"Necklace, bracelet? What are you talking about?" Hazel asked, her voice trembling slightly as Chris caged her against the wall, blocking her escape.

"You don't know?" he replied, his eyes narrowing as if challenging her to figure it out. He leaned in closer, his breath warm on her skin.

"I—" she started to protest, but then realization hit her like a truck. Her mind raced, piecing together everything.

"C..." she hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "You... you're my stalker, aren’t you?"

A twisted smile spread across his face, one that sent chills down her spine. "You got it," he confirmed, brushing a strand of hair from her face as if they were lovers sharing an intimate moment.

"Stop it!" Hazel snapped, trying to push his hand away, but he caught her wrist instead, holding it in place with alarming ease.

"You’re so soft," he said, his voice low and unsettling. "You have no idea how much I missed your touch."

"Shut up, you creep!" Hazel spat, trying to yank her hand free from his grip. But instead of letting go, his hold tightened, the smile vanishing from his face.

"Never disrespect me, Hazel." His tone was dark, dripping with warning. "I won’t tolerate it, especially not from you." His eyes were deadly serious.

"Let go of me," Hazel demanded, her voice shaking now. Fear was creeping into her, a fear she could no longer hide.

"What if I don’t want to?" he asked, his face dangerously close to hers. The way he said it, as though he had every right to hold her, sent a shiver down her spine.

"Someone will see us," she said, her voice barely steady. She glanced around, desperate for an escape.

"I don’t care about that," he replied with a casual shrug, as if the idea of being caught didn’t faze him in the least. "Stop struggling. Let me admire you. After all this time, I finally get to see you up close like this." His hand slid across her face again, and this time, despite her attempts to push him away, he only smiled, enjoying the power he had over her.

"You see me every day," Hazel said, her frustration barely masking the rising panic inside her.

"Yeah, but not like this." His smile was cold, possessive. "Not from this close. Today, though, I’ve come up with a permanent solution."

Her stomach dropped. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"You’ll find out soon, love," he teased, emphasizing the last word in a way that made her skin crawl.

"Why did you start stalking me?" Hazel asked

"Because I fell in love with you at first sight," Chris said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"What?" Hazel blinked in disbelief.

"Our first meeting—the day you spilled coffee on me? The moment I saw you, I knew. I fell in love with you right then. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful and innocent as you before." His voice softened, as if he was recounting a cherished memory.

Hazel’s breath caught in her throat. Beautiful? Innocent? The words felt like a trap, as though he had built this entire fantasy around her.

"I’m not lying," Chris added, noticing her skeptical expression. "Don’t roll your eyes at me. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You became everything to me. I had to know more, had to watch you."

"And you started stalking me," Hazel said, her voice filled with disgust.

Chris tilted his head slightly. "It’s called observing, love," he corrected her, his tone calm, as if his actions were perfectly justified.

"Stop calling me 'love.' You don’t know me!" Hazel snapped, her heart racing faster.

"Of course, I do. You are my love. My only love. My first love," he said, his eyes gleaming with intensity.

"First love?" Hazel’s disbelief deepened. She didn’t want to believe a single word he said.

"Hmm," Chris nodded, his smile unnervingly soft. "You’re the only one who’s ever made me feel this way."

Hazel shook her head, trying to make sense of it. "How could I be your first love? Didn’t you ever have a crush in school or... anyone else?"

Chris’s expression darkened for a moment. "No one was as interesting as you, Hazel. No one captured my attention the way you did. You’re different."

"If you hadn’t sent me those creepy letters for a whole year, I might’ve actually fallen for those cheesy lines," Hazel said, trying to mask her fear with sarcasm.

"Why don't we keep them aside for a moment " he replied smoothly, his eyes boring into hers.

Finally breaking free of his grip, Hazel stepped back. "No thanks," she muttered, rubbing her wrist where his fingers had pressed into her skin.

But before she could take another step away, Chris grabbed her arm again, pulling her close. His grip was firm, possessive.

"You don’t get it, do you?" he whispered. "You belong to me, Hazel. You always have. I know everything about you—where you go, who you talk to, even what you wear. No one else can have you. You’re mine." His voice was deadly serious, and the more he spoke, the more Hazel realized just how dangerous his obsession had become.

"That’s insane," Hazel replied, her voice cracking as fear finally took full control.

Chris leaned in even closer, his lips almost brushing her ear. "You don’t get a say in this anymore. I’ve already decided. And soon, everyone will know that you’re mine, no matter what you say or do."

Hazel’s eyes widened in terror. "What are you planning?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"You’ll see," he murmured, his breath hot against her skin. "I’ve watched you long enough. Now it’s time to take what’s mine."

Hazel’s heart raced .

......

"You called for me?" Hazel asked, knocking lightly on her boss’s office door.

"Yeah, come in, Hazel," he responded, his voice tinged with a disappointment that was hard to miss.

She stepped inside, her eyes immediately noticing the tension etched on his face. "What happened?" she asked, concern evident in her tone.

"This," he said, sliding a letter across the desk toward her.

Hazel picked up the letter, her heart sinking as she read the contents. "So... this is the permanent solution he was talking about," she muttered under her breath.

"You said something?" her boss asked, raising an eyebrow, curious about her reaction.

"Uh, no," Hazel quickly replied, shaking her head to dismiss the thought. Her mind was already spinning, processing the implications of the letter. "So... I have to accept it?" Hazel asked, her voice hesitant.

"It’s up to you," he said, though the hesitation in his voice was clear. He avoided her eyes for a moment, as if debating how much to say. Hazel studied his face, sensing he wasn’t being entirely honest.

"Tell me what you’re thinking," she urged, leaning slightly forward. "I can see you're not happy about this."

He sighed, finally meeting her gaze. "Okay, I’ll be honest. As you’ve probably guessed from my mood, I don’t want you to accept it. It’s hard for me to say, but it would be selfish of me to ask you not to. It’s such a great opportunity." He leaned back in his chair, clearly conflicted. "MK is the number one company in the United States, and you’re getting an offer directly from their CEO. That’s huge, Hazel. Not many people get opportunities like this."

Hazel watched him closely, noticing the weight of his disappointment. "You don’t sound too excited about it," she observed.

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "It’s just... I’m going to miss you around here. You’ve become such an important part of this team, and I can’t help but feel like this is the end of something good."

She frowned, feeling a pang of guilt. "I just wish I didn’t have to lose you. You’re talented, and I have no doubt you’ll thrive at MK. But it’s hard not to feel a little selfish about it," he added, his expression softening as he looked at her.

Hazel smiled faintly, wanting to ease his worries. "I'm not going."

He looked at her, surprised but also visibly relieved. "What? But why?" he asked,

confusion mingling with hope in his voice.

"Just not. I'm happy here," Hazel replied, her tone firm yet gentle.

"But it’s a great opportunity, Hazel," he insisted, leaning forward slightly in his chair, his expression earnest. "You shouldn't miss out on something like this. Think of your career.

"Hazel could see through his words; his eyes sparkled with a hint of happiness that contradicted his concern. "Stop pretending now," she said, 

"He opened his mouth to respond, but the words seemed stuck in his throat. Instead, he simply nodded, a mix of relief and resignation washing over his features. "Just remember, whatever you choose, I’ll always support you.

Hazel noticed the slight smile that crept onto his lips, revealing his true feelings that he not wanted her to go . It made her smile in return. "Thank you,"she said .

......

Hazel’s phone rang, and she glanced at the screen, her  Taking a deep breath, she answered. "What do you want ?"

His voice dripped with a teasing tone. "So, I hear you’re going to accept my offer? You don’t want to miss out on such a great opportunity."

"Not a chance," Hazel shot back, her tone firm.

"Why not? You could be doing so much more than just working for that mediocre company," he replied, irritation creeping into his voice.

"Because this company is important to me, and second, why would I accept an offer from you—my stalker?" she said, her heart racing.

Chris's laughter turned into a low growl of frustration. "So, your boss has filled your ears with lies. I knew he would try to stop you from accepting. He's probably feeding you all sorts of nonsense."

Hazel's eyes narrowed. "You’re wrong, Chris. My boss hasn’t said anything to me."

"Of course, you wouldn’t see it," Chris said, his voice suddenly dangerous. "You’re too naïve to understand. He’s only interested in you because he wants to keep you close, to control you. But I see the way you light up around him. It makes me furious."

"That’s not true! He’s just being supportive," Hazel insisted, feeling a surge of anger.

"Supportive? Please," Chris spat. "He’s waiting for his chance, Hazel. You have no idea how many men want you. And I won’t let them take you away from me."

"Whatever , I'm not accepting your offer , I won’t be controlled by you."She said

"You think you have a choice?" Chris’s voice was icy, and she could sense the anger simmering beneath the surface. "You have to accept the offer, or else… I have my ways of making sure you don’t have any options."

Hazel’s heart raced at the implication. "What are you saying? You can’t just threaten me!"

"I’m not threatening you, love," Chris replied smoothly, though the menace in his tone was unmistakable. "I’m simply stating facts. I know how to make things very uncomfortable for you if you refuse. You better join me willingly"

Hazel shot back "I’m not yours, and I refuse to be a pawn in your twisted game."

Chris’s silence hung heavy in the air. "You will be, Hazel. I’ll make sure of it."

The call ended abruptly, . She stared at the phone