All Chapters of STAY CLOSE TO ME: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

POV: MELISAEvery time he touched me like that, my body responded before my mind could catch up. I hated that. Hated how easy it was for him to get under my skin, to make me react.What the hell was wrong with me?He was a kidnapper. A man with obsession in his eyes and control in every move. And yet, here I was—confused, cornered, and caught between fear and something I couldn't even name."Can I touch you like this, Melisa?" he asked, his voice low, almost careful.His hand slid down to my thigh, slow and firm, fingers pressing against the silk of my dress. I flinched slightly, not out of fear, but because of how my body responded. His other hand moved to my waist, pulling me closer until my body was pressed against his. I could feel the heat of him, every breath between us growing heavier."Sebastian..." My voice cracked. It was barely a protest.He leaned closer, his mouth near my ear. "You want me to beg, Melisa?" he said in that husky, deliberate tone he used when he wanted cont

POV: MELISA I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was holding the knife again, his hand trembling, eyes wild with heartbreak. My pulse thundered in my ears as I froze, unable to process that this was really happening. He was going to hurt himself... because of me."Sebastian, please—put that down." My voice cracked as I pleaded, but I forced strength into it, needing him to hear me, really hear me. "Say it, Melisa," he growled, eyes burning behind that damn mask. "Say you'll stay. Say you love me.""Sebastian..." I swallowed hard. "It's not that simple. I don't love you—you kidnapped me. You've killed people." I shouted and felt nervous."Because I had to!" he shouted, stepping forward. "Because I care! I became this monster to protect you. Every person I destroyed—I did it for you. That's my love, Melisa. Twisted, ugly, maybe—but it's all I have.""And I never asked you to kill for me!" My voice rose in despair. "That's not love, Sebastian. That's a pain! That's fear!""I'll do

POV: MELISAHe finally has me, body, mind, and soul. I can't stop myself from getting aroused by his touch. It drives me insane. I’m starting to feel drawn to him, and I hate that. I know this isn't right. There’s something wrong with me, some fracture in my mind—and maybe that’s why I’m even capable of feeling this way toward him. At first, I loathed him. Everything about him made my skin crawl. But now... now he’s trying. He says he wants to change. To be better. And part of me sees it, his efforts, his need to make things work between us.He brings me flowers. He creates moments that almost feel like peace, except for the one thing he still won’t give me: freedom. When we go out, the places are always empty. He makes sure of that. He wants me to shop peacefully, without anyone around. But deep down, I know the truth, he’s afraid I’ll run. I gather my things and return to his place, the home he’s built for me. He gives me everything I could ask for—except a life of my own. Except th

POV: MELISASeven months.I’ve waited for him.Day after day.Night after night.They laugh. They touch. They jeer. They break pieces of me every time they walk through that door.His men—vile, soulless monsters—treated me like nothing. A thing. A prize. A broken doll they could play with.They starved me. They mocked my screams. They made me relive the hell I thought I had escaped years ago. The memories of the past clawed their way back into my soul—those nights, the ones I buried deep, the ones that nearly ended me. I remember the pain. The shame. The cold numbness. And now... it happened again. I cried until there were no more tears. I begged the sky for mercy. For death. For Sebastian. Every second felt like a lifetime. My body felt like it wasn’t mine anymore. My soul... slipping away. But deep inside, a faint flicker remained. A whisper. His name.Sebastian.If I could still breathe, it was only because I believed—no, knew—he would come.I had to believe it. Because if I lost

POV: MELISA“Sebastian Vale, I dare you—don’t you dare close your eyes!” I burst into tears, not knowing what to do. I felt pain—so much pain—and I couldn’t even begin to understand what kind of emotions were flooding through me at that moment. I hugged our son—yes, our son. I had kept him hidden for years in the province with my best friend. Sebastian thought I had given him up, told people he was gay. I hated that lie… but he didn’t know the truth. I was afraid—afraid he wouldn’t be a good father. Afraid he’d hurt our son out of anger. I hated myself for thinking Sebastian could be a monster, a demon, void of empathy and love.But at that moment, I realized he wasn’t. He saved our son. He sacrificed himself for him.I held our child tightly, crying outside the Emergency Room.“Mommy… who is that guy?” he asked, his small voice trembling.I cupped his face gently and brushed the hair from his eyes.“He’s your father, my love.”He hugged me tight, trying to comfort me. God… his face l