HER DARKEST OBSESSION

Collecting on a Debt

Chapter Three:

Bridget's POV

I controlled my urge to take him again, instead forcing myself to get off him and sit in a chair next to the mattress. I can't believe I wanted him this badly. I f****d him on an old dirty mattress. Who was I? I may have lost control, but putting distance between us helped. I crossed my legs and folded my arms across my chest, waiting for him to process what just happened.

Jayden slowly sits up, his face a mix of desire and shame. “Satisfied?” he asks, his voice trembling with a blend of anger.

I don’t answer right away. Instead, I relish the control I have over him, feeling the intense satisfaction of having him exactly where I want him. “Let’s talk about how things are going to be from now on,” I finally say, my tone finite.

His eyes widened in shock as he took in my words. “You’re mine now,” I declared decisively.

“Your sister owes me half a million dollars. Your sister’s debt will only be settled if you come with me."

"You belong to me now. Say goodbye to your sister. " You’re coming home with me,” I said coldly.

Jayden’s face drains of color, and he stares at me in disbelief. “You can’t do this. This is... this is insane.”

“It’s very real,” I reply with a cold smile.

"I don’t negotiate. You’ll learn quickly that disobedience won’t be tolerated.”

He glares at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of anger and defiance. “You’re a monster.”

I stood up, walking over to him with deliberate grace. “A monster? Maybe. But right now, you’re going to find out exactly what that means.”

I texted Ryan to bring Jayden's sister back into the room. Five minutes later she had been brought in with two muscled men holding her on each side. I signaled the men to release her. They let her go, and she looks at Jayden with a mix of sorrow and fear, her eyes pleading with him to find a way out.

Jayden, I’m sorry,” Isabella says softly, her voice cracking. “I’ll figure something out. I promise.”

Jayden nods, his face void of emotion. “I love you little sister, and I will always take care of you.”

“Don’t worry about her,” I say coldly. She’ll be fine as long as you behave. Now, it’s time for us to leave.”

I guided Jayden out of the room and towards the door, his steps heavy and reluctant. I open the car door and direct him inside, making sure he’s securely seated before I start the engine. My bodyguards followed behind in another car.

The drive to my mansion is filled with a tense silence. Jayden’s face is a mask of resignation, his earlier defiance replaced with a grim acceptance of his new reality. I steal glances at him, savoring the control I wield over him.

The hum of the engine was the only sound between us as the city lights flickered across the windshield. I kept my eyes forward, hands steady on the wheel, navigating the familiar roads toward the mansion. Jayden sat next to me, quiet—for now—but I could feel his eyes on me like he was trying to pull something out of me I wasn’t ready to give.

I didn’t like it.

“Why me?” His voice cut through the silence, low and curious.

I tensed, gripping the steering wheel just a little tighter. I’d expected this—knew he’d eventually start asking questions. They always did. But I wasn’t in the mood to play this game tonight.

“Why not you?” I responded, keeping my tone flat, and dismissive. I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a real answer.

He shifted in his seat, clearly not satisfied with my response. “Come on. You don’t just pick someone like me. What’s the reason?”

I clenched my jaw, feeling the heat of his gaze. "You’re overthinking it."

“I don’t think I am,” he countered, his voice firm but not aggressive. “You could’ve had anyone. So why me? What do you really want?”

I swallowed, annoyed by how persistent he was being. I didn’t owe him an explanation. Not now. Not ever. But there was something about the way he was looking at me like he saw past the walls I had so carefully constructed. And I hated it.

I hated him for making me feel... exposed.

“Does it matter?” I shot back, my voice colder than I intended. “It’s a simple arrangement, Jayden. Don’t complicate it.”

He exhaled sharply, leaning back in his seat but not giving up. “You don’t think this is complicated already? You’ve got me tied to your family for something my sister did, and you won’t even tell me why.”

I gritted my teeth, willing myself to stay calm. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. “You’re getting too personal.”

“And you’re not giving me anything,” he muttered under his breath. “All I’m asking is for you to be real for a second.”

I almost laughed. Real? He wanted real? The real me was something he wouldn’t understand. Something no one did. “You don’t want that,” I said quietly, almost to myself.

“Try me.”

I glanced at him, finally meeting his eyes. His face was set, determined, like he wasn’t going to back down until he had something, anything, that made sense of what we were. He was too close. Too curious. I needed to shut this down before it went any further.

“You’re here because you made a choice,” I said, voice cold again, locking down the part of me that wanted to slip, to tell him more. “That’s all you need to know.”

He frowned, clearly frustrated. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s the only one you’re going to get.” I turned my gaze back to the road, my heart beating just a little faster than it should.

He went quiet again, but I could feel the tension growing. It was like he was trying to figure me out, and I hated the feeling.

After a minute, he spoke again, his tone softer this time. “You can trust me, you know.”

I almost slammed on the brakes. Trust? I don’t even trust myself half the time. I turned to him with a humorless smile. “Trust has nothing to do with this. Don’t get it twisted.”

“You want to know who I am, Jayden? Fine. I’m the one holding the leash. That’s all you need to know.”

he scoffed. “Right. All control, no depth.”

I shot him a look that could kill. “What do you want from me, Jayden? Some sob story? To hear that I’m broken and fragile underneath it all? Sorry to disappoint.”

He looked like he wanted to say more, but I could see the frustration in his eyes. I’d pushed him far enough to make him back down, at least for now. The rest of the drive stretched out in silence, thick and heavy, but I didn’t mind. Silence was easier than talking.

Jayden didn’t know it yet, but I wasn’t going to let him get any closer. He was already too close for comfort.