Chapter 11
1574 Words
I didn’t sleep that night.
How could I, knowing the devil was sleeping right next to me?
Rivan’s breathing was steady, calm… too calm.
He looked peaceful, like he wasn’t the reason my entire life was upside down.
I stared at the ceiling, plotting.
There had to be a way out.
Then I saw it the window.
Tall, wide, half-covered with velvet curtains. My only chance.
I moved slowly, quietly, my bare feet sinking into the soft carpet. One wrong move and he'd wake up, and I wasn’t ready to face those dark, merciless eyes again.
Step by step, I reached the window, unlocking it carefully.
The night air hit me — cold, sharp, and freeing.
Below me was a ten-foot wall. High enough to break bones if I wasn’t careful. But I didn’t care.
Better broken bones than a broken soul.
I climbed out, gripping the iron railing, heart pounding so loud I thought it might wake him.
“Just… one… more… step,” I whispered to myself.
And then I jumped.
The world blurred for a second, and I hit the ground hard, rolling onto the grass. Pain shot through my knees, but I didn’t stop.
I ran.
Through the backyard. Past the garden. Straight to the high boundary wall that surrounded Rivan’s fortress-like mansion.
I looked up.
Four meters. Maybe five.
“f**k it,” I muttered and started climbing. My fingers scraped against the rough surface, palms burning, but adrenaline kept me going.
By the time I reached the top, my lungs were on fire.
And then… I jumped again.
The impact rattled through me, but I landed on my feet this time. No time to breathe.
I ran.
The mansion disappeared behind me, swallowed by darkness. The night was eerily silent except for the sound of my ragged breaths and pounding footsteps.
Somewhere ahead, a narrow road cut through a dense jungle. It looked deserted, but it was my only shot.
I sprinted onto it, whispering silent prayers for a passing car.
Minutes passed. My chest burned. My legs screamed.
And then headlights.
A white SUV slowed down, stopping just a few feet away.
The window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged man with salt-and-pepper hair.
“You lost or something?” he asked gruffly.
I hesitated for only a second before blurting, “Please, sir, I… I need to get to the city. Can you give me a ride?”
He eyed me suspiciously but finally jerked his head toward the seat.
“Get in.”
I didn’t think twice. I yanked the door open and slid in, breathless and shaking.
The city lights finally came into view after what felt like forever.
I pulled out my phone and called the only friend I trusted — Anaya.
“Kiara? Where the hell are you? Do you know what time it is?”
“Anaya, I can’t explain right now. Please… come get me. I’ll send you the location.”
She cursed under her breath but agreed immediately.
Relief washed over me for the first time in days.
While waiting for her, I ducked into a nearby restaurant. The cozy golden lights and soft music felt like a different world entirely.
I placed an order, grabbed a bottle of water, and turned around
—and froze.
My blood turned to ice.
Standing right in front of me was Rivan.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Perfectly composed.
His cold, stormy eyes locked on mine.
I took a step back instinctively… and that’s when I saw them.
Five bodyguards. Surrounding me.
My throat went dry. “H-how… how did you—”
Rivan didn’t answer.
He just stepped closer, his presence suffocating, his jaw clenched tight.
“I gave you one rule,” he said softly, almost too softly.
“Don’t run from me.”
I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “You can’t do this, Rivan. You can’t control my life—”
“Oh, sweetheart,” he cut me off, leaning down until his lips brushed my ear, “I don’t control your life. I own it.”
Before I could scream, his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against him.
“Let go of me!” I struggled, punching his chest, kicking, fighting with everything I had.
But it was useless.
He leaned down, his voice low and dangerous, “You think you can escape me, Kiara? You think the city, the crowd, your little friends can save you?”
His grip tightened.
“There’s nowhere on this f*****g planet where I won’t find you.”
And with that, he dragged me out of the restaurant as the entire crowd watched in stunned silence.
The heavy silence between us was deafening.
Rivan stood there, his tall frame looming like a shadow over me, chest rising and falling, his jaw clenched tight as if he was barely holding himself together.
I sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the blanket like it was the last shield I had.
“Stay away from me,” I warned, my voice trembling despite how hard I tried to sound strong.
But he took a step forward.
And another.
“Kiara…” he murmured, his voice low and rough, almost like a growl.
“Stop running from me.”
“I’m not yours,” I shot back, my voice breaking.
“You can’t keep me here like some… possession!”
That word.
Something dangerous flickered in his storm-grey eyes, and before I could even breathe, he was in front of me.
One hand braced against the wall beside my head, the other gripping my chin, forcing me to look up at him.
“You think you’re not mine?” he whispered, leaning so close that his breath brushed my lips.
“You have no idea, Kiara, how much you’ve already ruined me.”
I froze, my heart hammering, his closeness suffocating yet magnetic.
His shirt was slightly unbuttoned from the chaos earlier, revealing a glimpse of his sculpted chest.
And when he leaned even closer, his scent warm, expensive, intoxicating wrapped around me like a trap.
“Rivan…” I whispered, trying to push him away, but my hands landed on his chest, feeling the heat of his skin beneath the thin fabric.
Big mistake.
His lips curved into a dark, knowing smirk as he leaned in, whispering against my ear,
“You can push me all you want… but you’ll still feel me.”
Before I could protest, his forehead touched mine.
Our breaths mingled, ragged and uneven, filling the charged silence.
“You drive me insane,” he murmured, his voice low and hoarse.
“Every time you run… every time you scream… every time you fight me… it only pulls me in deeper.”
“Let me go,” I whispered, though my voice lacked conviction now.
I hated him… right?
But then… why wasn’t I moving away?
He slowly, deliberately, unbuttoned the next button of his shirt — his movements unhurried, like he wanted me to see every inch of control he held.
My throat went dry.
“W-What are you doing?” I stammered.
He tilted his head, his gaze locked on mine like a predator cornering its prey.
“Showing you,” he murmured, unfastening another button, “what happens when you keep testing me.”
The moonlight from the balcony kissed his skin, highlighting every sharp angle of his chest, every ridge of muscle.
“Rivan, stop…” I said, but my voice came out softer than intended.
Pathetic. Weak.
He smirked like he knew.
And then… he leaned closer, his lips just brushing my jawline, feather-light, almost teasing.
I sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively grabbing his wrist.
“You’re mine, Kiara,” he whispered against my skin.
“And deep down, you know it.”
My pulse was racing so fast it hurt.
Every nerve in my body screamed to run… and yet, I couldn’t.
Not when he was this close.
Not when his breath was warm against my neck.
“Say it,” he demanded softly, his voice like velvet over steel.
“Say you’re mine.”
I clenched my jaw, shaking my head furiously.
“N-no,” I breathed, shoving at his chest.
“I will never be yours.”
His eyes darkened instantly.
And instead of stepping back, he closed the distance completely.
His lips captured mine in a hard, bruising kiss the kind that steals your breath and scrambles your thoughts.
I gasped, stunned, my hands trapped between us, pushing weakly against his bare chest.
It wasn’t gentle.
It wasn’t sweet.
It was a war — his dominance against my defiance.
And yet… something deep inside me betrayed me.
Because instead of shoving him away… I froze.
When he finally pulled back, our foreheads rested against each other, both of us breathing heavily.
“You can fight me all you want,” he rasped, his voice rough and hoarse from desire and rage.
“You can scream, you can hate me. But you’ll never escape me, Kiara. Not here…”
His hand slid to the back of my neck, tilting my head up.
“…and not here.”
He tapped my chest, right where my heart was racing out of control.
I swallowed hard, my breath shaky, my thoughts a chaotic mess.
Because I hated him.
I feared him.
But damn it… I couldn’t ignore the fire burning between us.
- Writer
