The Cruel King

Chapter 2: Owned In The Dark

He was kissing me everywhere-his lips, his hands, moving over my body as though he couldn't get enough. I tried to stay still, to not react, but it was impossible. He kissed my lips, then my neck, then trailed down to my chest. His hands-large and strong-gripped me, squeezing tightly as if claiming me. My breath hitched, my back arching instinctively at the pressure. His hands felt too big for my small frame, pressing me deeper into his touch.

His fingers, those rough, unforgiving things, lingered just above where I didn't want him to be. The proximity made me gasp, my body betraying me in ways I hated. I couldn't stop the warmth that gathered there, that thick heat that made me feel both ashamed and helpless. My body's reaction to him was my silent confession, a confession I didn't want to make. But it was there, undeniable. My body always betrayed me, even when my mind screamed for it to stop.

I didn't understand it. Why wasn't I used to him yet? Why did I still feel this way every time he touched me with those filthy hands? He was everywhere-his fingers slipping across my skin, moving like he was mapping every inch of me. His touch lingered on the sensitive parts of me, drawing shivers I couldn't control. I wanted to pull away. I wanted to scream, to tell him to stop, but all I could do was brace myself for more.

He kissed me, his mouth finding mine again, deep and hungry. His tongue was in my mouth, exploring as his other hand moved lower, caressing the folds of my body, making me gasp. My chest rose and fell erratically as my heartbeat thundered in my ears. It felt like too much, and yet, too little.

No one would think that he could control himself, not with the way he looked at me. His eyes-dark and burning-always seemed on the edge of devouring me. He wanted me. I could see it in his gaze, feel it in his touch. But somehow, he didn't push further. It was almost worse, this control he held over himself. His restraint. He never rushed, never forced me, but I feared the day when he wouldn't be able to control it anymore.

It wasn't the nudity that entirely terrified me. It was the power he held. Being exposed to him-completely vulnerable, completely his-it shattered something inside me each time. I wasn't ready for this. And I don't think I ever would be.

He continued his pleasurable assault for more longer, then when he thought that, it's getting to much for me, he stopped and started caressing my boobs which were red. His hands moved over me, slow and deliberate. He caressed my breasts, his fingers brushing over the tender, reddened skin. The marks he left behind were a cruel reminder of how much he could take from me without me ever truly giving. He kissed each one lightly, as if it was some kind of affection, but all I felt was repugnance. His kiss, gentle as it was, made my skin crawl.

Then, he pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around me as if he were protecting me. But it didn't feel like protection. It felt like ownership. He held me close, my body pressed against his, the heat of him enveloping me as he closed his eyes. I knew he loved to sleep like this, naked, tangled together. But I couldn't bring myself to share in that comfort. It was never my choice. It never had been.

I was trapped in this cycle, this prison of his making. His actions were a constant reminder of what I couldn't escape from. But tonight, tonight would be different. I just had to get through one more night.

Tomorrow, I would escape. I promised myself that. I would leave this hell behind. I would go far away where he could never find me, where his hands would never touch me again.

The whispers around the mansion never stopped. They talked about him-about how cruel he is, how dangerous. I'd heard one of the staff members mention how they'd once seen him drenched in blood, and my heart had dropped into my stomach. I asked Ms. Lily about it, but she only told me not to believe everything I heard. that if I didn't saw it by my own eyes, I should not believe it.

But I couldn't ignore the stories. There was one about his basement, how he kept the bodies of his enemies there. which he loves to torture when he's not in good mood. I couldn't resist-one day, I went down to see for myself. The smell was overpowering, a thick, cloying stench that made my stomach turn. But there was nothing there. Just old tools and boxes; like a storage room. I wonder if the bodies used to be here. Was it all just a rumor? Or were they really hidden somewhere, deep in the mansion?

When Hayden first introduced me, in one party, I heard one of them say "how such a dangerous man loves such a pink girl" I turned to see if they are talking about me and Hayden but Hayden took me to meet some other peoples. I know he is dangerous; one cannot mess with him as he is the CEO of a multibillion-dollar luxurious brand, but I don't think he kill people. Why would he even do that. Even though I hate him, I don't think he is that kind of dangerous. I didn't know. I couldn't know. But sometimes, when I heard the whispers, I wondered if there was truth to it. Maybe he wasn't just dangerous. Maybe he was capable of things I couldn't even imagine.

I thought back to how it all began-the first time I ever noticed him. School. He was always there, always watching me. It was unsettling at first, but I was naïve. I didn't realize it then, but the signs were all there. Our birthdays were just ten days apart-his on November 10th, mine on November 20th. I had wished him a happy birthday, just out of politeness. It was the moment everything changed.

He thought that I'm interested in him too. Then the sequence of coincidence started, his friends been absent so he would like to have lunch with me, as he feels warm around me. I was so dumb I thought that he's a poor guy, but I should've seen the signs. That how all the other students made their distance with me. How his friends always smirk looking at me. How canteen lady started giving me, extra food whichever I want for free. How my teacher never scolded me even if I answer wrong, but screams at everyone else.

From there, it was like I couldn't get away from him. it was subtle-he'd invite me to lunch, sit with me in the cafeteria. His friends started avoiding me, giving me strange looks. I didn't understand why.

How he would give me flowers-the exact ones I had just mentioned to my friends the day before. He'd smile, saying he found them and thought of me, as if it were pure coincidence. How my parents, who had worked tirelessly for years without a single promotion, suddenly found their careers soaring overnight. And how my father-who had always been so protective-barely hesitated when I told him I was going to Hayden's birthday party... at night.

How... how they never stopped me from meeting him. Not even once.

One day, after a year of our friendship, he confessed he had been liking me.

"Evelyn, I like you since so long, I wish you to be my girlfriend and then my wife and then the mother of our kids, I want you to be mine."

He held his hard hands and looked into my eyes, I smiled weekly "I wish I say this back to you Hayden, but I never had any feelings for you, I do like you but as a friend, my really really best friend. Let's not ruin our friendship and forget about earlier and live like before. How we are, happy, with each other" my voice barely above a whisper, he was sternly looking at me "I'm afraid I can't give you the happiness you deserve from your girlfriend. I'm sorry, I really am."

I hugged him then, trying to comfort him, he hugged me back, so tightly. Too tightly. I didn't understand it at the time, but I should have.

The next day, he started acting like my boyfriend. And everything changed. I should have seen it coming.