~PROLOGUE~

So, you were fooling me all along?" he said with a disappointed smile, his voice laced with sarcasm.

I raised an eyebrow, my lips curling into a teasing smile. "Where did you find that victim card? I want one too," I replied, my tone deliberately playful, trying to embarrass him.

He let out a long sigh, his expression darkening. "You’ve been brainwashed, love..."

"Don’t you dare call me that," I snapped, my eyes narrowing. My gaze flickered briefly to the boy standing across the room, then back to him. "Do you see the boy over there? He’s my..."

"My what?" He took a deliberate step toward me, his eyes gleaming with challenge.

I stood my ground, my pulse quickening as I met his gaze. I was fearless, but the tension between us stirred something inside me, something I couldn’t fully control. "M-my boyfriend," I stammered, my voice faltering but still defiant.

He smirked, leaning in closer, his breath warm against my skin. "Still, you can't call anyone else your love, my love," he said, his voice low and husky, a touch of possessiveness seeping through.

My finger hovered in the air, pointed at him, as if I could somehow ward him off. But before I could speak, I felt a rush of heat at my ear. My breath caught as his lips brushed just behind it, sending a shiver down my spine. "My love," he murmured softly, "You’re not in a state to understand this... but we’ll talk later." He paused, his hand gripping my wrist with a firm, almost comforting touch. "For now, come with me."

He didn’t give me a chance to argue. Before I could react, he was already pulling me along, his grip possessive but not unkind. I followed, my mind spinning. His touch still lingered on my skin, leaving me numb and confused. The way he could bend me so easily, making me feel both weak and alive, unsettled me. Was this submission? Or something else?

As we walked, the weight of his presence pressed in on me, and despite every instinct telling me to pull away, I found myself unable to resist. I was helpless, caught between defiance and desire.

He led me into the room without a word, the soft click of the door closing behind us echoing in my ears. The air was thick, charged with an unspoken tension. I halted just a few steps in, my arms crossing defensively.

“Why did you bring me here?” I demanded, my voice steady but my eyes betraying a mix of defiance and unease.

His lips curled into a faint, enigmatic smile as he turned to face me. “To give you exactly what you want,” he said, his voice low, almost teasing. Slowly, he began closing the distance between us.

My eyes narrowed. “Woaah, so you’re back to this game again? Faking personalities? Twisting truths? You’re pretty good at it, aren’t you?” My tone was confident, but the slight tremor betrayed the war between my fear and determination.

He didn’t respond, his gaze locked on me with an intensity that made my pulse quicken. For every step he took forward, I instinctively took one back, my heels clicking softly against the floor.

“You think you know me so well,” he murmured, his voice almost hypnotic.

I back hit the edge of the bed, the impact stealing my balance. I gasped as I fell backward, but before I could fully hit the mattress, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. The sudden motion sent us both tumbling onto the bed, his weight pressing down on me as we landed in a tangled heap.

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze. My breath hitched, heart hammering against my ribs as I found myself staring up into his eyes—closer than I’d ever been before. His expression was unreadable, his gaze flickering between my eyes and lips, a storm of emotions roiling beneath his calm exterior.

“You should really stop pretending you don’t feel it,” he whispered, his voice barely audible, a mixture of challenge and something deeper.

I swallowed hard, trying to muster a retort, but my words failed me. The air between us was heavy, charged with something I couldn’t quite name—a pull, an undeniable force.

And in that moment, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to fight him or myself more.

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