Page 44 of Imprisoned Obsession

He holds his hand over my eyes. The faces of screaming teenagers and adults disappear as he guides me blindly away from the licking flames.

“I wouldn’t want my darling to have nightmares tonight.”

Nightmares are one thing, but the trauma imprinted on my heart and burned into my mind speaks of psychological warfare.

“How do you feel?” he asks nonchalantly.

Frankly, I’m baffled about everything. From the strange swirl of raging emotions to the mysterious tingling in my gut, it is all coming at me through a haze of white noise.

“Normal,” I say. “I feel good. Happy, I think.”

Elio smiles, vaguely pleased and strangely evil. “You are truly the purest form of metamorphosis, darling. Strong, extraordinary, and owned.”

“My masterpiece.”

Epilogue

Elio

Three Years Later

Chatting patrons gather by the railing, sea breeze billowing through their high-end clothes as styled hair rides the wind.

One of my first clients when I started my career as a criminal defense lawyer invited Willa and me to his niece's wedding.

I fail to see why we were invited, but I think it’s best to keep a cordial relationship with him. He’s well-connected, wealthy, and has become very influential in recent years.

There is something I need to collect from him that has been sitting on the back burner for years.

“Has your wife always been so, how do I say it, different?” the man inquires while holding a glass of champagne.

Mine swirls in the glass as we hit another small wave. “Yes,” I agree as I watch the breeze course through my darling’s hair.

She’s beautiful in her simple dress. I’m biased, but I think she outshines the bride. No one comes close to matching her stunning smile and syrupy innocence.

Everyone has gathered at the front of the yacht to watch the famous golden hour with dolphins creating an entertaining spectacle. Willa isn’t interested in the show, she’s more enamored by the vastness of the ocean transitioning into the endless sky.

She had voiced her preference for bodies of water when I took her to the beach for the first time.

She can’t swim, nor does she understand the concept of floating. We tried swimming, but she flailed around and wouldn’t climb off me until I put her back on the edge of our pool.

I had it built near the beautiful greenery in the back of our home.

“You are the last man I expected to get married,” the man muses over the rim of his glass.

My brows furrow in confusion. I turn my eyes towards the chuckling man as the wrinkles pinch his eyes.

“You were new and ambitious when I hired you,” he begins. “I kept tabs on you and thought of retaining you as my private attorney.”

I would never limit my source of income to one man, no matter how much money he has. Money has never satisfied me. Instead, I enjoy the downfall of my clients and forcing them to repay me with favors I find useful.

I’m glad I took that approach with this man.

He notes, “I must say, I’m impressed with your curriculum vitae. You’ve taken on high profile cases that have been entertaining to watch.”

He adds as an afterthought, “I was under the impression that you are married to your work, not to the young lady over there.”

He nudges his chin, and I follow his line of sight to my darling leaning over the deck’s railing. I always tell her that safety is a priority over everything else. But she never listens until she’s caught in the act.

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