on her face, could see the absolute coldness in those dark eyes, and for the first time since this nightmare began, real fear crashed over her like a wave. This woman would actually do it. She would rip Bianca's throat out right here, right now, and not think twice about it. "Okay," Bianca gasped out. "Okay, I will do it. Just let go of me." Anna held her for one more second, two, three, then released her so suddenly that Bianca stumbled backward, catching herself on the edge of a table. Her hands flew to her throat, touching the skin there like she needed to make sure it was still intact. Anna smoothed down the front of her red blazer like nothing had happened. "Well? I am waiting." Bianca turned toward her father, and the movement felt strange, disjointed. How long had it been since Anna walked through that door? Ten minutes? Fifteen? It felt like hours. And in all

The guard yanked Bianca out of the car so hard she nearly fell face-first onto the gravel driveway. She caught herself at the last second, her palms scraping against tiny stones. When she looked up, her breath stopped. The house in front of her was not a house. It was a mansion. Three stories tall with white columns stretching up to support a massive balcony. Windows everywhere, glowing with warm golden light. A fountain sat in the center of the driveway, water cascading down carved stone. Under different circumstances, Bianca might have been amazed. But fear had wrapped itself around her chest. All she could think about was her father standing in the doorway of the cafe, his face twisted with grief. Anna was already walking toward the front door, her red blazer bright in the dim light. The door opened before she reached it. The guards pushed Bianca forward. She stumbled on the steps but kept walking because what else could she do? Inside was overwhelming. Marble floors reflected

Anna sat in her bedroom with her phone in her hand, watching Bianca's every move on the screen. The camera hidden in the corner of Bianca's room gave her a perfect view. She had cameras everywhere in the house, in every room, covering every angle. On the screen, Bianca was pulling down the curtains with desperate urgency. Anna watched her yank on the fabric, watched the curtain rod crack and fall, watched Bianca start tying the pieces together with shaking hands. Anna took a sip of wine and smiled. So predictable. She had known Bianca would try to escape. Anna could have stopped her. Could have sent guards to Bianca's room right now. But where was the fun in that? No, it was much more interesting to let Bianca think she was succeeding. Let her climb out that window and make her way home. And then, when reality came crashing down, when Bianca realized there truly was no escape, the lesson would stick much deeper. On the screen, Bianca was testing the knots now, pulling on them wit

James left as quietly as he had come, slipping out of Bianca's room like a ghost. The door clicked shut behind him, and Bianca stood there alone, her mind spinning. She was supposed to spy on Anna. Get information. Find evidence that would put Anna behind bars and free her father from the debt. It sounded simple when James said it. But Bianca knew nothing about this would be simple. She looked around the room at the mess. The curtains still lay on the floor, the window still open. She needed to clean this up before Anna saw it. Bianca bent down and started gathering the curtains, folding them even though they were wrinkled and torn. Her hands moved mechanically while her brain worked through what James had asked her to do. Where would Anna keep important documents? Probably in her office. Or maybe in her bedroom. Bianca had been in Anna's bedroom earlier, but she had been too focused on getting away to notice much. She would need to be more observant now. Pay attention to everyth