.....

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.

There he was, turning his back to me. He stood looking at some items from the hanger. I slowly stepped towards him, looking down. When I was about five steps away, I called out to him in a soft voice. He turned around with a phone in his hand, hushing me to stay silent.

I nodded my head and went completely quiet, waiting for him to finish. He took more than five minutes talking with the person on the other end. My heart raced, the rapid beats echoing in my chest as memories of what had just happened surged through me. I knew I had to get away from him, no matter what.

His eyes never left me throughout the entire conversation, pinning me in place. My feet were glued to the floor, my instincts screaming not to move, not even to think about it.

Rhys took one step closer to me, and I felt the small hairs on my body rise in alarm. He took a second step, making my fists clench involuntarily. With the third step, I gulped down a large amount of saliva, and by the fourth, my entire body trembled. My feet tangled with each other, and I stumbled, trying to put some distance between us.

He smirked, clearly enjoying my state. Taking one more step, I found myself on the floor, staring at the white marble tiles. They reflected a blurry image of my upper body and his silhouette, looming over me, mocking me.

Rhys' shoes clicked against the floor as he moved closer. Slowly, he bent down, bringing his face near my head. The blurry image of his face I had seen in the tiles was now crystal clear. Those mocking eyes, that slightly curved lip forming a sinister smirk.

My hair was suddenly grabbed in a tight fist, forcing my face to turn towards his. My teary eyes met his dark, piercing ones. His gaze roamed up and down my face, scanning every inch of it.

He moved even closer, and I instinctively shut my eyes. His grip on my hair tightened, sending sharp pain shooting through my scalp. A small whimper escaped my lips as I was forced to open my eyes. His hot breath collided with mine, and tears streamed down my cheeks.

"I... ha..te y..ou," the words spilled out of my mouth between sobs.

He showed no reaction, his face remaining impassive as I continued sobbing, the exhaustion weighing heavily on me. Suddenly, his hands dropped to the floor, and he let out a small chuckle. Moving away from me, he sat cross-legged on the floor, laughing as he looked at me.

I was shocked and terrified. Crying silently, I stared at the floor, watching as my tears formed tiny puddles on the marble. My entire body trembled every time his unsettling laughter grew louder. Then, abruptly, he stopped.

I looked up at him, his dark eyes meeting mine. This time, they were filled with an unfathomable darkness, something terrifying and raw.

"R... Rhys," I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. He made a disapproving "tch" sound, tapping the floor with his fingernails. The sound was soft, yet it echoed loudly in the empty mall, amplifying the dread coursing through me.

His other hand reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He began twirling it absentmindedly, a casual gesture that felt anything but.

"Maya," he finally said, his tone as cold as ice, sending a shiver down my spine.

"The feeling of hate... let me show you. But before that..." he trailed off, stopping the motion of the phone. His gaze locked onto mine, dead and domineering, piercing straight into my soul.

"Let me tell you, those words are prohibited for you. You can't hate me... because only I can..." he said, his voice dripping with a chilling finality.

"Turn off the lights," he suddenly commanded. A voice from his phone responded, "Okay, sir." Within seconds, all the lights went out. The doors and windows were covered, plunging the space into complete darkness. It felt as if day had turned into a terrifying, suffocating night.

"Let's start the show of hate, butterfly. Shall we?" he said, his voice echoing ominously.

A loud cry escaped my lips. "RHYS! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE, DON'T!" I begged, my voice breaking as I tried to crawl toward him in the pitch-black darkness.

But then I heard the sound of his footsteps, the clicking of his shoes against the hard floor as he moved away from me. Desperately, I placed my hands on the floor, pushing myself up and running in the direction of the sound. Tears streamed down my face as I stumbled in the dark, following the faint echo of his steps. But no matter how fast I moved, it felt like we were just going in circles.

"Maya," he suddenly called out, his voice coming from a different direction. He clapped his hands, and I froze on the spot. The sound had come from the opposite side of where I was heading.

"RHYS!" I screamed, fear gripping my entire being. With trembling steps, I moved toward the sound. Two steps, four steps. This time, he made no sound. The silence was deafening, and then I felt his hot breath against the nape of my neck.

"R... Rhys," I stuttered, turning around quickly. I reached out, trying to hug him, but he pushed me away harshly.

"Didn't you say you hate me, Maya? But that's not how hate works," he said with a dark chuckle. His steps echoed again in the darkness before stopping at a distance.

"If you catch me, I'll forgive you, butterfly. But if you don't... we're going to have a very long day here in this darkness until the word 'hate' is wiped from your brain," he said, his voice carrying an eerie calmness that sent shivers down my spine.

Hey, cuties! I'm so sorry for the wait. I write in real time, and after my break, it's been harder to focus. I had written these chapters before but deleted them because they didn't fit the storyline well, so I started over.

I value quality over quantity, so while my chapters may be shorter, they're meant to keep you hooked. Thanks for understanding! ❤️ The next updates might take the whole day as I work on adding more depth to the story. Please be patient and calm—I'll serve you some great chapters soon!