Chapter 9
1050 Words
No Way Out
LILA
I couldn’t sleep.
James’s words haunted me.
"Don’t push me, Lila. Because if I find out you’re lying to me… you won’t like what happens next."
Every time I closed my eyes, I felt his touch on my jaw, his breath against my skin, the quiet warning that sent a chill through my bones.
I wasn’t dealing with a man who would forgive and forget. James Sinclair was dangerous. He was calculating, ruthless, obsessive. And I had just put myself in the worst position possible.
Because now?
He suspected me.
And if I wasn’t careful, he’d find out everything.
I needed a plan.
And I needed one fast.
THE TRAP TIGHTENS
By morning, I had convinced myself that I just needed to play along until I found a way out.
But the moment I stepped downstairs, I knew something was wrong.
James was standing by the kitchen counter, his phone in hand, his jaw tight.
He was angry.
And he was waiting for me.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to act normal.
"Morning," I said casually, walking toward the coffee machine.
James didn’t respond.
Instead, he tossed his phone onto the counter.
"Lila," he said, his voice dangerously calm. "Would you like to explain why Jordan Kavinsky has been asking around about you?"
My hands froze.
A sick feeling curled in my stomach.
"Excuse me?" I asked, turning to face him.
James crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. "He called one of my men last night. Said he needed information on you. Something about a lawyer."
Panic slammed into me, but I kept my face blank.
"I have no idea what you’re talking about."
James took a slow step forward. "Try again."
I met his stare, forcing myself to hold my ground. "I haven’t spoken to Jordan in years, James. If he’s looking for me, I don’t know why."
Silence.
A long, heavy silence.
Then—
James reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone again. He tapped the screen a few times before turning it around.
My heart stopped.
It was a picture of me and Sophie outside her apartment last night.
And in the background?
Jordan.
Watching us.
My throat tightened.
I forced myself to laugh. "James, this is ridiculous. I didn’t even know he was there!"
James didn’t blink.
His fingers curled around the phone. "You expect me to believe that?"
I stepped closer, my pulse thudding. "I am telling the truth. I don’t know why he’s following me, but it has nothing to do with me."
James studied me, his eyes dark and unreadable.
Then, slowly—he smirked.
"Lila," he murmured. "Do you know what happens to people who lie to me?"
I couldn’t breathe.
His fingers brushed against my cheek, soft, almost gentle. But the threat was there.
"You should pray," he whispered, "that I don’t find out you’re keeping secrets from me."
Then he walked away.
And I knew.
I was running out of time.
SOPHIE'S WARNING
I called Sophie the moment I had a chance.
"You need to leave town," I said the second she picked up.
"Lila, what—?"
"Now." My voice shook. "James knows Jordan has been looking into me. He has pictures. If he finds out you’ve been helping me, he’ll come after you too."
Sophie cursed under her breath. "Damn it. I should’ve known this was going to happen."
"I’m serious, Soph. Pack a bag. Go somewhere safe."
"What about you?" she asked, her voice thick with worry.
I exhaled shakily. "I don’t know."
Because the truth was?
I wasn’t sure if there was a way out for me anymore.
JAMES’S CONTROL
By the time James came home that evening, I was already in bed, pretending to be asleep.
But I felt him enter the room.
I heard the quiet sound of his belt being unbuckled, the rustle of fabric as he undressed.
Then—the bed dipped.
And his warmth pressed against my back.
I tensed.
James let out a slow breath, his fingers tracing absent circles against my hip.
"You’re scared of me," he murmured.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t speak.
His fingers trailed up my arm, his touch soft but possessive.
"You should be," he whispered.
I squeezed my eyes shut, swallowing the lump in my throat.
James wasn’t going to let me go.
And if I didn’t act soon—
He was going to own me forever.
THE STORM WITHIN
James’s breath was steady behind me, warm against the back of my neck. I could feel his body heat radiating through the thin fabric of my nightgown, his presence overwhelming even in the dark. He wasn’t holding me down, not yet, but his hand remained on my hip—light, almost casual.
Yet, it was a silent warning.
I forced my breathing to remain even, pretending to be asleep. But my heart was pounding.
He knew.
Maybe not everything, but he knew enough.
The weight of his suspicion was suffocating.
Then, he moved.
His fingers skimmed over my arm, tracing the faint scars I had tried to forget. His voice was soft when he spoke, but it carried an edge that made my skin prickle.
"You’re always running, Lila."
I didn’t answer.
"Even now," he continued, his lips almost brushing my ear. "You’re lying here, pretending to sleep, thinking of ways to escape me."
I stiffened.
His grip tightened.
A slow, deliberate squeeze around my wrist before he let go just as quickly.
"Sleep," he murmured. "You’ll need your strength."
I didn’t move, didn’t dare breathe until I felt him shift, rolling onto his back. Even then, I stayed frozen, listening to the slow rise and fall of his breaths.
But I knew he wasn’t asleep.
And I knew he was waiting.
A NEW CAGE
Morning came with a strange, eerie calm.
James was already gone by the time I woke up, but his absence did nothing to ease my nerves. If anything, it made the air feel heavier.
When I stepped downstairs, my stomach twisted.
Something was different.
The doors—the locks were changed.
The windows—reinforced.
James hadn’t just been suspicious last night.
He had acted.
I was officially trapped.
And the worst part?
I had no idea what he planned to do next.
- Writer
