THE CEO'S TWISTED OBSESSION

Chapter 7: The Rhythm of Possession

The morning light was a pale, sickly grey, filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse. I sat before the vanity, staring at the stranger in the mirror. Around my neck sat a slender silver choker, adorned with a single black diamond that glinted like the eye of a predator.

It was beautiful. It was expensive. And it was a shackle.

"Do you like it?"

Adrian’s voice materialized from the shadows. He stood behind me, his silk shirt unbuttoned at the collar, sleeves rolled up to reveal the powerful veins in his forearms. His large hands settled on my shoulders, and the heat of his touch seared through my skin.

"It’s not jewelry, is it?" My voice was flat, hollow.

Adrian’s lips curled into a slow, dark smirk. He pulled a sleek phone from his pocket and held the screen before my eyes. A steady, rhythmic line moved across the display. Beneath it, a number flickered in neon green: 85 bpm.

"That’s your heart, Elara," he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. "The diamond contains a biosensor synced directly to my phone. Wherever you go, whatever you feel... I will know. If you’re afraid, I’ll feel your pulse race. If you lie, I’ll see the spike. And if you’re aroused..."

He paused, his hand sliding down from my shoulder, his palm flattening over my chest—directly over the organ he claimed to own. My heart thundered against his touch. The number on the screen jumped to 98 bpm.

"See? You can’t even lie to yourself when I’m this close."

"Let me go, Adrian," I breathed, though my body betrayed me, leaning back into his solid frame. "I’m not one of your companies. I’m not a piece of property."

"You’re much more valuable than that," he murmured. He spun my chair around, forcing me to face him. He dropped to his knees between my thighs, his presence overwhelming, caging me in. His hands slid up my silk robe, the friction of his palms against my bare skin sending a treacherous jolt of electricity through my spine.

"I spent ten years searching for the girl who saved me from that wreck, Elara. Now that I have you, I’m not just keeping you alive for my mother. I’m keeping you for myself."

He pulled me forward by the nape of my neck, his mouth inches from mine. The air between us was thick, charged with a magnetic, dangerous pull. "Today, Doctor Julian will perform your routine check-up. Be a good girl for him. If your heart rate stays stable, perhaps I’ll reward you tonight."

Doctor Julian arrived two hours later. He was a man of few words, his eyes flickering with a momentary flash of pity when he saw the silver band around my neck. Adrian stood in the corner of the room like a gargoyle, watching every movement.

"Blood pressure is optimal. Oxygen levels are perfect," Julian muttered, scribbling on his tablet.

Adrian nodded, his eyes never leaving me. "She’s a prize specimen, isn't she, Julian?"

"She is a human being, Adrian," Julian replied softly, then turned to me. "I need to perform a lung capacity test. Adrian, step back. The stress of your proximity is skewing the data."

Adrian scowled, but he retreated to the balcony, his eyes still burning through the glass. Julian leaned in close, the stethoscope pressed to my chest. He lowered his head, his voice a ghost of a whisper.

"Do not take the vitamins he gives you tonight."

I froze. My heart spiked. On the table across the room, Adrian’s phone buzzed. Julian quickly tapped my chest. "Breathe, Elara. Deep, slow breaths. Don't let him see the spike."

"What... what are you saying?" I whispered back, forcing my lungs to expand rhythmically.

"He’s dosing you with mild sedatives to keep you compliant," Julian hissed, his back to the balcony to hide his lips. "If you want to survive, you need to stay sharp. Tonight, hide the pill. I’ve left a small glass-cutter under the lining of your jewelry box. It’s industrial grade. It can break the sensor's seal."

"Why help me?"

"Because a heart that beats in a cage isn't a heart at all." Julian pulled back just as Adrian stepped back inside. "Everything is in order, Mr. Vance. She needs rest. And perhaps some creative outlet—let her paint again."

That evening, the air in the penthouse was thick with a different kind of tension. Adrian returned to the bedroom, his tie discarded. He approached me as I sat on the edge of the bed, holding a small gold tray with a single white capsule and a glass of water.

"Time for your supplements, Elara."

I looked up at him, my heart hammering. I remembered Julian’s warning. I took the pill, placing it under my tongue with a practiced flick of the hand, and swallowed the water.

Adrian watched my throat move. He set the glass down and sat beside me, his weight tilting the mattress. He reached out, his fingers tracing the edge of the silver choker, his touch lingering on the sensitive skin of my throat.

"You’ve been remarkably calm tonight," he murmured, his voice dropping to that dangerous, velvet register. "Your heart rate is a steady 70. Are you finally accepting your place, my queen?"

He didn't wait for an answer. He pushed me back onto the silk sheets, his body hovering over mine. His hands moved to my waist, his touch heavy and possessive, pulling my body flush against his heat. The intimacy was suffocating, yet my skin hummed where he touched me—a treacherous, primal reaction to a beautiful monster.

"I can feel your pulse right here," he whispered, pressing his lips to the metal of the choker. The cold silver against my skin contrasted with the searing heat of his mouth. "It beats for me. Even if you hate me, your blood flows because I allow it."

He kissed me then, a slow, deep claim that tasted of whiskey and dark obsession. My hands moved to his chest, intended to push him away, but they ended up clutching his shirt, pulling him closer as the line between fear and desire blurred into nothingness.

As he lost himself in the curve of my neck, I glanced toward the vanity. Hidden in the lining of my jewelry box was the tool for my escape.

Tonight, Adrian Vance believed he had finally tamed my heart. He didn't realize that for the first time, I wasn't just his victim. I was his most dangerous secret.