Without hesitation, he picked out a pair of loose pants and scanned me from head to toe. Without saying a word, he pulled me toward the dressing room, opening the door. He stepped inside first, then pulled me in after him, locking the door behind us.

............

My eyes widened in shock as I looked at nothing but him. I felt a wave of nervousness crawling down my spine, my heart hammering in my chest. I wanted to say something, but my voice failed to leave my mouth. It was as if fear had gripped my entire being.

Rhys turned toward me and stared into my trembling eyes. They desperately tried to break the connection, but I couldn't look away. Suddenly, he came closer, and a soft whimper escaped my mouth. My breath caught in my throat as I opened my mouth wide, trying to speak, but no words came out. I quickly began taking steps back, my body reacting instinctively, but he smirked and kept advancing.

With every step he took, my heartbeat quickened, rising from fear.

"R...hys," I mumbled, my voice barely audible as my back met the wooden wall. He placed both of his hands around me, closing the space between us. His presence felt suffocating. His body was so close that I could feel the heat of his skin.

I quickly tilted my head back, desperately trying to create some distance, but he just smirked.

"Remove your hoodie, butterfly," he said, his deep voice sending chills down my spine. The smirk on his face only made me feel even more terrified.

"W...ha...t?" I stuttered, my breath unsteady. My mind scrambled for words, but nothing came out right.

"I said, remove your hoodie, Maya. Let me see if you can even seduce me," he purred, his voice dark and husky, sending an electric shock of fear straight to my core.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and small sobs began to escape my lips. He stood there, too close to me, his dark gaze never leaving mine.

"Y...ou a...re s...o bad," I stammered through the tears, my voice shaking. "I t...old y...ou th...at I d...idn't w...ant to. It w...as my m...om's w...ish..." I cried, trying to explain, but he showed no sign of fear or remorse. His expression remained unreadable, cold.

His face came closer, and I quickly bowed my head, the tears flowing freely now.

"Then, if I told you my wish is to see you naked, would you strip?" His voice was dangerously dark, tinged with anger. Before I could even react to his words, he punched the wall just inches away from my face. The force of the blow made me flinch, and I cried out loud, startled by his rage.

He placed his head on my shoulder, taking deep breaths for a few seconds before speaking again.

"Don't test my patience, Maya. Remove the hoodie." His voice had a sharp edge, a clear warning that something worse would happen if I didn't comply.

"I... I'm sorry. I will do it. Please, let me go..." I pleaded, my voice breaking as I cried. He chuckled darkly, the sound sending a chill down my spine.

He stepped back, his face now far away from mine, and leaned against the mirror. His piercing gaze fixed on me, his scratched knuckles red with blood.

I kept my eyes on the floor, unable to meet his gaze. Small hiccups escaped from my mouth, and I fought hard to control them.

Grabbing the end of my hoodie, I slowly slid it off my upper body, trying not to look at Rhys. I couldn't bear to see his reaction. When it was completely off, the silence in the room became suffocating.

I wanted to look up, but I was too afraid to see what would be in his eyes. The silence was broken by the sound of mirror shattering.

I quickly looked up, and there he was—Rhys was punching the mirror with his side fist. His hand was beginning to bleed, but he didn't stop. He kept hitting it again and again, his knuckles tearing open more with each blow. I wanted to run, but the sight of his fury froze me in place. My legs buckled beneath me, and I collapsed onto the floor.

Sitting there, I stared at his bloodied hands as he continued to punch the mirror. The maniacal force of his movements made my heart race in fear.

Finally, the mirror shattered completely, falling around his feet, with some pieces dropping near my exposed legs, scratching them slightly.

My eyes shifted to the blood drops falling on the mirror, reflecting Rhys' body. It was like watching a nightmare unfold.

He began walking again, his boots crushing the broken pieces of glass beneath him with each step. My whole body trembled, and as he got closer, I could see his legs looming in front of me. He crouched down until his piercing, dark eyes met my teary, blurry ones.

A loud sob left my mouth as I cried uncontrollably. His gaze was so intense, so terrifying, that I couldn't look away. His bloodied hand reached out toward me, and I turned my head away, trying to distance myself, but his other hand grabbed my hair, pulling me toward him.

His bloodied hand gently cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing across the skin. I cried louder this time, clenching and unclenching my fists, which were pressed into the floor for support.

"Maya..." he whispered my name, his breath hot against my skin. He leaned in closer, and a whimper of fear escaped my mouth. I struggled in his grip, trying to push his hand away from my cheek, but every effort was in vain.

Slowly, he removed his hand and, with deliberate slowness, slid his bloody finger from my forehead down the side of my face, tracing a line to my exposed neck. He made patterns with the blood, leaving streaks of red in its wake which I couldn't guess , which I couldn't feel because of the fear .

I cried harder, breathing heavily, wanting nothing more than to push him away, but his dark eyes held me captive. His gaze never wavered as his finger traced the pattern, moving upward and following the path it had made before. He finally pulled his hand away, leaving me trembling in his wake.

"No one can see you like this in my presence. Not even the mirrors..." His voice was dark, almost cruel, and I closed my eyes, allowing my tears to fall silently.

He stood up, and I heard the click of the door opening. I thought about running, but he stood there, blocking the way.

He turned toward me again and spoke coldly, "Change into them, Maya. Be quick, because I'm not a patient person." He closed the door behind him as he left.

I wiped my tears away, trying to remove the mix of blood and tears from my face. My hands were trembling as I picked up the corner of my dress and wiped my face with it.

Then my eyes suddenly landed on the broken mirror, which reflected my exposed neck. Fear surged through me, and I quickly picked up one of the smaller shards of the mirror.

Placing it carefully just in front of my neck, I slid it slowly from right to left, reading the patterns on my skin.

R

H

Y

S

The shard dropped to the floor, and an unsettling feeling churned in my stomach. But this time, I didn't cry. Only fear remained.

I wiped the words off my neck, my legs shaking as I stood up. Picking up the pants he had left for me, I slipped them on, removing my dress completely. The hoodie he had discarded on the floor was the next to go. I slid it on quickly, then opened the door.

"Sorry to shatter your imagination, cuties. You thought it was about to get steamy, but did you expect this? 🤍 I'm sorry for scaring you like this, but you did ask for it to be dark, didn't you? 😈💀"