Orion's POV

I stepped into the darkened room, the cool air hitting me like a wall as I scanned the space. The faint hum of the house outside barely penetrated the thick silence that clung to the room. The only sound I could hear was Ava's soft, uneven breathing from the bed, almost like a whisper in the void.

Her door had been locked when I arrived, and I could feel the tension in the air as soon as I heard Alice’s words. "She’s losing it, Mr. Miller. I don’t know what’s wrong with her…"

I had expected this. I had anticipated it. After all, Chloe and I had set this entire thing in motion, and now we were reaping the rewards.

Ava was breaking, cracking under the pressure we’d created. There was a certain sick satisfaction in it—a twisted sense of victory, watching her slip away from the woman she once was.

And yet... I couldn’t deny that something else stirred in me as I walked further into the room, closer to her. It wasn’t remorse. No, it wasn’t that.

It was just the strange, uncomfortable weight of seeing her like this, vulnerable and so completely out of control. I tried to shake off the unease, but it lingered.

The night had dragged on longer than I expected, and the room felt colder now, despite the warmth of the heavy blankets she had tossed around earlier.

Ava’s breathing was erratic, and I couldn’t quite tell if she was awake or lost in a half-dreaming state, consumed by the madness that Chloe and I had planted. It was supposed to be easy—just a matter of letting the seeds of doubt fester in her mind until she broke under their weight.

But tonight, there was something else—something I hadn’t counted on.

Ava’s body jerked again, her limbs stiffening as she shifted beneath the sheets. I could hear the struggle in her voice, soft at first, like she was pleading for something, but the panic soon intensified.

"Orion," she whispered, her voice trembling, barely audible. She was scared—terrified, even. But it wasn’t the kind of fear that made me feel any sympathy. No, it was the kind of fear that made my pulse race, a sick curiosity tugging at me as I wondered what she was really thinking.

I stepped closer, my breath shallow, trying to keep my distance while still observing the chaos unfold.

She was still thrashing—more violently now—and when her body came to a sudden, violent stop, her eyes shot open. Those wild, frantic eyes locked onto me, and for a split second, I almost forgot who I was dealing with.

"Orion, please," she begged, her voice choking with panic. "Please, come to me."

She reached out a hand toward me, trembling like a lost child, her fingers desperately clawing at the air. But as I hesitated, she grew more insistent. Her body surged up from the bed, and before I could react, she pulled me down with a force that surprised me.

“Come to me, please!” Ava cried again, her voice taking on an almost pleading edge as she yanked me toward her. I stumbled forward, unbalanced, but before I could pull away, she wrapped her arms tightly around me.

Her grip was suffocating—tight, like a vice—her hands clutching at my shirt, holding me in place. Her breath was hot against my skin as she buried her face into my chest, her fingers pressing into my ribs with a strength that made me wince. I was trapped, but I couldn’t understand why.

“You won’t leave me, will you?” Ava’s voice was low, almost a whisper, but I could hear the edge of desperation beneath the calm façade.

It was too real, too raw. Her face was buried against me, and I couldn’t help but feel the pressure of her breath, the heat of her body pressed against mine.

“Please don’t leave me,” she begged again, her voice tight with something I couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t fear. No, it wasn’t fear at all. This was something else entirely.

Her hands shifted to my neck, and I realized too late that her grip had changed. She wasn’t just holding me anymore—she was strangling me. Her fingers dug into my throat, not enough to suffocate me, but enough to make my heart race, enough to make me feel the danger lurking just beneath her soft touch.

“Ava!” I gasped, my hands instinctively grabbing her wrists to pry them off. But it was like trying to move a boulder. Her body pressed against mine, her weight pinning me down as she held on tightly, refusing to let go.

She shifted on the bed, her face now close to mine, her eyes wide with something that could only be described as hunger. There was no trace of fear in her now. No. It was something else.

Her lips trembled as she pulled away just enough to whisper against my ear, her voice low, seductive in a way I didn’t understand.

“You’ll stay, won’t you? I’m not crazy... I’m not crazy. I've been seeing things lately,” she muttered, her breath brushing over my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

I froze, trying to make sense of what was happening. But before I could fully process it, Ava pressed her body tighter against mine, her arms winding around me again, but this time, her grip was gentle—almost affectionate.

“I know you won’t leave me,” she said softly, her voice dripping with something unsettling. “I know you won’t leave me.”

Her words rang out in the room like a slap to my face. I wanted to push her off, to get away, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even breathe without her holding me hostage in this twisted game of hers.

She tightened her hold again, this time not around my throat but around my chest, as if she were trying to force me into submission. “You’ll stay with me, Orion. Forever.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper, and I felt her lips brush against my ear as she spoke. “Because if you leave... I’ll make sure you never get away. Not even in your dreams.”

Her hands roamed down my sides, nails scratching at my skin as she continued to hold me captive on the bed. I tried to shift away, but Ava’s body pressed down harder, trapping me beneath her, suffocating me in this twisted embrace.

The room spun. I could feel the adrenaline pounding in my chest, my heart racing as I struggled to make sense of the moment. She wasn’t just afraid. She wasn’t just losing her mind.

Her grip tightened again, and I finally pushed her away, though it was a struggle. She didn’t fight back. Instead, she let out a frustrated, almost sadistic sigh as I broke free of her hold, only to reach out once more, her fingers grazing my skin in a possessive gesture.

“You won’t be able to leave,” she warned, her voice a soft hiss. “Not tonight. I won’t let you.”

Her words echoed in my head as I scrambled backward, desperately trying to create some space between us.

But even as I stood, ready to flee, her eyes locked onto me with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine. Ava has lost her mind. Our plan worked.

Even more than we expected.