A dull, throbbing pain bloomed against her lips as Aurora stirred awake.

Her lashes fluttered, the world around her a blur. The air smelled different, old, musky, unfamiliar.

She blinked rapidly, her heart drumming faster with every passing second.

This wasn’t her room...

This wasn’t the hospital....

Her body tensed....

She tried to move....

But her wrists.... they wouldn’t budge.

Panic flooded her veins as she twisted, her breath hitching when she felt the rough bite of rope against her skin.

Her ankles were bound too.

A choked gasp escaped her lips as the memories came crashing back.

Sebastian..

The hospital...

The argument...

The sharp pain on her head.

And then, nothing.

Her breath came out in sharp, ragged pants as she took in her surroundings.

The dimly lit room was nothing like her own.

The walls were cracked, the ceiling barely holding together, and the wooden floor creaked under even the slightest shift.

It was suffocatingly quiet, except for the faint ticking of a rusted clock on the wall.

Where the hell was she?

Fear clawed at her throat as she struggled against her restraints.

And then, she heard footsteps.

Slow...

Measured...

Unhurried....

Aurora froze, every muscle in her body going rigid as the door creaked open.

And then, he walked in...

Adrian...

She knew it was him before she even saw his face.

She could feel it in the air, the chilling, suffocating presence that sent ice crawling up her spine.

He stepped inside, his silhouette blocking the dim light from the hallway.

His face was unreadable, his expression blank, but his eyes, God, his eyes.

Dark...

Hungry...

Possessive....

Aurora’s breath stilled in her throat.

She wanted to scream at him. Wanted to demand answers.

Wanted to rip her hands free and throw something at his face.

But all that came out was a broken whisper.

“…Adrian?”

His lips curved into a slow, unsettling smile as he stepped closer, his eyes never leaving her.

“You’re awake.”

His voice was smooth, almost gentle. Too gentle.

She shrank back against the bed, every fiber of her being screaming at her to get away from him. But she couldn’t. She was trapped.

“W-Why…?” Her voice trembled.

“Why am I here? Let me go, Adrian. Please.”

He tilted his head, his gaze dropping to her lips.

A flicker of satisfaction danced in his dark eyes before he slowly crouched down beside the bed, his hands resting on his knees.

“You’re mine, Aurora.”

She flinched at his words.

His voice was calm, too calm.

But there was something unhinged in the way he said it, like he had convinced himself of something she didn’t understand.

“W-What are you talking about?” Her throat tightened.

“I....I belong to myself, Adrian! You can’t keep me here!”

A muscle in his jaw twitched...

Aurora’s breath caught as his hand reached out, fingers ghosting over her cheek.

She jerked away instantly, but there was nowhere to go.

His expression darkened.

“You’re shaking,” he murmured, almost amused.

“Are you scared of me, Aurora?”

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, her heart pounding painfully against her ribs.

“You kidnapped me!” Her voice cracked.

“You tied me up! How do you expect me to feel?!”

Something in his eyes flickered. His hand fell away.

And then, his smile vanished.

"You think I wanted to do this?" His voice dropped, something dangerous laced beneath it.

"You think I enjoy seeing you cry like this?"

Aurora stared at him in disbelief. Was he insane?

"You’re insane," she choked out, her wrists pulling against the rope.

"You’re absolutely insane!"

Adrian's nostrils flared...

And then, before she could process what was happening, his hand shot out, gripping her jaw.

Not tight enough to hurt her, but tight enough to make her stop moving.

Aurora gasped, her wide, tear-filled eyes locking onto his.

"You don’t get it, do you?" he whispered, his voice laced with something almost… desperate.

"You were slipping away from me. He was taking you away from me."

Aurora felt her chest constrict.

“This is not love,” she whispered, her lips trembling.

“This is obsession.”

Adrian's expression twisted, a flash of something unreadable passing through his eyes.

"You don’t know what love is, Aurora," he murmured, his thumb brushing dangerously close to her lips.

"But I’ll teach you. I’ll make you understand."

Her stomach twisted in fear.

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head violently.

“Please, Adrian. Let me go.”

His fingers lingered for a moment longer before he finally pulled away.

And then.... he laughed.

A low, humorless chuckle that sent ice down her spine.

"Let you go?" He echoed, standing up.

"After everything I've done to keep you? After everything I've done for you?"

Her lip quivered...

Adrian’s gaze softened, but it wasn’t comforting... it was terrifying.

"You’ll learn to love me, Aurora," he murmured, brushing a stray tear from her cheek.

"You just don’t know it yet."

Aurora’s breath hitched as he leaned in close, his lips dangerously near her ear.

"And don’t even think about running," he whispered, his voice dripping with warning.

"Because I promise you, my love… I will find you."

Aurora squeezed her eyes shut, silent sobs shaking her body as she realized...

She wasn’t going anywhere......

TO BE CONTINUED...