Chapter 15 – Unveiling the Obsession

The moment Ethan left the house, Lina felt the air shift.

For the first time in weeks, she was alone.

No watchful gray eyes.

No lingering touches.

No whispered words of possession.

She had only a few hours.

And she was going to use them.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to his office—the only room he never let her enter.

Her fingers trembled as she turned the doorknob.

Unlocked.

A smirk curled on her lips. So confident, Ethan?

She stepped inside.

The air was thick with the scent of him—leather, musk, control.

Her gaze swept over the massive desk, the neatly stacked files, and the laptop that sat closed—but not off.

Lina's pulse hammered.

She had to be quick.

She needed to know who he really was.

She sat down, opened the laptop, and typed his name into a search engine.

Ethan Blackwood.

The results loaded, and her blood ran cold.

No known birth records.

No school records.

No family history.

It was as if he didn't exist before a few years ago.

Her fingers moved faster, searching deeper—until she found something.

A headline.

"Tragic Fire Claims Blackwood Estate – The Sole Heir Survives."

Lina's breath hitched.

She clicked on the article, her eyes widening as she read.

The Blackwood family had been wealthy, powerful.

Until a fire burned down their entire estate—killing everyone inside.

Everyone except Ethan.

Her stomach twisted.

No wonder he never talked about his past.

No wonder he had erased himself from the world.

But that didn't explain his obsession with her.

Why her?

Why had he chosen her?

She searched deeper.

And then—her heart stopped.

Her name.

On his screen.

Hundreds of photos. Messages. Notes.

Her childhood pictures.

Images of her at school.

Photos of her before she even knew he existed.

A chill crawled up her spine.

He had been watching her for years.

Lina's hands shook.

How long had he been planning this?

She needed to get out.

She needed to—

"What do you think you're doing, love?"

A deep, calm yet terrifying voice came from behind her.

Lina froze.

Her pulse spiked violently.

Slowly, she turned around—and met his stormy gray gaze.

Ethan stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

But his eyes burned with something lethal.

Something dark.

Something possessive.

Lina's breath hitched.

She was caught.

Ethan stepped forward, shutting the laptop with a slow, controlled motion.

"You've been snooping, love," he murmured.

Lina swallowed hard, her heartbeat a wild mess.

"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice shaking. "Tell me the truth."

Ethan sighed, tilting his head, studying her.

"You really want to know?" he asked.

Lina nodded sharply.

His smirk was dark, amused.

"Fine," he said, stepping closer. "I'll tell you everything."

He leaned against the desk, his expression calm—too calm.

"I lost my family when I was a child," he began, his voice smooth, calculated. "I was the only survivor."

Lina listened in silence, her fingers clenched in her lap.

"I grew up alone. No home. No future. Just… a name with no meaning."

His gray eyes darkened.

"Until I saw you."

Lina's breath caught.

"What?"

Ethan's smirk returned, his gaze drilling into hers.

"The first time I saw you, you were sixteen," he murmured. "You were sitting alone in the library, reading."

Lina's stomach twisted violently.

Sixteen?

That was years ago.

"You were different," he continued, his voice soft, almost hypnotic. "You didn't crave attention. You weren't loud, fake, like the others."

He leaned closer, his fingers brushing her cheek.

"You were mine before you even knew me, love."

Lina shuddered.

"You stalked me," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ethan chuckled darkly.

"Of course," he admitted. "How else would I know everything about you?"

Lina's hands clenched. "That's insane."

Ethan sighed, shaking his head.

"You don't understand, Lina," he murmured. "I saved you."

She flinched. "Saved me from what?"

Ethan's expression softened in an unsettling way.

"From a life without me."

Lina's pulse skyrocketed.

This wasn't just obsession.

This was delusion.

And the worst part?

He truly believed it.

Ethan tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"You know too much now," he murmured.

Lina's breath hitched.

He wouldn't hurt her.

Would he?

Ethan smirked, as if reading her mind.

"I won't kill you, love," he said. "I'd rather die than hurt you."

His thumb traced her lips, sending shivers through her.

"But you'll never leave me now."

Lina's heart pounded.

She had just sealed her own fate.

By searching for the truth—she had only fallen deeper into his web.

Ethan leaned in, pressing a soft, lingering kiss against her temple.

"You're mine, Lina," he whispered. "And there's no escape."

Lina closed her eyes.

Because for the first time—

She finally believed him.

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