⚠️ Content Warning: Attempted Sexual Assault Mentioned

This chapter contains scenes depicting an attempted assault, which may be distressing for some readers. Please proceed with caution.

Note to Readers:

This story is centered around themes of obsession, possessiveness, and dark romance, where such intense and unsettling moments are part of the narrative. Please do not report this book based on this scene alone. The story is written with these elements intentionally, and we acknowledge the sensitive nature of the content.

If you feel uncomfortable, please prioritize your well-being and skip this chapter if necessary.

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"Enough talking—let’s have some fun," he said, his voice laced with amusement.

His hand trailed up her thigh, just above the fabric of her dress. A shiver ran down her spine, but not from excitement—from pure panic. She stiffened, her breath hitching as he leaned in, his face dangerously close to hers. She turned her head away, but he only smiled, inhaling her scent.

Little did she know what he truly meant.

Just then, he stood up and began untying her restraints.

The moment her arms were free, Petal bolted. But before she could take a single step, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her back.

"Where do you think you’re going, Petal?" he murmured, his grip firm.

"Let me go!" she pleaded, struggling against him.

He chuckled darkly. "Not until you fulfill my desire."

A smirk played on his lips as he pulled her toward the bed.

"No!" she resisted, twisting in his grasp, but he was stronger—of course, he was.

He barely exerted any force, yet they reached the bed within seconds. With a swift motion, he threw her onto the mattress.

Petal’s heart pounded. Fear tightened around her chest like a vice.

He stood at the edge, looking down at her with a smirk. "Don’t be so scared, Petal. You will enjoy it "

She scrambled backward, desperate to put distance between them. But before she could move far, he grabbed her ankle and yanked her back.

"You’re not running from me," he whispered, hovering over her.

She fought back—thrashing, kicking, clawing. But he was unfazed. He caught her wrists, pinning them beside her head.

"Feisty," he mused, pressing down just enough to keep her still.

Petal’s pulse pounded like a war drum. She thrashed against his grip, her breath coming in ragged gasps. No, no, no.

She struggled against him, trying to break free but it only seemed to amuse him.

"Shhh…" he murmured, his voice infuriatingly calm. "You’re making this harder for yourself, Petal."

She shook her head frantically. "Please—please let me go," she begged, her voice barely above a whisper, cracking under the weight of her terror.

His grip on her wrists remained firm, unyielding. His gaze traveled over her trembling form, soaking in every ounce of her fear.

"I love it when you beg," he mused, his smirk deepening.

Her chest tightened, panic clawing at her throat.

With whatever strength she had left, she kicked wildly, trying to throw him off balance. One of her kicks landed hard against his shin.

He hissed in annoyance, his grip tightening. "Tsk. That wasn’t very nice."

Seizing the moment, she twisted her wrists, wrenching one hand free. Without thinking, she swung at him, her nails scratching across his cheek.

For a second, she thought she had done something—thought she had a chance.

Then—his expression darkened.

The amusement drained from his face, replaced by something much worse.

Something cold.

Something dangerous.

Her stomach twisted.

Oh no.

His fingers wrapped around her throat—not to choke, just to hold her in place. Just to remind her of who was in control.

"You shouldn’t have done that," he whispered, his tone still eerily composed, but his eyes? They burned.

A choked whimper escaped her lips as he leaned closer, his grip still light but suffocating in its own way.

"You don’t want to make me angry, do you, Petal?"

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes as she shook her head weakly.

"Good girl," he murmured, finally letting go of her throat, his smirk returning as if nothing had happened.

But Petal knew better.

She knew the worst was yet to come.

He leaned closer, and Petal instinctively turned her face away, her body stiff with fear.

He only laughed at her reaction.

"Tell me, are you a virgin?" he asked, his voice deceptively casual.

A sharp wave of panic shot through her.

She clenched her fists, her body trembling. Why was he asking this? What was he trying to do?

"I asked you something, Petal," he said, his tone darkening.

She didn’t reply—couldn’t. Instead, she thrashed beneath him, twisting her arms, trying anything to free herself.

"Stop it. You're not going anywhere," he said coldly, tightening his grip.

"Please… let me go. Please!" she begged, tears spilling down her cheeks.

But he merely smirked. "That's not the answer to my question. Answer me."

Petal squeezed her eyes shut. God, please… make it stop. Please help me.

A mocking chuckle escaped his lips.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You're not a virgin," he said, his voice dripping with cruel amusement.

Her eyes snapped open. What?

She stared at him, a sick certainty in his gaze. How… how was he so sure?

"Because Chase raped you before," he said smoothly.

Her breath caught in her throat.

No. No, no, no!

Her pulse spiked as she turned her head away. He was lying. He had to be lying.

He leaned in, his breath hot against her ear.

"Did I not mention?" he whispered. "Not only does Chase have feelings for you, but you have a past together."

She shuddered, her stomach twisting violently.

"You lost those memories," he continued, tilting his head to watch her reaction. "But tell me, Petal… the man in your nightmares—the one who haunts you—do you know who he is?"

She shook her head frantically. No. No, it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be.

"It's Chase," he murmured, his voice laced with certainty.

A cold chill crawled down her spine.

"You're lying!" she snapped, struggling harder.

He only smirked. "Am I?"

His grip didn’t loosen. If anything, it tightened.

"At first, I was confused," he mused. "You used to be terrified of him. And then suddenly, I see you all close to him as if nothing happened? Until I realized…" He let out a low chuckle. "You forgot."

Petal’s breath hitched.

"You’re lying," she repeated, her voice weak.

"Don't believe me. I don’t care," he said with a shrug. "But it’s the truth."

A muscle ticked in his jaw before he added, "Tell me, Petal, has Chase ever appeared in your nightmares? Has he ever…" He leaned down again, his lips inches from hers. "Taken you in those dreams?"

Her entire body stilled.

A victorious glint flickered in his eyes.

"He has, hasn’t he?" he pressed, his voice darker now. His fingers clenched around her wrists.

Even though he already knew the truth, he still wanted to hear it—still wanted to push her into breaking. To make her hate Chase.

"Let go of me!" she sobbed, thrashing violently beneath him. Her tears fell, hot and fast.

"Don't cry," he murmured, almost mocking.

Then, his smirk deepened. "Cry when the real game begins."

Her stomach twisted into knots.

He leaned down once more, his lips grazing her neck.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

No. No. No!

She screamed, thrashing beneath him. "No! Let go of me!"

He only chuckled, entertained by her struggle.

His lips brushed against her skin before he bit down.

A strangled sob escaped her throat.

She fought harder, but his grip was unrelenting. Her wrists were pinned above her head in one of his hands now, and his body weight trapped her legs beneath him. She couldn't kick. She couldn't move.

"Let me go!" she screamed.

But her pleas fell on deaf ears.

He grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look at him.

Then—he slapped her.

Hard.

A sharp sting spread across her cheek. She gasped, pain shocking her system.

Before she could react, his fingers closed around her throat.

"Shut up," he snarled.

Her breath hitched as her air supply wavered.

Tears pooled in her eyes, blurring her vision. She could barely breathe—barely think.

"Please… don't do this…" she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. "Please."

A dark chuckle left his lips.

"Give in, Petal," he whispered. "It'll be easier for you. Because I’m not letting you go."

Summoning every ounce of strength, she jerked her hands free from his grip. The moment her wrists slipped from his hold, she shoved him—hard—and bolted.

Her feet barely touched the ground as she sprinted toward the door.

Her way out. Her freedom.

But the moment she yanked at the handle—it didn’t budge.

Locked.

Her breath hitched. No. No, no, no!

Behind her, his slow, amused chuckle sent a shiver crawling down her spine.

"You’re not going anywhere, Petal," he said smoothly, stepping closer.

Her pulse pounded in her ears. Trapped. She was trapped.

"Now, come here," he ordered, voice deceptively calm.

She turned slowly, her back pressing against the door. Her heart was hammering so fast it hurt.

His dark eyes gleamed as he took another step forward.

"Let’s make this easy for both of us," he murmured.

She darted her gaze around the room, searching—anything. Anything!

The washroom door.

It was slightly open.

A single chance.

Her throat tightened. If she hesitated, she’d lose it.

"No," she whispered.

And then—she ran.

"Don’t you dare—!"

Before he could reach her, she lunged inside and slammed the door shut behind her.

Click!

The lock fell into place just as his body crashed against the other side.

Bang!

The force of his hit rattled the door.

"Open the door, Petal!" he bellowed, pounding against it.

She pressed her back against the wood, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Tears blurred her vision, but she refused to let them fall.

"Open it!" he roared again.

She didn’t answer. She couldn't.

The only sound was her ragged breathing and the erratic pounding of her heart.

"You’re going to regret this, Petal," he sneered from the other side. "I thought I’d go easy on you. But now? Now, you’ll hate every second of it."

A loud kick landed against the door, making her flinch.

"Just let me grab the keys," he said, voice lowering into something more sinister. "Then we’ll see how long you can hide."

She heard his footsteps fading.

This was it. Her only chance.

She had to get out.

Taking a shaky breath, she slowly twisted the knob—opening the door just enough to peek outside.

The hallway was empty.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she pushed it open fully.

Run. Run. Run.

But the moment she stepped out—a strong hand wrapped around her wrist.

A gasp ripped from her throat as she was yanked back and slammed against the wall.

His body caged her in.

His smirk sent a cold terror washing over her.

"Caught you, Petal."

To be continued...