"Here," Chase said, placing a bag containing a dress in Petal’s hands.

He opened the washroom door for her. "Go," he instructed.

She obeyed, moving inside without a word. As the door closed behind her, a smile crept onto Chase’s face.

"Chase," his friend called out softly.

"Shh," Chase raised a finger to his lips, signaling for his friend to lower his voice.

"This is too soon, Chase," his friend whispered.

"It’s never too soon," Chase replied, settling down on the couch. His eyes were fixed on the door, his impatience barely contained.

"You shouldn’t have make her wake up in hypnosis this early. Even the slightest sound could pull out of  it," his friend warned, anxiety lacing his tone.

"Then shut up," Chase snapped. "Your voice could break the trance too."

His friend started to speak again but paused when the sound of the door opening interrupted them.

"She’s here," Chase’s eyes gleamed with excitement, his breath catching in his throat.

Petal stood in the doorway, her presence striking. The navy-blue gown hugged her figure perfectly, her hair cascading down like a waterfall. She looked like a princess—delicate, pure, and utterly captivating.

"Chase," his friend attempted to interrupt once more.

"Leave," Chase ordered, his gaze never leaving Petal.

His friend shook his head in disbelief but left without another word.

Chase approached her slowly, intoxicated by her scent. Her skin looked divine, so innocent and untouched. He reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he took hers. She flinched.

"Don’t be afraid," he whispered. "I’m not going to hurt you."

He lifted her hand gently, pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. She didn’t respond, her gaze still fixed downward, completely under his control. Today, he intended to give her real commands.

"Look up," he instructed.

She didn’t move.

"Don’t be afraid. Look at me," he urged again.

"You’ll hurt me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"I won’t," he promised.

Still, she didn’t lift her eyes.

"If you don’t, then I just might," he warned.

Her head slowly rose, fear swimming in her eyes as they met his.

"Don’t be afraid of me, Petal," he said softly, his hand gently tilting her chin upwards. She struggled to focus on his face, still blurry to her under the haze of hypnosis. "I promised I wouldn’t hurt you. Why are you still scared?"

"You always break your promises," she whispered.

"Not this time," he said firmly.

He led her to the center of the room, soft music playing in the background. They took their positions.

"I’ve been dreaming of this for days," Chase murmured. "You and me dancing. I wanted it so badly, I had to make it real."

His hand slid to her waist, and she flinched again. He took her other hand and pulled her closer, feeling her tense under his touch.

"Relax," he whispered in her ear. "Move with me."

Slowly, they began to sway. Chase couldn’t believe this moment was real. She was here, in his arms, though still frightened of him. Her body moved with his, though her fear remained clear in her trembling hands.

"You know who I am, don’t you?" he asked as they danced.

She nodded.

"Who am I?" he pressed.

"The man from my nightmares," she replied, her voice shaking.

"No," Chase corrected softly. "I’m the one who loves you more than anyone in this world."

"Who?" he asked again.

"The man who loves me more than anyone," Petal echoed.

"That’s right," he whispered. "I’m the one who would die for you, beg for you, kill for you." His voice lowered as he asked, "What would I do for you?"

"Die for me, beg for me, kill for me," she repeated, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Everything I’ve done, I did because I didn’t know how to love properly. You were the first person I ever loved, and now I want to make it last," he said, his tone almost gentle.

She finally looked up at him.

"The things I did to you weren’t meant to hurt you. I did them because I loved you. I did them to make sure you stayed—the girl I love more than anything," Chase continued, still guiding her gently in their slow dance.

"You’re no longer afraid of me," he said softly. "The things I did were signs of our love, and you loved them too. What did I say?"

"The signs of your love," Petal repeated, though her voice was hollow.

"Exactly," Chase said, his smile widening. "You’re not afraid of me anymore."

"I’m not afraid of you," she said, her voice flat.

"I’m not a threat to you," Chase continued.

"You’re not a threat to me," she echoed.

"Good girl," he whispered, his smile full of satisfaction.

"I want to see your face," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Not yet," he replied.

"When?" she asked.

"When you love me back the way I love you," Chase said.

"I can’t," she muttered, lowering her head.

"You will," he promised. "Your whole existence will."

He pulled her closer, her head resting against his chest, her small frame dwarfed by his.

"Can you hear that?" he asked softly.

She nodded.

"It beats for you," he whispered. "Only for you."

"Only for me," she repeated mechanically.

"That’s right," Chase said, planting a kiss on her forehead.

When his friend returned, Chase gestured for him to wait.

"That’s enough for today," he said, releasing her from the embrace. "I need to go."

Petal nodded.

"Will you miss me?" he asked, his tone turning darker.

She remained silent, which made his jaw tighten.

"You will," he stated coldly. "Say you will."

"I will," she whispered.

"Good," he said, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Now go change."

She nodded and followed his command without question.

.....

After Chase's plan worked perfectly and William didn’t come, he convinced Petal to go through with the treatment.

Flashback

Petal sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes swollen from hours of crying. Maya knelt beside her, trying to comfort her.

“You’ll get sick if you keep crying like this, Petal. Please, stop,” Maya said softly, her voice filled with concern.

Chase, sitting across from them, handed Petal a glass of water. “Here, drink this.”

Petal ignored the water and shook her head, tears still streaming down her face. “Why is he avoiding me?” she whispered, her voice breaking.

“He’s not avoiding you, Petal. He’s just busy,” Maya tried to reassure her.

“That busy? He doesn’t even have a minute for me?” Petal cried, her voice trembling.

“Calm down, Petal,” Chase urged, his tone gentle but firm.

Maya glanced at Chase before standing up. “I’ll go call William and talk to him.” She left the room, leaving Chase alone with Petal, the perfect opportunity for him to execute his plan.

“Petal, you need to calm down,” Chase said as he scooted closer, taking her hands gently in his.

“I miss him so much. Doesn’t he miss me?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“He does, Petal. But he’s just… busy.”

“Too busy,” she muttered, her hands trembling in his.

“I wanted to talk to him… about that man from my nightmares. About what you told me—the treatment,” she said, her voice heavy with desperation.

Chase took a deep breath. “I know, but William’s not here right now. You need to make this decision on your own.”

Petal looked at him, her tear-filled eyes full of uncertainty. “How can I? I can’t do this without him.”

“You can, Petal. You don’t need to depend on anyone for your decisions,” Chase said, his voice soft but persuasive.

“He’s not just anyone, Chase. He’s my father,” she replied, her voice cracking.

“A father who’s been hiding the truth from you,” he countered smoothly, knowing exactly where to push.

Petal shook her head. “There must be a reason. I’m sure there is.”

“You’re just convincing yourself, Petal,” he said, his voice lowering. “Let’s continue the treatment.”

“I can’t, Chase. Not without my father’s permission,” she insisted, her hands pulling back from his.

Chase’s jaw tightened, but he kept his tone calm. “Then forget about it. You’ll never know the truth. Is that what you want?”

She froze, staring at him.

“Do you really think your father will let you go through with this treatment?” Chase asked, leaning closer. “He’ll deny it. The first thing he’ll say is no. You know that. He won’t allow it.”

“Why wouldn’t he?” she asked, confusion clouding her eyes.

“If he was willing to tell you the truth, he would have done it by now. But he hasn’t. Doesn’t that tell you something?” Chase pressed, his words weaving doubt into her mind. “But I want you to know everything, Petal. You deserve to know.”

Her gaze softened, her defenses slowly crumbling under his words.

“It’s your life, Petal. You have the right to know the truth about it. And I promise you, I’ll make sure you do. We’ll continue the treatment.”

“No, I can’t—” she tried to protest, but Chase interrupted her, his voice firm but still gentle.

“If you trust me, Petal, you will. If I mean anything to you, you’ll listen to me. Otherwise, it’ll be clear that I mean nothing to you,” he said, a hint of hurt in his voice.

“It’s not like that,” she said quickly.

“It is, if you don’t listen to me,” he said, his words hitting their mark.

End of flashback

Chase’s manipulation had worked, and he knew it. He had been biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment, and when William hadn’t shown up, it had all fallen into place. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Petal, but in his mind, this was the only way for them to be together. The only way to make her see the truth.

As he sat on the couch, glancing at the washroom door where Petal was now, his mind raced.

Chase sighed, leaning his head back against the couch, whispering to himself, “I’m sorry, Petal. But this is for us. You’ll understand one day.”

He clenched his fists, knowing he had crossed a line, but in his mind, it was all worth it. For love. For her.

.....

“Why did you disturb us?” Chase snapped, his anger barely contained.

“Can’t you see I was—” Chase began, but his friend cut him off quickly.

“Her dad came,” his friend said, his voice tense.

“What?” Chase’s expression shifted from shock to fury. “How could he—” He clenched his fists, his temper rising.

“Maya called him. He’s waiting for you both ” his friend explained.

Chase’s anger flared. “How can he—” He grabbed a vase, ready to smash it on the floor in frustration when his eyes caught sight of Petal. She was still in hypnosis, completely unaware of the chaos around her.

He froze, taking a deep breath to calm himself. Slowly, he put the vase down, realizing he needed to keep his composure. For her.

Chase walked over to Petal and gently made her sit up straight. “Listen to me,” he said, his voice soft but commanding. “Never forget what I told you today. Do you understand?”

Petal nodded slowly, her face calm but distant.

“Say it out loud,” Chase demanded, leaning closer.

“Understood,” she whispered.

A small smile crept across his face. “Good.” He took her hand and kissed it softly. “I love you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

He stepped back slightly, preparing to bring her out of the trance. “Now, you’re going to come out of hypnosis. I’ll count to three, and when you hear me snap my fingers, you’ll wake up, feeling completely refreshed. Got it?”

“Yes,” Petal answered in a monotone voice.

Chase began the count. “One... two... three,” he said, snapping his fingers sharply.

Petal gasped the moment she snapped out of the trance, her chest rising as if she’d been holding her breath the entire time. She blinked rapidly, looking disoriented.

“Here,” Chase said, handing her a glass of water.

Petal grabbed it immediately, drinking it down in large gulps, as if she hadn’t had water in days. Chase and his friend exchanged a glance as they watched her.

“What happened, Petal?” Chase asked gently, trying to read her expression.

She didn’t answer right away, her eyes distant, unfocused. After a moment, she shook her head, almost as if she was shaking off a bad dream. “Nothing,” she murmured, avoiding his gaze.

Chase frowned, his concern growing. “What do you mean, ‘nothing’? Tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, but her voice was flat, emotionless.

Chase’s friend pulled him aside, leaning in close to whisper. “I told you it was too early for this. She wasn’t ready.”

Chase’s eyes darted to Petal, who looked far from okay now. She was pale, her hands trembling slightly. “But she seemed fine,” he protested, his voice low but anxious.

“She’s not fine, Chase. You pushed too hard,” his friend whispered back urgently. “She’s not handling this like you thought she would.”

Chase glanced back at Petal, guilt starting to creep in. He clenched his jaw, unsure of what to do next.

Author note: vote only if you enjoyed and comment  what you think so far of this story , thank you for reading ❤