Isabella's POV
The walls of Ethan's world were closing in on me, suffocating and unyielding. No matter how many times I tried to escape his grasp, he was always one step ahead, as if he could anticipate my every move before I even made it.
I sat in the back seat of his sleek black car, my hands clenched into fists in my lap. The city lights blurred past, casting fleeting shadows on my face. Ethan sat beside me, his presence overpowering, his scent wrapping around me like a cage I couldn't break free from.
"You're quiet," his deep voice cut through the silence.
I turned to face him, my eyes burning with defiance. "What do you expect me to say? That I'm grateful you once again decided to control my life?"
His jaw tightened, a flicker of something dangerous passing through his dark eyes. "I told you before, Isabella. I won't let you walk away from me."
I let out a bitter laugh. "That's not love, Ethan. That's obsession."
His lips curled into a smirk, but there was no humor in it. "And yet, you're still here. Tell me, Isabella, if you truly wanted to escape, why haven't you?"
Because he made sure I couldn't. Every job I applied for mysteriously fell through. Every apartment I tried to rent became unavailable. Every friend I turned to suddenly distanced themselves. It was as if Ethan had woven an invisible web around me, one that tightened every time I tried to break free.
I turned away from him, staring out the window as the car slowed in front of his penthouse. My heart pounded as dread curled in my stomach.
Not again.
Not tonight.
I had to find a way out.
Ethan's POV
Isabella was testing my patience.
Her defiance was both infuriating and intoxicating. Every time she pushed me away, I wanted to pull her back even harder. She didn't understand that she belonged to me, that no matter how much she resisted, I would never let her go.
The moment she stepped out of the car, she tried to bolt. But I was faster. I grabbed her wrist, spinning her around to face me. Her breath hitched, her wide eyes searching mine.
"Where do you think you're going?" I murmured, my grip tightening just enough to remind her that I was in control.
"Away from you," she shot back, her voice shaking with barely contained anger.
I smirked. "You've said that before."
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her pulse racing beneath my fingers. "I'm not yours, Ethan. You don't own me."
I leaned in, my lips grazing her ear as I whispered, "Then why do you keep ending up right where I want you?"
She shivered, but whether it was from fear or something else, I couldn't tell.
I released her wrist but didn't step back. Instead, I lifted my hand and traced a finger down the side of her face. She flinched but didn't pull away.
"Let me go," she whispered.
I studied her for a long moment, my jaw clenching. "Never."
Isabella's POV
Panic surged through me. I had underestimated him. He wasn't just possessive; he was dangerous. And I was trapped in his world with no way out.
I yanked my arm free, stepping back, but his gaze locked onto mine with the intensity of a predator watching his prey.
"You can fight all you want, Isabella," Ethan said, his voice maddeningly calm. "But I always win."
I swallowed hard. "Not this time."
I turned and ran, knowing that no matter how far I went, the man who wouldn't let go was never far behind.