A Game Of Shadows

His words echoed in my mind long after he pulled away, leaving me to grapple with the weight of their meaning. "You already are". The truth in them was undeniable, yet I couldn't help but feel like a caged bird, wings clipped before I'd ever had the chance to fly.

Tristan stood tall, his presence commanding the room like a storm on the brink of breaking. His expression softened, but the fire in his eyes remained.

He wasn't just claiming me with those words-he was warning me.

"I'm not playing your game, Tristan," I managed, my voice steadier than I expected.

He tilted his head, a ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. "Then stop pretending you have a choice."

I swallowed hard, anger and fear churning in my chest like a volatile cocktail. "You can't control me," I said, though I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince-him or myself.

"Control you?" he repeated, his tone sharp with amusement. "Selena, I don't need to control you. I already own every move you make, every breath you take."

I took a step back, the space between us feeling like my only refuge. But he closed the gap effortlessly, his hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from my face. The gesture was tender, almost sweet, but his touch burned like fire.

"Don't fight this," he murmured. "It'll only make it harder for you."

Harder for me. Not for him. Never for him.

I wanted to lash out, to scream at him for the audacity, for the way he spoke as if my life was just another pawn in his game.

But the words died on my tongue when I saw something flicker in his gaze-something almost vulnerable, hidden beneath the layers of arrogance and power.

"What do you want from me, Tristan?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough for me to see the cracks in his armor. "I want you to stop running," he said finally. "To stop pretending this isn't real."

"This?" I laughed bitterly. "What even is this? A forced marriage? A business deal wrapped in a pretty bow?"

His jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought I might have pushed him too far. But instead of anger, his expression softened into something almost unrecognizable.

"It's more than that," he said, his voice low. "You just don't see it yet."

I wanted to ask him what he meant, to demand answers to the million questions swirling in my mind. But before I could, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, caught between fear and something I didn't want to name.

As the door clicked shut behind him, my heart pounding in my chest. The walls of the room seemed to close in around me, a reminder of the prison I was now trapped in.

But the worst part wasn't the walls or the closed door or even Tristan's suffocating presence.

The worst part was the part of me that didn't want to leave.

WHOAHHHH....to be continued.... loviessssss ❤️