Page 20 of Imprisoned Obsession

“I’ll never raise a hand to you, that I can promise,” I surmise. “You break more easily with fear.”

She swallows harshly. “You know?”

I smile down at her. “I know everything about you, darling.”

As long as she doesn’t exceed my patience or take advantage of my kindness, I will let the plan play out graciously. If not, I will have no choice but to build her back up with the same hands that wrecked her soul.

Willa will be my masterpiece. It’s her choice how she wants to get there.

Chapter Five

Willa

I can’t predict anything about Elio.

My first encounter with him was mind-boggling. He went from being a gorgeous figment of my imagination when I was suffering from smoke inhalation to a devastating reality when he ended Janice’s life. He went from being a doting man to a menacing monstrosity in the same night.

Now, this. He’s letting a breath of sweet independence come into my life after suffocating me with his constant staring.

Everywhere I go, and anything I do is always within his sight. He knows I can’t look him in the eye for too long. Their color scares me too much.

“What do you crave for lunch, darling girl?” he inquires, snapping me out of my thoughts as I sit stiffly in his expensive car.

I swallow thickly and release a shuddering breath. I wouldn’t say I’m afraid to be around him. He hasn’t done anything to hurt me badly enough that I flinch instinctively when he is near. However, Elio makes me unable to feel at ease in my own skin.

I’ve come to terms with the revelation that my body loves his touch and being pulled to his chest. My lungs crave his rich scent.

My mind is a different matter. It tells me that what I’m feeling is the beginning stages of Stockholm Syndrome, that I’m sympathizing with my captor.

I don’t know which part of me to trust when my heart feels so divided. It races with elation when he smiles at me, and it pounds when he reminds me of my position.

My life is in his hands. Bizarrely, I don’t mind too much—for now, that is.

I shake my head and chew my bottom lip. I shouldn’t feel anything towards him other than hatred and disgust. He’s a horrible man with a tainted heart, a monster I seem to want.

Gasping indignantly at my stupidity, I reject this internal battle over whether I want Elio.

I don’t want him.

You do, the devil on my shoulder taunts back.

“You can call whenever you need me,” Elio says as he hands over my phone.

I haven’t seen it for a while. I didn’t notice it was missing, and I’m wondering how many more of my things are in his possession.

I doubt I even have anything of my own left; everything had been burned to the ground.

That is why I was so surprised this morning when he gave me exactly the same backpack I had before containing the latest release of the same laptop.

His gifts had thrown me into a panic. I have been missing the classes I paid for with big loans. I have missed tests and don’t have notes from any of the lectures I have missed.

I’m screwed for my upcoming exams. Missing one day is manageable when I work hard to catch up, but I’ve missed a full week of everything in all my classes.

“Oh, my,” Elio utters lightheartedly, “Are you already missing me, darling?”

I grind my teeth and glare through my lashes. “Not in a million years.”

He smiles knowingly. “You hurt me.”

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