Chapter 14 : The Binding Trap

Celeste didn't sleep that night. She sat motionless on her bed, letting her mind be consumed by Alistair's words, which echoed endlessly in her thoughts.

"I will always find you again."

As dawn began to break, her eyes felt heavy, but she couldn't afford to let her guard down. Not in this place. Not with Alistair so close.

A soft knock echoed from the other side of the door. Celeste tensed.

"Celeste."

His voice. Deep and authoritative, yet strangely softer than before.

The door opened without waiting for permission, revealing Alistair standing there in a perfectly tailored suit. His black shirt, paired with a matching jacket, made him look even colder than usual.

His eyes immediately found Celeste, still seated on the bed. He stepped inside with slow, deliberate movements before stopping right in front of her.

"You didn't sleep?"

Celeste lowered her head, refusing to meet his gaze. "That's none of your business."

Alistair sighed, then sat on the edge of the bed, making Celeste instinctively retreat. But he only watched her, his expression unreadable.

"Celeste," he said, "I don't want to play games with you anymore."

She looked up, confusion and wariness flickering in her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Alistair reached out, brushing his fingers through her hair with a tenderness that contradicted everything he had ever shown before. "I want you to start accepting this. Accepting me."

Celeste clenched her fists on her lap. "I will never accept something forced upon me."

Alistair's smile thinned. A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes as he spoke again.

"You always think you have a choice, Celeste." He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. "But you forget one important thing."

He lifted her chin with two fingers, forcing her to look directly into his dark eyes, filled with something terrifying.

"I am the only choice you have."

Celeste wanted to refuse. Wanted to scream. But her voice was trapped in her throat, swallowed by the fear and helplessness growing inside her.

Alistair didn't just want to imprison her physically.

He wanted to lock away her mind. Her heart. Everything left of her.

And the worst part… he might just succeed.

Celeste felt her breath hitch. Alistair's fingers lifting her chin felt like invisible chains binding her in place.

"I am the only choice you have."

Those words kept echoing in her mind, hitting her harder than any threat she had ever heard.

Celeste tried to turn her face away, wanting to break free from his touch, but his grip was too strong. She knew he was waiting. Waiting for her to surrender.

No.

She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"You're wrong." Her voice was quiet, but her eyes remained defiant. "I always have a choice, Alistair. And I will find my own way to leave this place."

Alistair's smile thinned. He let go of her chin, but only to let his fingers trail down her cheek, then lower to her neck, pressing just enough to make her body freeze.

"You can try, Celeste." His voice was deeper now, more dangerous. "But believe me, for every step you take away from me, I will always be there to pull you back."

A shiver ran down Celeste's spine. Not just because of his words, but because she knew Alistair never spoke without intention.

And that threat wasn't just empty words.

His hand moved again, this time tracing her jawline with slow, deliberate movements that made her skin tingle with unease.

"I can be patient, Celeste." His gaze bore into hers, his voice barely a whisper. "But don't ever think I will let you go."

Celeste held her breath as he finally rose to his feet, standing tall with an aura that seemed to command the entire room.

"Get ready quickly." His tone shifted back to something sharp and cold. "I have a surprise for you today."

Celeste frowned. "A surprise?"

Alistair didn't answer. He only gave her a faint smirk before turning and walking out of the room, leaving her with more questions… and a growing sense of fear.

What kind of surprise was he planning this time?

And just how far was he willing to go to make sure she never escaped from him?