The walls were trembling, or maybe it was just her legs. Evelyn didn't know anymore. The world had narrowed into the space between his fingers and her skin. Her back pressed hard against the concrete wall, but the real weight wasn't behind her-it was in front of her.

His presence, his voice, his silence-they filled every inch of the room until there was no room left for her fear to hide.

"You looked me in the eyes," he whispered. "Every night. Every morning." His hand slid from her chin, down the side of her throat, slow... so slow it made her breath catch. "You touched me like you meant it."

A flicker of heat bloomed in her chest, burning right beside the shame. She hated it. She hated how real it had felt. Even though it was all a lie. Even though it was part of the plan. But somewhere between the pretending and the silence, her heart had started to blur the lines.

Hayden's hand settled low on her waist, not gripping, not forcing-just resting. Like it had always belonged there. Like his body remembered something her mind wanted to forget.

"And you think I'm the villain," he said, leaning in. "You think I'm the monster in your story."

His breath brushed her cheek. Warm. Shaky. But not from fear. He was trying not to break. Evelyn felt it. That sharp, desperate tension curling inside him. The way his voice kept slipping-between anger and ache, between power and pain.

He leaned and bit her neck sucking the soft flesh, leaving a purple mark. When he parted, he caressed the mark.
"You were always mine, Eve. Even when you didn't know it." She turned her face away again, eyes burning.

"Don't say that," she whispered.

"I'll say it until you believe it," he snapped, suddenly grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head. She gasped, legs tensing, the gun long forgotten on the ground.

"Hayden, stop-"

"Why?" His eyes were wild now. Unhinged. "So, you can lie to me again? Pretend you care just long enough to pull the trigger?" He leaned closer. His forehead rested against hers, and suddenly, the anger shattered into something else. A breath. A tremble. A moment where everything went quiet.

"I would've died for you." His voice broke. For real this time. It wasn't just pain-it was grief. Like something sacred had been taken from him. "I would've died with a smile if it meant you'd finally be free. But you didn't want freedom. You wanted to kill me."

"I -" His mouth crashed into hers. No warning. No pause. Just fire. Just fury. Just two broken people clinging to the only thing that still felt real.

His kiss wasn't soft-it was a storm. Violent. Punishing. Desperate. He kissed her like he hated her for what she'd done and hated himself for still needing her anyway. Her body responded before her mind could catch up. Her lips parted. Her fingers curled. Her breath stuttered. She should've pulled away. Should've screamed. Should've reminded herself this wasn't love-it was obsession.

But God, when his lips moved over hers like that-when he whispered her name into her mouth like a prayer-she couldn't feel the difference anymore. When he finally pulled back, his lips were red and trembling, eyes dark with something close to madness.

"You'll never leave me," he said. Not a threat. Not a plea. A promise. "You don't get to love someone else. You don't get to die for someone else. You're mine, Eve. Even if I have to burn the whole world to keep you."

The silence that followed her betrayal wasn't just loud-it was deafening. It rang in the room like a siren, echoing in every corner, bouncing off every wall, until the only thing Evelyn could hear was the sound of his breathing. Slow. Heavy. Controlled. Too controlled.

Hayden stood motionless in front of her, the weight of a thousand storms compressed into the narrow space between them. He didn't yell. He didn't move. He didn't blink. He just stared. And somehow, that was worse than anything else. Because Hayden Lopez wasn't the kind of man who needed to raise his voice to show his rage.
He was the kind of man who made silence feel like a noose tightening around your throat.

"I trusted you," he said, softer now, but no less lethal. "I let my guard down. For the first fucking time, Eve... I let someone in."

And you destroyed me.

He didn't have to say it. She heard it anyway. Felt it in every word, every breath. Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them, but Hayden's expression didn't soften. Not this time. This time, he wasn't going to bend.

"You really thought I'd let you go?" His smile twisted, bitter. "You thought I'd just... watch you walk away?" Evelyn's heart slammed into her ribs. She stepped back, her breath catching.

"Hayden-"

"No," he snapped, his voice suddenly sharp as a whip. "No more lies. No more games. You want to act like I'm the monster? Fine." His eyes bore into hers.
"Then I'll be the monster."

Her knees nearly buckled at the look in his eyes-hollow and burning at the same time. And that's when he said it. The thing she feared most.

"I've been holding back," he whispered, his voice a deadly promise. "For you. For us. I thought if I gave you space, if I was gentle, if I let you come to me on your own-maybe you'd stay." He exhaled slowly, shaking his head. The muscles in his jaw flexed.

"You're mine, Eve," he said, voice like smoke and fury. "But now? Now you're going to feel what that really means."

Her eyes widened. "No..." she breathed, taking a step back. "You don't mean that-"

"I do," he snarled. The moment shattered.

He moved in one swift, brutal motion. And suddenly, she was airborne. His arm wrapped tightly around her thighs, hoisting her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. She cried out, struggling, fists pounding against his back. But it was no use. He was unyielding. Like fury made flesh.

"Put me down!" she screamed, kicking against him. But he didn't stop. Didn't even hesitate. His grip only tightened as he stormed out of the room, down the marble corridor. The world blurred in her upside-down vision. He didn't stop. Didn't pause. Just kept walking through the darkness like a storm born from vengeance, rage crackling in every breath.

The butlers didn't speak. The guards didn't flinch. Everyone knew better than to interrupt him now. The doors to the estate flew open as he marched outside, the chill of the night slapping against her skin, making her shiver. Not just from the cold. But from fear. He was taking her. Again. But this time felt different. This time... she didn't think there'd be a way back.

The luxury jet stood tall on the private runway, sleek and ominous under the moonlight. The stairs had already been lowered, the engines humming low like a beast waiting to devour.

Evelyn twisted, her fists slamming against his back. "Hayden, don't do this!" she choked on her cries.

Hayden's footsteps echoed down the aisle, slow and thunderous, each step screaming with wrath barely caged. Evelyn trembled over his shoulder; her bare arms exposed in that blush pink dress-strapless, soft, delicate-the cruellest contrast to the beast carrying her like a possession.

Her heart slammed against her chest. She could barely breathe. The fabric of her dress shifted with each step he took, satin whispering against his suit. The scent of his cologne wrapped around her, dark and consuming.

The cabin door sealed with a hiss, enclosing them in a cocoon of tension and unspoken words. The muted hum of the jet's engines was the only sound, a stark contrast to the storm brewing between them.

Evelyn stood in the centre of the lavish cabin, her breath shallow, heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. The blush pink satin of her dress clung to her form, the strapless neckline leaving her collarbones and the delicate curve of her neck exposed. The asymmetrical design accentuated her slender shoulders, the fitted bodice emphasizing the rapid rise and fall of her chest. The voluminous A-line skirt cascaded around her, the luxurious fabric catching the dim cabin lights, casting subtle reflections that danced across the space.

Hayden's gaze was a physical weight upon her, dragging over every inch of exposed skin, lingering on the vulnerable expanse of her throat. His eyes, dark and unreadable, burned with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. The man who once held her with tenderness was gone; in his place stood a predator, coiled and ready to strike.

Her lips parted, a protest forming, but the words died in her throat as he closed the distance between them. His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around her delicate wrist, the contrast between his tanned skin and her porcelain complexion stark. He pulled her flush against him, the heat of his body searing through the thin barrier of her dress.

He took a deliberate step forward, the polished soles of his shoes whispering against the plush carpet. Evelyn instinctively stepped back, the backs of her knees colliding with the edge of the leather sofa. There was nowhere to run.

A tremor ran through her, a mixture of fear and something far more dangerous. She tried to pull away, but his grip tightened, unyielding.

"Hayden, please," she whispered, her voice trembling.

He chuckled darkly; the sound devoid of humour. "Please? Now you beg?" His free hand traced the line of her jaw, fingers trailing down the column of her throat, pausing over the frantic pulse that betrayed her.

He pushed her and she fell onto the plush cream seat by the window. The skirt of her gown spread like rose petals around her thighs. She gasped, sitting up, but Hayden was already there, towering over her, hands braced on either side of the seat like a cage. His eyes were molten.

"Don't," he said, voice low and vibrating with something feral. "Don't say a single word."

Evelyn swallowed. Her chest rose and fell. He was shaking. Not visibly-but beneath the surface, his fury vibrated like a live wire ready to snap.

"You pointed a gun at me." A pause. He leaned in. "You pretended to love me." She didn't answer. Her hands curled into the satin of her dress. Hayden's voice dropped to a near growl. "And I let you."

Silence.

"You have no idea, Eve." His jaw clenched as his eyes burned into hers. "No idea what I held back. What I buried. What I killed inside myself just to be gentle with you. To be good to you." Tears pricked at her eyes.
She shook her head, panic flooding her veins. "No-Hayden, please-"

He smiled. And it was terrifying. "Too late," he said softly.

He yanked her up, turned, and pinned her against the cabin wall. The impact stole her breath. Her hands flew to his chest, trying to push him back, but he didn't budge. One hand slammed beside her head, the other fisting the A-line satin at her hip, bunching it up. The delicate pink fabric crinkled in his hand, utterly helpless under his touch.

"You want to see what it looks like when I stop holding back?" His lips hovered just above hers, hot breath ghosting across her mouth. "Because now, sweetheart..."
His mouth dropped to her bare shoulder, brushing the soft skin she'd tried to keep hidden. His teeth grazed the curve of her collarbone, making her gasp. "I don't care."

His lips descended upon hers with a bruising force, a kiss that was more a claim than an act of passion. He poured his frustration, his anger, his need into her, leaving her breathless and reeling. She whimpered against him, hands clawing at his jacket, trying to breathe, trying to think-but there was no space for either. When he finally pulled back, they were both gasping, the air between them charged and heavy.

Evelyn's mind was a whirlwind of emotions, torn between the fear of the man before her and the undeniable pull he had on her. She searched his eyes, looking for a trace of the Hayden she once knew, but all she found was the monster he had become.

"You made me believe you wanted me."

Evelyn's tears spilled over. "Hayden..." beneath the fury, beneath the rage-he was hurting. Shattered. And this, this was how monsters grieved. By destroying the very thing, they couldn't live without.

"No." he growled "You don't get to speak yet."

His eyes dropped to her dress-and she felt it. That stare. The way it burned down her chest, hovered at her bare collarbone, lingered at the soft curve above the bodice, where the satin clung too perfectly to her skin.

She flinched. The guilt slammed into her, but the fear was louder now. Thicker. Tangled in every breath.

"And do you know what hurts the most?" His hand rose slowly, curling in the air like it ached to touch her. "I believed it. I believed that look in your eyes. That smile. That soft little laugh. I let myself think-for one second-that you chose me."

Her eyes filled, the sting reaching her throat.

"But you didn't," he said, tipping his head down until their foreheads nearly touched. "You used me."

Her bottom lip trembled. "I didn't-"

"You did," he snapped, voice sharp but quiet, like a knife slipping between her ribs. "And now, sweetheart..." He dragged his knuckles along her jawline, the softest touch he could give, which made it so much worse. "I'll make sure every part of your body knows whom you belong"

Evelyn's entire body locked. Her stomach dropped, like the jet had tilted under her feet. Her knees buckled.

"Hayden-" His hand closed around her wrist, yanking her forward. She gasped as she fell into him, her chest hitting his, satin against silk, the heat of their bodies instantly crashing together. She tried to pull back, but he gripped her jaw, forcing her to look up at him.

"And I'm going to take you, Eve. Every inch. Every breath. No more gentle. No more holding back."

"No," she breathed. "You're angry. You're not thinking clearly-"

"I've never seen anything more clearly in my life," he whispered. "You think you've seen me obsessed? You think this" he traced the line of her collarbone with his knuckle "was me addicted?"

He leaned down, mouth brushing her ear.

"Then you better hold on tight," he growled, "because you're about to meet the monster you made."