Chapter 1
Selina Nash hid in the closet, trying desperately to stop her arms and legs from quivering, her heart hammering in her chest like a rhythm and her breath coming in short spurts. The horror that engulfed her was far worse than the stifling and suffocating blackness that closed in on her.
“Out of everywhere to hide, the first place I could think of and run to was a closet? A closet?” She murmured, feeling disappointed with herself that she couldn't hide in a better place to avoid her predator.
The once-quiet hallway outside suddenly hummed with the menacing rhythm of approaching footsteps. Selina felt a spark of dread go through her veins with every click of the metallic heels against the wooden floor, her sense of dread growing with every second.
As the footsteps got closer, Selina's head spun with conflicting ideas and feelings. As she struggled to understand the brutal reality of her situation, a fight for power ensued between fear, rage, and disbelief. Although she had always known in her heart that she was Felix's prey, the knowledge of this now weighed hard on her as he approached.
A part of her brain begged her to flee, to hide, to take any action to break free from Felix's hold. However, there was another aspect, a hushed voice tucked away in the recesses of her mind, that murmured words of surrender and failure. It brought back memories of all the times she had attempted to escape, only to be drawn back into Felix's grasp of deceit and manipulation.
"It's impossible to outrun him," the voice said. "He'll always find you, no matter where you go."
Selina balled her hands, attempting to ignore the persistent worries that were about to consume her. She needed to have faith in her ability to overcome Felix and find a way to escape his entangling hold. But that belief became increasingly shaky with every second that went by, until it seemed as weak as glass that was about to break.
"What if he's right?" A different voice, sneaky and convincing, murmured. "What if you're just fooling yourself, pretending that you can escape when deep down you know you can't?”
“No," she whispered, the word barely more than a breath. "I won't let him win. I won't let him break me.”
Selina's thoughts raced in the oppressive darkness of the closet, her anxiety threatening to swallow her whole. She was aware that it would be ineffective to shout or call for assistance. Felix was unaffected by her pleas and would not let them stop him from pursuing his goal, taking what he wants by force.
One of Felix's subordinates was approaching down the hallway, his footsteps softly ringing against the walls. He said in a courteous whisper, "Boss, we've looked everywhere in the building. There's no sign of Ms. Nash."
Felix's determined jaw clenched as his hard eyes stayed fixated on the closet door. "She's here," he said with absolute confidence. "I can feel it."
Felix lost patience as the subordinate lingered, uncertain of what to do next. "Leave me," he said, the edge of danger barely hidden behind his voice.
The footsteps then started to fade away, just when Selina felt she could take the strain any longer. She felt an imagined feeling of comfort, and she dared to believe that maybe, just maybe, Felix had given up the pursuit.
But as the stillness drew closer, Selina's hope gave way again to dread. Felix s was too familiar to her to think he would just turn tail and walk away. And sure enough, when she eventually worked up the nerve to open the closet door, he was there, waiting for her like a predator waiting for its meal.
His deep blue eyes used to have warmth, but now they were cold and calculated in his smile. "Thought you could hide from me, did you?" His voice brimming with hate, he snarled.
The realization that his comments were true made Selina's heart sink. Despite her best efforts, she had never been genuinely kept a secret from him. Felix would always track her down, no matter how far or where she ran.
"I didn't mean to—" she started, but Felix waved his hand to stop her.
"Save it," he hissed. "I don't care to hear your reasoning. Selina, you are mine. You always have, and you always will.”
His words made Selina flinch, the reality of them hitting her like a blow to the body. She had believed that she could get away from him, that she could shake his hold, but now she realized how pointless her attempts had been. She was the whole property of Felix, and there was no getting away from him.
She begged, her voice scarcely audible above a whisper, "But why? Why won't you let me go?"
Felix smiled more broadly, a flash of possessive affection that made Selina shudder. His features were softened not by warmth of compassion but by the twisted devotion of a man who regarded Selina not as a partner but as a property to be possessed and dominated.
"Because I love you, Selina," he said again, his tone dense with want. "My love for you goes beyond simple admiration. I will not allow anyone else to claim what is truly mine since you are mine, body and soul.”
His statements had a dangerous edge, an almost obsession-like passion. Felix never saw Selina as a trophy to be gained and put on display for everyone to see, rather than as someone to be loved and appreciated, but he didn'tknow the right ways to show the love without enforcing his forces. His love was a force that tolerated no resistance; it was possessive and all-consuming rather than kind or kind.
"I'll be damned if I let anyone else have you," he said, his voice getting progressively more sinister. "You belong to me, Selina, and I will go to any lengths to ensure that you remain mine and mine alone.”
The depth of Felix's passion and a complex web of love and possessiveness that held them together broke Selina's heart. She had always understood he was dangerous and that loving a man like him carried risks, but now she saw it with a clarity that made her feel very cold.
.