David Larson (The Psychopath)

Chapter 4

The aftermath of the blackout left Saint Jude Asylum under an oppressive, hyper-vigilant lockdown. Guard patrols were doubled, the ventilation shafts were permanently welded shut, and additional psychological evaluations were ordered for the entire staff. Everyone was on edge, looking for the security breach that allowed the facility’s most dangerous patient to slip through their fingers.

Everyone except Dr. Dianna Montevar.

Inside her private bathroom, she stood in front of the mirror, her trembling fingers tracing the faint, dark violet bruise blooming just beneath her jawline—the exact spot where David’s teeth had grazed her skin. It was a brand. A physical manifestation of her descent into his madness. She covered it carefully with a thick layer of concealer, buttoned her new lab coat all the way to her throat, and braced herself.

She was going back to Ward 4. Not because it was her job, but because the cold, orderly reality of her life now felt completely hollow without the terrifying heat of his presence.

When the heavy titanium door of the maximum-security examination room slid open, the atmosphere shifted instantly. David was back in his chair, but the restraints had been upgraded. Heavy iron cuffs bound his wrists to the metal table, and the magnetic collar around his throat hummed with a low, menacing current, keeping him completely immobilized.

Yet, when his crystalline hazel eyes locked onto Dianna, there was no defeat in them. Only the smoldering, triumphant look of a predator who already knew he owned his captor.

"Bumalik ka," David purred, his velvety voice scraping against her raw nerves. "I thought you'd be filing for a transfer, Dianna. Or did you come back to tell me how much you liked my little visit last night?"

Dianna sat down across from him, deliberately placing her digital recorder on the table. She maintained a mask of pure, professional detachment, even though her pulse was already racing.

"Let's talk about control, David," she stated, her voice steady and clinical. "You orchestrated the blackout to assert dominance. It’s a defense mechanism. When you feel exposed by my analysis, you resort to physical intimidation to regain the upper hand."

David let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated through the metal table. He leaned forward as far as the iron straps allowed, his eyes narrowing with a terrifyingly erotic intensity.

David let out a low, dark chuckle that vibrated through the metal table. He leaned forward as far as the iron straps allowed, his eyes narrowing with a terrifyingly erotic intensity.

"Dominance? Defense mechanism?" untag niya, ang kanyang tinig ay naging isang malamig at mapanganib na bulong. "Huwag mong gamitan ng mga salita sa libro ang nangyari sa atin, Dianna. You didn't feel intimidated when my hands were under your skirt. You felt alive. Pipiliin mo bang mabuhay sa kasinungalingan habang nakikita ko ang buong katotohanan sa mga mata mo?"

Dianna gripped her fountain pen until her knuckles turned white. "You are a patient, David. A brilliant sociopath, yes, but still a subject under my care. What happened last night was a security failure, nothing more."

"Gusto mo ba ng patunay kung gaano kalaki ang ipinunla kong lason sa utak mo?" David challenged softly. He slowly flexed his scarred forearms, the leather and iron groaning under the sudden, violent tension of his muscles. He didn't look away from her face. "Tell me, Doktora... why did you hide the bruise on your neck? Why didn't you tell Officer Santos that I touched you? That I ruined your pretty little blouse?"

The question hung in the air like a suffocating fog. Dianna’s breath hitched. She couldn't answer.

"Because you're protecting me," David answered for her, his lips stretching into a wicked, beautiful smile. "You're already keeping secrets for the monster. You didn't report me because you know that if they transfer me, your boring, perfect little world will go dark again. You need my chaos just as much as I want your submission."

The realization hit her like a physical blow. He hadn't just broken into her office; he had successfully rewired her survival instincts into an obsession.

Dianna slowly stood up from her chair, but instead of walking toward the exit to end the session, she did something that violated every psychiatric protocol in existence. She stepped around the table, approaching his bound form until she was standing directly in front of him, looming over his restrained body.

"Kung sa tingin mo ay kontrolado mo ako, nagkakamali ka, David," Dianna whispered fiercely, leaning down until her face was just inches from his. The clinical mask was completely gone, replaced by a dark, dangerous fire that matched his own. "You think you're the one breaking me? What if I am letting you think you're winning, just to see how far your madness goes?"

David’s hazel eyes flared with an intense, ravenous hunger. The hum of the magnetic collar grew louder as his neck strained against it, desperate to capture her lips.

"Subukan natin, Dianna," David growled against her mouth, his breath hot, his dark aura completely enveloping her. "Let's see who destroys who first. But remember... ikaw ang lumapit sa akin ngayon. Inside this room, or outside in the dark, there are no doctors anymore. Just you, me, and the beautiful ruin we're about to make."

Dianna didn't step back. Instead, she let out a shallow, trembling breath, her gaze dropping to his lips as the heavy, metallic sound of the facility's noon siren began to wail, signaling the end of the hour—and the permanent lock on her soul.