Chapter 4: Trapped in His World
877 Words
The drive felt endless.
Elena sat stiffly beside Damian in the SUV, her hands clenched in her lap. The farther they got from Willow Creek, the more suffocated she felt. The town had been her sanctuary, her safe haven for the past year. And now, just like that, it was gone.
Damian sat beside her, calm and composed, but there was an unmistakable edge to him. The quiet rage simmering beneath his controlled exterior was more terrifying than if he had been shouting.
She swallowed hard. “Where are you taking me?”
His dark eyes flicked toward her, unreadable. “Home.”
A cold chill ran down her spine.
“No.” She shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not going back.”
Damian leaned back against the seat, his expression unreadable. “You don’t have a choice.”
Her fingers dug into her palms. “You can’t just—”
“I can.” His voice was smooth, deadly. “You disappeared, Elena. Without a word. Without an explanation. You humiliated me in front of the world.”
She flinched at the reminder.
His gaze darkened. “You owe me.”
She turned away, staring out the window. The highway stretched before them, leading her back to the life she had desperately tried to escape.
Would he even listen if she told him the truth?
Would he believe her?
She doubted it.
So she stayed silent.
⸻
Hours later, the SUV pulled up to a towering estate, its sleek gates opening smoothly as they approached.
Elena’s stomach twisted.
She recognized this place.
Damian’s private estate—far from the city, secluded and impossible to escape from.
Panic clawed at her throat as the car came to a stop.
The driver opened the door, and Damian stepped out first, turning to her expectantly.
“Elena.”
She hesitated.
If she walked through those doors, she wasn’t sure she’d ever walk out again.
But what choice did she have?
Her heart pounding, she forced herself to move, stepping out of the car. The moment her feet touched the ground, Damian placed a firm hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the entrance.
The touch sent shivers down her spine—both from fear and something else she didn’t want to name.
Inside, the house was just as she remembered—grand, pristine, and utterly cold.
Damian led her to a luxurious sitting room, motioning for her to sit. She remained standing, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
He studied her for a long moment before finally speaking.
“Why did you run?”
She sucked in a sharp breath.
Here it was. The question she had been dreading.
Her lips parted, but the words refused to come.
Damian’s gaze hardened. “Say something, Elena.”
Her heart pounded. “Would it matter?”
His jaw clenched. “Try me.”
She hesitated. Could she really tell him?
That she had left because someone had threatened his life? That staying would have put him in danger?
That she had been forced to choose between marrying him and watching him die?
Tears burned at the back of her eyes. “I… I had no choice.”
Damian’s eyes flashed with something unreadable. “No choice?” He let out a bitter laugh. “That’s funny, because I was under the impression that you chose to leave me humiliated in front of the world.”
Her breath hitched.
“I didn’t—”
“Didn’t what?” His voice sharpened. “Didn’t mean to betray me?”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Then tell me what it was like.”
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
She couldn’t.
Damian exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair. When he spoke again, his voice was eerily calm.
“You’re staying here.”
Her eyes snapped open. “What?”
He met her gaze, unwavering. “You ran from me once. You won’t get that chance again.”
Panic surged in her chest. “You can’t just keep me here!”
“Watch me.”
She took a step back, her mind racing for an escape. “You have no right—”
Damian’s eyes darkened. “You’re my wife.”
Elena froze.
His words hung in the air, suffocating her.
“You may have abandoned me,” he said, voice low, “but legally, you’re still mine.”
Her throat tightened.
She had never officially divorced him.
She had been so focused on running, on surviving, that she had never even considered the legal ties that still bound them.
And now, Damian was using it against her.
Tears welled in her eyes. “Please… just let me go.”
Something flickered in his expression, but it was gone before she could name it.
“No,” he said simply. “You’re not going anywhere.”
Desperation clawed at her chest. “Damian—”
“Enough.” His voice was final. “You can fight me all you want, Elena, but it won’t change anything.”
She trembled.
She had lost.
Damian had won.
She was trapped.
And this time, there was no escape.
- Writer
