✦ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 ✦

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱.

Dust clung to the edges of old furniture, but the papers on the desk looked 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘸—𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥. Like someone had been here recently.

Her fingers trembled as she picked one up. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝.

𝐍𝐨. This... this couldn’t be true.

𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳. 𝘈 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰. 𝘈 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐤.

A chill ran down her spine. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as the pieces began to fit together—things she had ignored before now forming a truth she didn’t want to believe.

Her knees weakened. She held onto the desk for support, blinking fast, trying to stop the wave of sickness rising in her throat. Her mind screamed no, but the truth was right in front of her.

𝐇𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰. 𝑯𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔. 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭.

A soft creak behind her.

She froze.

She didn’t need to turn. She already knew who it was. That silence... only he carried it.

"You weren’t supposed to be here," came his voice—low and calm.

She spun around, the paper crumpled in her hand. Their eyes met—his gaze was unreadable, but intense. He stepped closer.

"Why did you do this?" she whispered, voice shaking. "You destroyed everything. Him. Us. You did all this just to—"

"Don’t say his name," he said sharply. "Your mouth is only meant for my name."

Her chest heaved. "Why? Why would you do this?"

"Because you’re mine." His voice was calm, but firm. "I did it all to make you mine."

"I will never be yours." Her voice trembled, but stayed strong.

"You don’t have to be mine… you already belong to me."

His reply hit like a blow. A claim on her of his own.

"I hate you," she whispered. "You ruined everything."

He stepped even closer. "And yet, here you are. In my house. With my name."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "You don’t own me."

He gave a slow, cold smile. "I do, baby. I do. And the sooner you accept it, the easier it will be for both of us."

Her hand moved before she thought. A sharp slap landed on his cheek. His face turned from the impact, but his eyes stayed locked on her. Slowly, he looked back.

He grabbed her waist, pulling her close. Too close.

"You think you can hurt me? I bled for you," he said softly. "Every breath you take… every step… it’s already mine."

Before she could move, his lips crashed onto hers—hard, rough, claiming.

He devoured her.

She pushed him back with all her strength, wiping her lips as if to erase the touch.

Anger. Disgust. Pain.

He just watched her. Silent. Dangerous.

"I will never forgive you," she spat, her voice cracking. "You ruined me… for what? Control? Possession?"

His gaze darkened, a slow smile curving on his lips.

"For love," he said. "The kind that consumes. The kind that doesn’t ask—it just takes."

He stepped back, just once, and turned to leave.

But at the door, he paused—head tilting, like he was memorizing the ruin he had created.

"You’ll understand one day," he said, voice almost gentle. "No one will ever love you like I do. No one ever can."

The door clicked shut behind him.

She stood there—shaking, shattered—papers still fluttering on the desk like broken wings. Her fingers curled into fists as the silence returned, louder than ever.

And then… the tears came. Hot, quiet, unstoppable.

She sank to the floor, eyes fixed on the closed door.

And in that moment, she knew—

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐞. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰… 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.