Chapter 3
1106 Words
The door creaked open, and my breath caught in my throat.
He stepped inside like he owned not just the room, but the air itself.
The first thing I noticed was his presence, it filled the space instantly, pressing down on me in a way that made my pulse stutter. He wasn’t young, that much was clear. His hair was dark, with streaks of silver at his temples, but it only made him look sharper, not weaker. His jaw was strong, clean-shaven, and his eyes, God, his eyes, were the kind you couldn’t look at for long without feeling stripped bare.
They weren’t cruel, but they weren’t kind either. They simply were. Knowing. It was unbelievable, I had never met anyone so…intense in my entire life.
He closed the door behind him with a soft click, then turned to face me fully. His lips curved in a smile, though it wasn’t the kind that reached his eyes.
“So,” he drawled, his voice smooth, deep, laced with something that sent a shiver crawling down my spine. “You’re finally awake.”
I forced myself to stand taller, even though my knees felt unsteady. “Who are you? Why am I here?”
His smile deepened, almost amused. “Direct. I like that.” He glanced briefly at the butler, who had bowed his head slightly, then looked back at me. “Tell me, what’s the last thing you remember?”
I hesitated, my throat tightening. “The road. A car. Someone hit me. And voices.”
“Ah, yes.” He strolled forward, unhurried, like a predator who knew his prey had nowhere to run. “A rather unfortunate accident. But… a fortunate outcome.”
“Fortunate?” I snapped. “I could’ve died!”
“But you didn’t.” His tone sharpened just slightly, a flicker of steel beneath the velvet. “And now you’re here.”
I took a step back, my spine pressing against the wall, I didn’t know whether to feel anger or fear. “I shouldn’t be here. I need to go. My friend is waiting, ”
“You won’t be going anywhere.”
The words were calm, casual even, but they hit harder than a slap. I didn’t want to be here, I wanted to go home.
I stared at him, heat rising in my chest. “Excuse me?”
He stopped just a few feet away from me now, close enough that I could see the faint lines at the corners of his eyes, the kind carved from years of experience and secrets. He studied me like I was both fascinating and infuriating all at once.
“You belong here,” he said simply, as though it were the most obvious truth in the world. It was both upsetting and unsettling at the same time.
My breath hitched. “I don’t even know you.”
“You will.”
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “This isn’t some, some twisted game or some cliche story. You can’t just lock people up and claim they belong to you! Are you out of your goddamn mind?!”
Yelling was probably not the best option but I did it in hopes that someone out there would hear and come to my rescue. A small hope I had to cling onto.
He chuckled, low and rich, the sound curling around me in a way that made my skin prickle. “Fiery. You’ll make this interesting.”
I wanted to scream. To throw something at him. But all I could do was glare, because there was something about him, his calmness, his absolute certainty, that made me feel small, like fighting him was useless.
“You’re insane,” I muttered.
“Perhaps,” he said easily. “But even insanity has its reasons.”
I shot a desperate look at the butler, who remained stoic, unmoved, as if this was all perfectly normal.
“This is kidnapping,” I said louder, my voice trembling despite myself. “You’ll get arrested. People will come looking for me.”
“People have a way of forgetting,” he replied smoothly, tilting his head. “Besides, you’re far from anyone who could help you now.”
The certainty in his voice made my stomach twist.
I swallowed hard, forcing words past the lump in my throat. “What do you want from me?”
For a moment, silence stretched between us. Then he stepped closer, so close I could feel the faint heat radiating off him. He lifted his hand slowly, deliberately, and brushed the back of his fingers against my cheek.
I flinched, but he didn’t stop. His touch was gentle, almost reverent, but it made me shiver all the same.
“What I want,” he murmured, his gaze locked onto mine, “is what was always meant to be mine.”
I froze, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. “What the hell are you talking about?”
His expression shifted, the playful edge fading, replaced by something harder, something ancient in the way it settled over his face.
“They tried to keep you from me,” he said softly, almost to himself. “But fate… fate has a way of correcting itself.”
My stomach dropped.
“I don’t understand,” I whispered.
“You will.”
The promise in his voice sent ice and fire racing through my veins.
Before I could say another word, he leaned closer, his lips almost brushing my ear. His voice was low, intimate, terrifying.
“You are mine, Maeve. And nothing will take you from me again.”
The room spun, my breath caught in my chest. My mind screamed to deny it, to fight, but all I could do was stand there, frozen between fear and disbelief.
And then,
The lightbulb above us flickered violently, plunging the room into brief darkness before buzzing back to life.
In that heartbeat of blackness, I swore I felt something else in the room. A presence, sharp and electric, that vanished as quickly as it came.
When the light steadied, he was still there, smiling faintly as if he knew something I didn’t.
The butler stepped forward, bowing his head. “Shall I prepare her room, sir?”
“Yes,” the Master said, never taking his eyes off me. “She’ll be staying.”
My blood ran cold.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “No, I’m not staying here. You can’t make me, ”
His smile widened, but his eyes were pure steel.
“Watch me.”
- Writer
