Curiosity sparked in me as I looked up at him, "Why do you call me 'blue'?" Asher smiled, his eyes filled with love, "Because your eyes remind me of the vast, deep ocean, and your soul shines like the clearest sky on a bright day. You're my calming...
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I woke up in a warehouse, my body aching and my head throbbing. The cold metal of the chair bit into my skin where my wrists were tied. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw Mason standing in front of me, his eyes gleaming with something that sent chills down my spine.
"Belle," he said, his voice low and taunting, "you really gave a good performance last time we met." The way he said it made my skin crawl. He was referring to the last encounter, the one that had almost ended in disaster. The memory of it came rushing back, and my heart raced with fear and anger.
I tried to move, but the ropes around my wrists and ankles were tight, cutting into my skin. Mason seemed to enjoy watching me struggle, his smirk widening as I tried to free myself. The warehouse was eerily quiet, the air thick with tension. I didn't know what he had planned, but I knew it wasn't good.
"Let me go, Mason," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. But he just laughed, a cold, harsh sound that echoed in the empty space.
"Oh, we're not done yet, Belle," he replied, his smile never faltering. "Not by a long shot." I could feel the panic rising, my mind racing through a thousand possible scenarios, each worse than the last. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. I had to stay strong, to find a way out, and to keep praying that Asher would find me soon.
Mason gripped my jaw, his fingers digging into my skin. The pressure was uncomfortable, bordering on painful. "You should fear me, Belle," he said, his voice as cold as the metal chair I was tied to. His eyes bore into mine, full of a dark intensity that made my stomach churn. But then he tilted his head, his tone shifting to something almost sweet.
"No, no, no. Actually, you should look at me with love in your eyes. Like I'm the only one who matters to you."His sudden change in demeanor was jarring, the way he could switch from menacing to seemingly gentle in an instant. It was unsettling, and I knew he was playing some twisted game, trying to manipulate me into seeing him as something he wasn't.
I kept my expression neutral, refusing to show him fear or compliance. The warehouse felt suffocating, the walls closing in as he held my face in his grip. But I wouldn't let him break me. Not with his touch, not with his words. I had to keep my focus, to find a way out, and to keep my hope alive.
Maya stepped out of the shadows, her presence adding a new level of unease to an already tense situation. The dim light from the warehouse's overhead bulbs cast eerie shadows across her face, emphasizing the coldness in her eyes.
"Why are you helping him?" I asked, my voice sharp with disbelief. "What do you gain from this?" It didn't make sense—what could Mason possibly offer her that would justify her involvement in this mess?
Maya smirked, her expression almost smug as she folded her arms. "Because I want Asher," she replied without hesitation. "And you're in my way."
Her words struck me like a punch to the gut. The idea that someone could be so fixated on my husband that they’d go to these lengths was almost incomprehensible. "You think this is going to get you Asher?" I shot back, my voice dripping with anger. "This? Kidnapping and violence? You’re insane."
Maya shrugged, her smirk widening. "I don’t expect you to understand. But sometimes you have to remove obstacles to get what you want." Her eyes narrowed, like she was imagining a life where Asher wasn't married to me.
The rage boiled beneath my skin, and I clenched my fists to keep my cool. If she thought she could get Asher through some twisted scheme, she was dead wrong. No matter how much Maya believed she loved him, Asher's love and loyalty was unwavering.
I couldn't help but laugh, even though it hurt my throat to do so. "Wow," I said, shaking my head, "two psychos in their delusional world, calling their obsession 'love.' How interesting." My sarcasm was thick, dripping with contempt, but I couldn't hold it back. The idea that these two could justify their madness as love was both infuriating and absurd.Mason narrowed his eyes, clearly not amused by my response, but I didn’t care. If he and Maya thought they could manipulate or intimidate me into submission, they had another thing coming. I wasn't going to play along with their twisted games or feed their delusions.
Maya's smirk faltered a bit, her confidence shaken by my reaction. "You think this is a joke?" she snapped, her voice colder now, laced with a hint of anger."Kind of," I replied, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing my fear. "Because you two really believe that kidnapping someone is the way to get what you want? What century are we in?" My words were harsh, but it was better to keep them off balance, make them doubt their plan.
Maya's harsh voice broke through the tension in the room. "Shut up!" she snapped, glaring at me with an anger that was barely restrained. I could see her patience wearing thin, but I wasn't about to back down. Before I could respond, Mason's expression darkened, his grip tightening on her arm."Don't raise your voice at her," he warned, his voice low and threatening.
The way he said it made it clear that he wasn't playing around.Maya shot him a venomous look, her anger turning from me to him in an instant. "You don't tell me what to do!" she shouted, her words like fire. With a huff, she stormed out of the warehouse, slamming the door behind her. The smell of cigarette smoke filled the air as she lit up outside, her footsteps fading into the distance.
Mason finally untied my wrists, but the pain of the sudden release was excruciating. I grimaced, trying to stretch out my aching arms. He leaned in close, his voice smooth yet disturbing. "You'll love me, just like I love you," he said with an eerie calmness. "And we'll be happy together. You'll see."
It took every ounce of willpower to keep from reacting to his words, to not show the fear bubbling up inside me. I had to stay focused, to find my way out. When he bent down to untie my legs, I knew this was my chance. As soon as the ropes were off, I kicked him away with all my strength and bolted toward the door. My heart was racing, adrenaline fueling my escape.
But Mason recovered faster than I expected. I heard his footsteps thundering behind me as I sprinted toward what I thought was freedom. He caught up to me just as I reached the warehouse door, his hand latching onto my arm with a grip like iron. I tried to pull away, but his hold was unyielding, dragging me back.
"Where do you think you're going?" he growled, his tone laced with menace. The hope that had surged through me moments before dissipated, replaced by the cold realization that he wasn't going to let me go that easily. I was back in his clutches, and I knew I had to come up with another plan before things went from bad to worse.
