Bound by Obsession

A man sat on the edge of the bed and snorted coldly. "Now I know why so many men want you." "Why... why are you doing this? Did I do something wrong to you?" her voice was hoarse and weak. The man with the sharp, cold gaze tilted his head. "Do I have to answer that?" Lying with the blanket covering her entire body, Ashley Spencer could only cry silently and gripped the sheets tightly. "Hey, what are you daydreaming about?" Ashley Spencer gasped in surprise and turned to her old friend, Lidya. She was daydreaming again .... This was the umpteenth time she remembered that day since she met Lidya. They met a week ago at her workplace when she wanted to buy a drink. There, they talked and exchanged numbers. Then, she sent her an invitation to the high school reunion, forcing her to come. "Uh, you know I only went to school for two years." Ashley had tried to refuse her offer with many excuses. But Lidya persisted. "So? That means you weren't invited, is that it? Come on, Ash. Even though you changed schools back then, you're still an alumnus of our school." And here she was, attending a school reunion party while holding a glass of wine. Well, it was just for decoration since she had never had a drink before. "What's wrong? You look tired. Are you tired from work?" "Well, that's how it is." Ashley sighed. Maybe it was because she was exhausted from work that she had been recalling those memories lately. "So, how was it? You're enjoying this event, right? What did I tell you, this party is a blast!" Ashley grimaced. She wasn't sure she could enjoy it. She thought it was just an ordinary reunion, but they were holding it in a luxury hotel like this. Lidya did say there was no need to spend money, but still the outfit she wore tonight didn't seem to fit this festive party. This was her best dress. But after comparing it to Lidya's and the other women's dresses, she looks like she's wearing home clothes. "Err sure. It's just... you know, a lot of faces seem unfamiliar and too crowded." She didn't know when her classmates had become this numerous. Lidya laughed. "Oh, Ash, it's been seven years. But you'll get to know them in a while. You just need to dig out your old memories of the friends here." That's what she doesn't want. If possible, she wanted to bury the old memories of those years. Forever. "So," Lidya took a sip of wine, "what was the reason for your sudden move? I've wanted to talk about this since we met again but I've been holding back. Is it because you don't like being friends with me?" Ashley suddenly shook her head. "It's not like that." "So?" "I moved into my uncle's house. It's pretty far from school. So...," Ashley replied, fiddling with her glass. "You know, I'm really sad and wish you would call me at least once. You have no idea how much I worry about you." Seeing how sad Lidya was, Ashley felt very guilty. She looked away and bit her lip. No, don't make her the bad guy here. "Lidya, please don't-" As she turned her head, her eyes accidentally caught a familiar person standing in the corner of the room with a bunch of men. And that person's gaze was directed at her, emotionless. Hellios Montero .... Ashley's face turned pale. Her heart was beating strongly with fear. Her body stiffened. Since when was he here? Since when did he see her? And why did she still remember his name? Her hands began to shake, and the wine glass toppled. She stepped back, nervous and in a cold sweat. Seeing Hellios starting to walk towards her with a cold look on his face, she unconsciously shook her head. No, no, no. Not again! Turning around, she frantically rushed out. No matter Lidya's anxious calls behind her. She had to get out of here. When she was young, Ashley had a secret crush on him. He was very kind and considerate. Their parents had been friends for so long that they knew each other. When she and her mother visited his house, he would play with her while the parents talked. She thought Hellios liked her too. But in fact, right after she started living at the Montero family residence, he changed drastically. It happened when they were in high school. She knew that Hellios must hate her. The night was so tense and cold that she could hardly breathe. Her body did not stop shaking and her chest was painful. Her blurry vision stared at the floor beneath her feet. Why was this happening to her? "Why are you doing this?" There was a cold snicker in front of him. Hellios smiled wryly at her who looked miserable. "Does it matter? You only have two choices, spread your legs or let Dad look at these photos." Feeling her chest throbbing, Ashley winced. Damn, she was reliving that night to the point that the pain was still there. On second thought, she realized that some of the faces in the hotel were her seniors. If she knew this event wasn't just for her batch, she wouldn't have come at all! Once out of the hotel, she was about to order a taxi when a hand grabbed hers, causing her to startle and look up. "Ash." The call made her shudder. This man had not forgotten her. "I'm glad to know that you still remember me." Hellios smiled wryly, his faint frown still visible. Panic came back and she couldn't help but scream, "No! Let go of me!" Hellios did not listen to her. He started pulling her towards where his car was parked and forced her to get in. "I don't want to. I want to go!" Again and again, her cries and refusals fell on deaf ears. Hellios fastened the seat belt and closed the door. She tried to take it off and open the car door, but he was already next to her and his long hand closed the door again slowly. Her feet could not even step on the road yet. Being confined in such a narrow space caused her to become even more agitated. "I said I want to go!" Hellios gripped both her arms firmly making her grimace. "For God's sake, I don't want to hurt you. So, stay calm and behave yourself." "I-" "Mom and Dad want to see you." As soon as those two calls came out of Hellios' mouth, Ashley fell silent. Mr. and Mrs. Montero were Hellios' parents, they were very kind people but she had let them down. After knowing that they wanted to see her, the feeling of guilt came back to haunt her. Looking down, she could only see her hands tightly clutching the dress on her lap. Starting to drive the car, Hellios glanced at her for a moment. "They miss you, so don't put on that expression." Even God knows how much she misses them. But is this the right time to meet? They finally arrived at a luxury apartment building. Hellios took her to the top floor of the building. Somehow this bothered her a little. This man seemed quiet, not like before. She cleared her throat. "Uh.... Did Mr. Charlie and Mrs. Winona move in here?" She still remembered that they hadn't lived here before. "This is where I live." The elevator opened and Hellios suddenly invited her out. As they entered a spacious and luxurious residence, it somehow felt cold and quiet. "Did you have dinner?" Ashley quickly turned her head to see Hellios walking deeper into the unit, rolling up his shirt sleeves. She followed him timidly. "Wh-where are Mr. Charlie and Mrs. Winona?" Hellios made a call on the cell phone. "They will come later. What do you want to eat?" Ashley shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm not hungry." Hellios turned his head. "How about pizza?" "I-" Seeing that scary face start to appear, Ashley nervously nodded. "Sure." "Sit where you feel comfortable," he said after a quick order. "Y-Yes." She obediently sat on the sofa like a good girl. There is no comfort in being in the same room with Hellios Montero. What's more this man was sitting opposite her while busy with his cell phone, making her unable to help but tense up. She could only circle the house with her eyes before paying attention to her toes. Speaking of which, how long would he be sitting here? Also, why hadn't they arrived yet? She looked at the clock on her phone which was already eleven o'clock at night then fidgeted slightly. "Uh... can you contact Mr. Charlie?" Hellios was silent for a long time. Then after a moment of silence, he replied, "...They can't come tonight." The look on Ashley's face slowly turned uncomfortable. "...What?" So, what's the reason she's still here?