His Captive,His Obsession

Chapter 2

To the outside world, Theodore was the city's most eligible bachelor, a man who drew attention wherever he went.

As the CEO and sole heir to the Vitali Group, he seemed to have everything: shining hair, striking eyes, and a face handsome enough to make any woman's heart skip a beat.

His bespoke suits fit him like a second skin. He tore through the streets in limited-edition sports cars and smiled from the covers of business magazines, looking brilliant, aloof, and impossibly untouchable.

Any woman lucky enough to remain at his side every day, drink whatever was handed to him, and receive lavish gifts on a whim had to be the envy of the entire city.

And everyone saw me as the vixen who had stolen that golden ticket.

What they didn't know was that Theodore was poison wrapped in sugar.

When he was in a good mood, he might casually toss me a limited-edition jewel he had just bought at auction, or ask about my day like a thoughtful boyfriend.

But if I replied to a message a few minutes late, he would give me a hard time in front of the entire company until I burst into tears.

If I smiled a little when he was in a foul mood, he would make me stand in the small, windowless room beside his office for the entire afternoon until I begged for forgiveness.

Meanwhile, he would sit on the leather sofa, swirling a glass of red wine as he watched me suffer with cold, quiet satisfaction.

As for all those business dinners where I drank on his behalf?

What a joke.

Theodore was secretly the head of the city's second-most-powerful crime family.

Over the past 2 years, both the Vitali Group's legitimate business empire and his underground operations had expanded rapidly, crushing countless rivals along the way.

Far too many people wanted him dead.

Of the drinks offered to him at those dinners, some contained nothing more than strong liquor. Others were death in a glass.

One of them had nearly killed me at the last banquet.

But at the next one, I would once again raise a glass meant for Theodore, using my unusual sensitivity to toxins to turn my own body into a walking poison detector.

The ring did not feel like a reward.

It felt like a mark of ownership.

Theodore was publicly announcing to the world that I belonged to him.

My 300,000-dollar salary, the dazzling ring, and every other glittering privilege in my life came at the cost of my blood.

I never resisted because I needed the money.

I needed enough cash to clear my debts. That was the only reason I could put up with Theodore.

At least he was outrageously generous.

But Annalise knew none of that.

She saw only the glamorous facade.

She thought everything had been handed to me on a platter, that I had simply gotten lucky.

I did not bother explaining.

I merely looked at her and asked softly, "You want to be Theodore's assistant?"

"Of course! I'm gorgeous, I'm capable, and I'd do it for only 50,000 dollars a year. Why can't I be it?"

I nodded. "Sure. Go ahead and try."

She blinked, clearly caught off guard by my calm response.

But a moment later, that smug, self-satisfied look returned to her face.

"Don't worry. I'll definitely do a better job than you."

I turned and walked away.

If I could, I would run out of that building and never look back.

But I couldn't.

Without Theodore's permission, I was trapped here.