The dim light in the room flickered ominously, casting shadows on the cold iron bars of the cage. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized the terrifying reality—she was trapped. She tugged at the metal, but it was no use. The cage was small, suffocating. Her breath came in shaky bursts, and she felt the cold metal dig into her skin as she leaned against it.

He stood there with an eerie calmness. His eyes glinted with amusement as he watched her struggle, his lips curling into a twisted smile.

"You look so beautiful in here, love" his voice was soft, almost a whisper. "Just like a bird in a cage. My precious little bird, who will never leave me."

She stared at him, horror tightening her chest. "Why are you doing this?" Her voice shook with fear and desperation. "Why have you caged me like this?"

He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving her. His fingers traced the bars, as if savoring the sight of her trapped within. "Because I love you," he said, his voice full of sick adoration. "Don't you see? You're mine.  I love you so much that I couldn't bear the thought of you being out there, away from me. Now, you'll never have to leave. You’ll be with me forever."

"You're insane!" she cried, backing away as far as she could in the tight space. "This isn't love. You don't love me!"

He laughed, a high-pitched, unsettling sound that echoed around the room. "You don't understand," he said, shaking his head. "Of course, you’ll fight it at first. But you'll see. You were meant to be mine. You’ll dance on my fingertips, just like the little bird you are."

"I will never do what you say," she spat, her voice filled with defiance. "I’m not your puppet!"

His eyes darkened, and his face twisted into something even more unhinged. "Oh, but you will. You will!" he hissed, stepping closer to the cage. "You don't get it yet, but you will. You will dance, you will sing for me, you’ll do everything I want. Soon, you'll forget there was ever anything outside this cage. Soon, you'll only have eyes for me."

She shook her head, tears blurring her vision. "Never. I will never "

He tilted his head, a malicious grin creeping across his face. "You already do. You just don’t know it yet. But I'll make you see. I'll make you realize that you belong to me and only me."

His hand reached out, almost tenderly stroking the bars of the cage as he whispered, “No one else will ever have you. And you’ll never escape, love. This is where you belong… forever.”

She felt her breath catch in her throat as his words echoed in her mind, his voice dripping with twisted affection.

"And if you try to leave," he whispered, his eyes gleaming with madness, "I’ll clip your wings myself."

The words sent a cold shiver down her spine. Her chest tightened, and her heart pounded violently in her ears.

Suddenly, she gasped for air and sat upright, her body drenched in sweat. The room was dark, her heart racing as she realized she had been dreaming.

"Gosh, he’s started haunting my dreams too,” she muttered, placing s hand on her chest, trying to steady her rapid breaths.

Just then, her phone rang, startling her. She glanced at the screen, frowning. “Who could be calling this early?” she thought to herself, still half-dazed from the dream.

It was an unknown number. Hesitantly, she picked up. “Hello?” she answered, her voice a little groggy.

There was a pause on her end as the person on the other side spoke. Her eyes widened, her heart rate quickening again—but this time not from fear, but from anger. Whatever the person was saying struck a nerve, and she clenched her jaw, her fingers tightening around the phone.

Her blood boiled, and before the person could finish speaking, she ended the call abruptly, her chest heaving with frustration.

“How dare he!” she spat, springing out of bed, fury coursing through her veins. "He thinks he can just—" She couldn’t even finish the thought, the rage too overwhelming. Her mind raced with the words she’d just heard, fueling her anger even more.

.....

Chris sat in his office chair like a king surveying his kingdom, the weight of his power evident in every inch of the lavish room. A satisfied smirk played on his lips as he leaned back, fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest. His plan had worked like a charm, and the fact that Hazel would be coming to him soon filled him with both amusement and anticipation.

He tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling as if imagining her angry, beautiful face. “Come quick, love," he muttered, barely able to contain his eagerness. "How long must I wait?"

As if on cue, the door to his office swung open with a bang, and there she was—Hazel, fuming, storming toward him like a tempest. Her eyes were filled with fury, and her cheeks flushed red, making her look even more captivating.

Chris leaned forward, his smirk widening as he took her in. “Well, well, if it isn’t my favorite angry bird,” he teased, his voice dripping with mockery. “You look absolutely stunning when you're mad. Almost too beautiful for words.”

Hazel glared at him, her fists clenched at her sides. “I clearly said no!” she spat, her voice rising with each word. “Then why did you do this? You know I didn’t agree!”

Chris chuckled, unbothered by her anger. “Oh, Hazel,” he said, standing up slowly, his tall frame looming over her. “I told you before—your ‘no’ means nothing here. I make the rules, and you... well, you follow them.”

Her jaw tightened, her anger bubbling over. “I’m not going to do it, Chris. I’m not going to play into your little game.”

He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving her as he smirked down at her. “Go ahead, try saying no. Let’s see how far that gets you,” he said coolly, knowing full well she couldn’t.

Hazel stood there, trembling with rage, knowing the truth of his words. She didn’t have a choice.

---

The memory of the phone call flashed in her mind.

She had been at home, pacing the floor, frustrated with the situation when her phone rang. The voice on the other end was calm but direct. "Miss Hazel, you’re required to work for the main branch until the completion of the current project."

Her heart had dropped. She hadn’t realized when signing the paperwork that she’d effectively locked herself into working directly under Chris, the one man she’d tried to avoid at all costs.

"Main branch?" she'd repeated in disbelief.

"Yes," the voice confirmed. "That’s under Mr. Chris himself. He’ll oversee the remainder of the project."

She had felt trapped, her breath quickening as the realization hit. She was bound to work for him until the project was done, and there was no way out.

......

Hazel stormed into Vincent’s office, her heart pounding with frustration. She couldn’t believe what was happening. The last thing she wanted was to work under Chris, but somehow she had been trapped into it.

Vincent looked up from his desk, sensing the urgency in her expression. “Hazel, what’s wrong?” he asked, leaning back in his chair.

She didn’t waste time. “Why do I have to go to the main branch?” she demanded, her voice sharp. “I said no, and you know I don’t want to. You don’t want me to go either, so why is this happening?”

Vincent sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He hated this as much as she did, but the decision wasn’t in his hands. “Look, Hazel, I understand how you feel. But this project has been transferred to the main branch. They’re taking over the entire operation, and since you’re in charge of it, your presence is required there”

Hazel shook her head, her frustration growing. “I don’t want to go,” she snapped, her mind racing with thoughts of Chris .

Vincent raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to her resistance than she was letting on. “Why, Hazel?"

Hazel hesitated, biting her lip. She couldn’t tell Vincent about Chris—about how he’d been playing this twisted game with her, slowly pulling her into his world. She couldn’t admit that Chris wouldn’t let her go once she was there. Instead, she lowered her gaze and muttered, “I just don’t want to, Vincent. I like it here. I’m comfortable here.”

Vincent sighed again, leaning forward on his desk. “Hazel,  this isn’t permanent. You’re not being transferred forever—it’s just for this one project. Once it’s completed, you’ll be back here, right where you want to be.”

Deep down, Hazel knew that wasn’t true. She knew Chris . He wasn’t going to let her go that easily. Once she was under his control, she feared she’d be stuck. But how could she explain that without revealing the real reason she didn’t want to go?

She clenched her fists, trying to keep her emotions in check. “Fine,” she said through gritted teeth, “but I’m not happy about it.”

Vincent gave her a sympathetic look. “I know you’re not. But you’re strong, Hazel. Just get through this, and soon enough, you’ll be back. It’s only temporary.”

Only temporary. The words echoed in her mind, but she knew better. Chris was waiting, and she feared that once she stepped into his world, he wouldn’t let her out.

---

Back in the office, Chris could see the flicker of helplessness behind her anger, and it only fueled his amusement. “You see, Hazel,” he said softly, “you can try to resist all you want, but in the end, you’re mine to command until the project is complete. So why fight it? You’ll only wear yourself out.”

Hazel’s eyes burned with frustration, but she bit her tongue, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.

“I hate you,” she muttered under her breath, but he only smiled wider.

“You hate me now,” he said, “but give it time. You’ll come around.”

She didn’t respond, but her silence spoke volumes. She was trapped, just as he wanted her to be.

“I clearly told you I didn’t want to be here. Why did you force this?”Hazel spat

He stood up, walking toward her slowly, his smirk never fading. “Force?” he repeated with a playful tone. “I didn’t force anything, Hazel. I just set the pieces in place. Also, who wouldn’t want a promotion?”

“I wouldn’t! Especially not when it means being here with you!” Hazel shot back, her voice laced with frustration.

Chris laughed softly, stepping closer, his eyes never leaving hers. “you’re just under the influence of your boss. I bet he’s the reason you’re so against this.”

Hazel’s jaw clenched. “Why you are  bringing him into this? Vincent has nothing to do with it.”

Chris’s expression darkened, and he took another step toward her, his voice dropping to a more possessive tone. “You brought him between us, Hazel. Don’t you see that? It’s not me—it's you. As much as I want you close, I didn’t plan to force you like this... at least, not because it’s my end goal.”

Hazel frowned, confusion mixing with her anger. “What do you mean by that?”

“Forget it,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing. But then his tone shifted again, more obsessive. “I couldn’t stand it, Hazel. Seeing you so close to someone else... especially him. It made me jealous, the kind of jealousy that eats away at you. How can you be this close with anyone else but me?”

“Because he doesn’t treat me like you are doing” Hazel said coldly, trying to maintain her composure.

Chris’s face twisted with possessiveness, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “ Hazel, I’ve done nothing yet. You haven’t even seen the lengths I’d go to for you.”

Hazel’s stomach tightened at his words, but before she could say anything, Chris waved his hand dismissively. “Whatever. Welcome to your new office, love. How does it feel to be in your husband’s domain?”

“Husband?” Hazel repeated, her voice laced with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Chris stepped closer, his presence suffocating. “Yeah, husband,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, seductive whisper. “Enjoy the privilege of working while you can. Soon enough, I’ll take that away too.”

Before Hazel could react, he raised a hand, brushing a finger down her cheek, the touch making her skin crawl. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his breath against her skin. “Once I make you my wife, you’ll go nowhere,” he whispered, his voice dripping with obsession.

Chris's smirk widened as he saw Hazel turn her face away. He leaned in even closer, his lips almost brushing her ear. “You don’t get it yet, do you? I’ve already planned everything, Hazel. Our wedding, our life together. How we’re going to live, how you’ll always be mine.”

Hazel’s breath caught in her throat, and she slowly turned her head to meet his eyes, her voice shaking slightly. “you’re delusional. I’m not going to marry you.”

He chuckled darkly, his hand trailing from her cheek to her chin, lifting her face so she couldn’t look away. “Oh, you will, love. You’ll have no choice. I’ve made sure of that. You’ll wear my ring, and you’ll be tied to me in ways you can’t even imagine.”

Hazel’s heart pounded in her chest. “You can’t force me into this. I won’t let you.”

Chris’s eyes darkened, a chilling intensity taking over his expression. “Force? Hazel, this isn’t about force. It’s about desire. Mine. I’ve chained every part of my life to you. Every breath, every step I take... it’s all for you. And soon, you’ll be chained to me in the same way—my desires will be yours.”

She stepped back, trying to create distance, but Chris followed her, his voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. “You’ll see, Hazel. Once you’re mine, truly mine, there won’t be anything else. No freedom, no escape. Just us. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll be locked into this life, tied to my every whim, my every desire.”

Hazel shook her head, horrified. “You’re insane, Chris. I’ll never let this happen.”

But Chris just smiled, the kind of smile that sent chills down her spine. “I’ve already decided everything. I know where we’ll live, what your life will look like. I’ll chain you to my desires, and trust me, love, you’ll never want to leave.”

He leaned in closer, his voice soft but filled with terrifying certainty. “You’ll dance to my tune, Hazel. You’ll see. And by the time you realize it, there won’t be any way out. You’ll be mine... forever.”

His words hung in the air like a dark cloud, and Hazel’s heart raced with fear as she stared into his obsessive, crazed eyes.

Author note: vote only if you enjoyed , comment what you think of this part and last but not least have a great day❤