Page 27 of Forbidden Obsessions

A woman dressed in a red ball gown comes barreling out of what I assume is the bathroom.Yes, finally!The door swings open as I twist the gold knob. I sigh, relieved, to find a single white bulb instead of the red.

The bathroom is underwhelmingly plain compared to what I’ve seen so far of this place. I recognize the woman who stood near us earlier as she fixes her blood-red lipstick in the mirror.

“Hi,” I say, giving a tentative smile.

“Hi, Olivia,” she responds, lifting her intricate mask. That’s when I realize the girl from earlier isn’t a stranger at all.

Finally, being face-to-face and alone with Vanessa surfaces an array of emotions. It starts off as white-hot rage..

“Hi, Vanessa. What a surprise,” I say with a snarl.

“Lock the door,” she urges quickly and hushes, enunciating every syllable to ensure I understand. Fear grips me, surging more adrenaline that makes me feel shaky. I back up slowly until I’m flush with the cool, wooden door.

The potential direness of the situation sinks in, and it’s a doozy. Being locked in the bathroom with the girl who blackmailed your boyfriend with homemade porn, and turns out to be the stepsister of the psycho stalker who stabbed your boyfriend, doesn’t sound so promising right now. My trembling hand reaches behind my back to grip the knob as stealthily as possible.

“Don’t,” Vanessa hisses, lunging as she swats my hand away. My mind races, trying to concoct a plan to distract her. I think I can take her if it escalades into a fight.

I have the advantage in height. She’s thin and petite, and it doesn’t seem like she has muscles hiding. Tomas and I have continued our gym sessions, which has resulted in me pushing myself beyond boundaries I thought possible. It’s been catharticto celebrate what my body can do without worrying about how it’s impacting my physique. That was always Julian’s primary concern.

“Okay, Vanessa. Fine, but start explaining,” I seethe.

“Listen to me. I’m not your enemy. We need to work together if we want to leave here of our own accord,” she whispers, her eyes flitting between me and the door to my back.

“He knows I’m in here. We can’t stay here. We’re going to have to move.” I could ask who, but I know with every fiber of my being who she means. How did he know I was going to be here, though?

The color leeches from my face. The other day in the lab. She heard us talking about the event.

“You sold us out to him,” I accuse.

“No, I didn’t say anything. I swear,” she says in a low cry.

“I’ll take my fucking chances, Vanessa. Goodbye,” I spit, leaving her to fend for herself or report me to Nathan. I don’t give a shit. I’m out of here.

Chapter Eleven

Olivia

Whether it’s ending up as some sick obsession for men like Nathan to terrorize or a pushover for assholes like Julian to control, I’m so fucking tired of being viewed as a weak fucking pawn to men. It’s not just them. I mean,Christ.Even my loved ones think I’m too fragile to cope.

But I’m done. If Nathan wants me, he can try to find me himself instead of sending his minions.

First things first, I need a plan. I bet Vanessa is already following me from afar like a good little pet, keeping tabs on my whereabouts to report back to her master, Nathan. My only hope is that Nathan hasn’t identified me yet.

Moving through a sea of plastered, sweaty, horny bodies proves challenging.Where in the fuck did they go?I scan the area I last remember seeing Lex with Dagny and Mia, with God only knows who.

This building is huge. If nothing else, at least volume is on my side. I’ve noticed one more spiral staircase leading to another floor, and who knows. There may be more I haven’t explored yet.

Nobody seems to be paying attention to me, but up here, I’m a sitting duck. My feet propel me forward, traversing one step at a time, as my dress sticks to my thighs and legs. I choose a dark corner that harbors a few girls standing and scowling at their phones.

“I can’t find Mia or Lex. Vanessa and Nathan are here,” I type a text as calmly as I can to Tomas. I know he’ll read it and spring into action. Cell service must be inundated. Waiting with bated breath, the progress bar moves and moves until I see it:Message failed to send.

Son of a bitch.My pulse hammers erratically. The panic I shoved down resurges with a vengeance, threatening to root me to the spot. I need to find service and call 911. It’s so noisy, and I don’t even have the address. Are my location services even on?

The phone shakes along with my hands as I try to open my settings. Rough fingers seize my wrist, pulling me against me. “Let me fucking go,” I growl, ripping Vanessa off of me. Her fingernails leave angry red crescents along my wrist.

“Stop causing a scene. We need to go, and we need to gonow,”she presses, trying to drag me along with her yet again.

“No. If you’re so worried about your own safety, just go. I’ll take care of myself.” She stumbles as I shove her off of me, recovering quickly.

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