Chapter 2: Trapped in His World
1190 Words
Amelia’s world was unraveling.
Elias was gone.
The words echoed in her mind, over and over, taunting her like a cruel joke.
She stood frozen on the rooftop, her fingers tightening around the crumpled note Ethan had thrown at her. It felt like a mockery—a pitiful excuse of an explanation from the man who had sworn to love her.
But this wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
Her pulse pounded as she turned on Ethan, her eyes blazing with fury. “What did you do to him?” she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut.
Ethan met her gaze without flinching. His silver-gray eyes were calm, cold—completely unbothered.
“I told you the truth.” His voice was smooth, controlled. “Elias left.”
Her chest tightened. “No. He wouldn’t just disappear. You must have—”
“Must have what?” Ethan interrupted, stepping closer. “Threatened him? Forced him to leave you?” His lips curved into a slow smirk. “You give me too much credit.”
Amelia clenched her fists. Everything inside her screamed that Ethan had something to do with Elias vanishing. He had never approved of their relationship, always looking down at her like she wasn’t good enough for his family.
“You expect me to believe that he just ran away?” she spat.
Ethan exhaled, shaking his head. “Believe what you want.”
She opened her mouth to argue again, but then he did something that made her entire body freeze.
He stepped even closer.
Too close.
Her breath hitched as she instinctively stepped back, but the railing was right behind her. There was nowhere left to go.
Ethan tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp. “You’re trembling.”
She was.
But it wasn’t just anger.
It was him. The sheer presence of him.
She hated that he could affect her like this.
She hated that his scent—dark, rich, intoxicating—wrapped around her like a trap.
She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to hold his gaze. “I don’t believe you.”
Ethan chuckled, the sound low and almost amused. “You don’t have to.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out an envelope. “But maybe this will convince you.”
She hesitated before snatching it from his hand. The moment she opened it, her heart plummeted.
Inside was a legal document. A transfer of ownership.
To her.
It was everything Elias had left behind. Their apartment, the investments, even a portion of his shares in the Carter family business.
It was as if he had cut himself out of existence completely.
Her throat tightened.
This wasn’t an impulsive decision. Elias had planned this.
No.
No, it didn’t make sense. He loved her. He wouldn’t just… leave.
Would he?
A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down, refusing to cry. Not in front of him.
She folded the papers and shoved them back into the envelope, her grip tightening. “Why are you giving me this?” she asked, her voice cold.
Ethan leaned slightly against the railing, his expression unreadable. “Because he wanted you to have it.”
Lies.
This wasn’t Elias’s doing. This had Ethan’s fingerprints all over it.
Her stomach twisted as she glared at him. “And what do you want, Ethan?”
A flicker of something dark passed through his eyes before he spoke.
“You.”
The single word sent a shiver down her spine.
She blinked, taking a shaky step back. “What?”
His smirk deepened. “You heard me.”
Amelia’s heart pounded. “You’re insane.”
Ethan sighed as if he was bored of her resistance. “You wanted to be a Carter, didn’t you?” His gaze flickered toward the envelope. “Marry me, and you’ll still be one.”
Her stomach dropped.
She stared at him, unable to process what he was saying.
Ethan Carter—the man who had always treated her with icy indifference—was offering marriage?
Her shock quickly turned into rage.
She slapped him.
The sharp sound echoed in the quiet night air.
Ethan didn’t move, didn’t even flinch.
His face remained expressionless, but something dangerous flickered in his eyes.
She should have felt victorious seeing the red mark on his cheek. But instead, her pulse skyrocketed when his lips curled into a smirk.
“Feisty,” he murmured, his voice dangerously low. “I like that.”
She shivered. Not from the cold.
“You’re disgusting,” she snapped.
Ethan stepped even closer, forcing her to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. His presence was overpowering.
“No, Amelia,” he murmured, his voice a deadly whisper. “I’m your only option.”
Her breath hitched.
“Elias is gone,” he continued, his tone calm yet possessive. “And whether you like it or not, you’re still tied to this family.”
She shoved him away. “I will never marry you.”
His smirk didn’t fade.
“We’ll see.”
She turned and stormed off the rooftop.
Her hands trembled as she fumbled with the keys to her apartment. The moment she got inside, she locked the door behind her, pressing her back against it as her chest rose and fell rapidly.
She had to leave.
This wasn’t just about Elias anymore. Ethan was dangerous.
He didn’t want her out of love.
He wanted control.
She rushed into her bedroom, grabbing a suitcase. She had some savings—enough to get her out of the city. She would find Elias, demand the truth.
But as she reached for her phone to book a flight—a deep, familiar voice cut through the silence.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Her entire body froze.
Slowly, she turned.
Ethan was already inside.
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “How did you—”
“I have a key,” he said smoothly, twirling it between his fingers.
Her eyes widened. Elias had given him a key?
She stepped back, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. “Get out.”
Ethan didn’t move. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, his gaze dark and knowing.
“Running away won’t change anything,” he said, his voice a lethal promise.
She swallowed hard. “You can’t keep me here.”
Ethan tilted his head. “Can’t I?”
Her skin prickled.
Then, before she could react, he pushed off the door and closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.
She gasped as he caught her wrist, his grip firm but not painful.
His touch burned.
“You don’t understand what you’ve just walked into, Amelia.” His voice was softer now, dangerously smooth. “You think you can leave?” His lips brushed against the shell of her ear.
Her knees went weak.
His breath fanned against her skin as he whispered—a final, damning promise.
“You’re mine now.”
Her heart pounded.
And the most terrifying part?
A part of her didn’t want to resist.
To Be Continued….
- Writer
