Trapped

Jane's breath hitched. "What are you saying?" Her voice wavered, confusion clouding her eyes.

Nick swallowed hard, guilt tightening his throat. "Jane… I know what he did to you. I know Paul—he raped you when he held you captive." His voice broke as he forced the words out. "He told me he has a video… He said if I didn't break up with you, he'd release it to the media."

Silence.

Then Jane laughed. A hollow, bitter sound that sent chills down Nick's spine.

"You're insane," she said, shaking her head. "And stupid."

Nick blinked, his stomach twisting. "What?"

Jane stood, wiping her tears. "He told you that… and you believed him?"

Nick's heart pounded. "Jane, I saw the pictures. He showed me—"

"He lied to you, Nick."

Nick's world tilted. "I don't understand…"

Jane let out a shaky breath, pinching the bridge of her nose as if trying to hold herself together. "Listen to me. He never touched me. Ever."

Nick took a step back, struggling to process her words.

"The night he made me think it happened… he drugged me," Jane explained, her voice tight with anger. "I woke up confused, disoriented. And he let me believe I had slept with him. I felt disgusted. Ashamed. But later, when he released me, he confessed."

Nick's jaw clenched.

Jane continued, her eyes flashing. "He said I vomited that night. He called the hotel staff to help me change. And before I woke up, he took a picture."

Nick's fists curled.

"I was mumbling your name in my sleep, Nick," she whispered. "That's why I was smiling in the picture. He twisted the truth, and you fell for it."

Nick stumbled back, his breath unsteady. "Jane…"

"When he held me captive, he never even came into my room. Not once. Every night, I locked my door before sleeping."

Nick ran a shaky hand through his hair. His chest felt tight, like the walls were closing in. "So you mean… nothing happened?" His voice cracked.

Jane's expression was unreadable. "Does it matter now?"

Nick's knees nearly buckled. "Jane… I'm sorry. That bastard manipulated me." His voice was raw, desperate.

Jane took a step back. "Stop, Nick. Just… stop. Go back to your girl."

"No." His grip tightened around her wrist as he pulled her against his chest.

His body trembled. Tears slipped down his face, but he didn't care. "Jane, please," he begged, his voice breaking. "I did everything to protect you."

Jane shoved him away. "That's your problem, Nick. You assume things. You think you know what's best for me, but you never ask. If you had just talked to me… none of this would have happened."

Nick's lips parted, but no words came.

Jane's voice dropped, her anger dissolving into something more painful. "I needed you. And you left."

Nick's heart shattered.

"I tried to talk to you," he whispered. "I wanted to… but I was scared. I thought—"

Jane turned away.

Nick reached out, but his hands dropped to his sides.

Jane shook her head. "Paul did terrible things, I know that… but before he let me go, he showed me a different side of himself." Her voice softened as she recalled the paintings—the way he poured his love into every stroke. "He lived through his art. He wanted me to see how much he loved me. And when he realized my heart belonged to you, he let me go. He kept his word, Nick. He never approached me with bad intentions."

Nick's face darkened. "Jane, no." His voice was urgent, almost desperate. "He manipulated you. You think you saw the real Paul, but you didn't. He controlled everything."

Jane hesitated, doubt creeping in.

"I tried to see you after that day," Nick continued, his jaw tightening. "But he surrounded you with guards. He even had people following Maria."

Jane's breath caught. "What?"

Nick took a shaky breath. "Do you remember the night you went to the convenience store near your home? You were wearing the black dress I bought for you."

Her eyes widened. She did remember. That was the first time she had stepped out alone after everything. But—

"How do you know that?" she whispered.

Nick gave a sad smile. "Because I was there, Jane."

Her heart pounded.

"Not just that night," he admitted, pulling out his phone. "Every night since you came back, I was there. Watching from a distance. I couldn't stay away from you. But I couldn't let Paul see me either. If I broke his promise, he would have released the photos."

Jane's hands trembled as she took the phone from him. She swiped through the pictures—grainy, taken from afar, but unmistakably her.

And then her stomach dropped.

She saw the guards standing at her doorstep. Others loitering outside her building.

Then more photos—her walking through the streets, shopping, meeting Maria.

Each time, a man in the background. Silent. Unnoticed.

Her breath turned shallow. She had never realized.

Her fingers tightened around the phone. "Oh my God…"

Nick watched her, his expression pained. "Do you believe me now?"

Jane swallowed hard. The realization was suffocating.

"Not just that night," he admitted, pulling out his phone. "Every night since you came back, I was there. Watching from a distance. I couldn't stay away from you. But I couldn't let Paul see me either. If I broke his promise, he would have released the photos."

Jane's hands trembled as she took the phone from him. She swiped through the pictures—grainy, taken from afar, but unmistakably her.

And then her stomach dropped.

She saw the guards standing at her doorstep. Others loitering outside her building.

Then more photos—her walking through the streets, shopping, meeting Maria.

Each time, a man in the background. Silent. Unnoticed.

Her breath turned shallow. She had never realized.

Her fingers tightened around the phone. "Oh my God…"

Nick watched her, his expression pained. "Do you believe me now?"

Jane swallowed hard. The realization was suffocating.

"Don't worry. I'm here." His voice was urgent yet reassuring as he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. His hands lingered on her shoulders, grounding her trembling body.

Jane's heart pounded against her ribs, her mind racing with fear.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. "You need to go back to the emergency room—now." His tone was firm, pushing her into action.

But Jane hesitated, dread twisting in her gut. "What if he already knows I'm not there?" Her voice shook, barely above a whisper.

His grip on her arms tightened slightly, steadying her. "Jane. I made sure he won't return for at least half an hour. You're safe—for now. But you have to go before it's too late."

She swallowed hard, nodding quickly before bolting out of the room.

The hallway felt endless, every second stretching unbearably long. She kept her head down, her breath shaky as she scanned her surroundings. No sign of him yet.

She reached the doctor's office and knocked hastily before slipping inside, her hands clammy with nerves.

The doctor looked up from his desk, offering a polite smile. "Is everything okay, Miss?"

Jane forced a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "Y-Yes," she stammered, then quickly corrected herself. "I just… I forgot the prescription here."

The doctor gave her a concerned look but nodded, turning to his desk. He shuffled through a few papers before spotting the prescription. "Ah, here it is." He picked it up and handed it to her with a kind smile.

Jane reached for it, her fingers still trembling slightly. She just needed to leave now—just get out and—

The door swung open.

A cold wave of terror washed over her as Paul stepped inside.

Her fingers clenched around the prescription slip, her breath caught in her throat.

"What's taking so long?" he snapped, his gaze fixed on the doctor.

Jane sat on the examination table, feeling the weight of his presence press down on her. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she clutched the edge of the table, praying the doctor wouldn't reveal what had just happened.

The doctor glanced at her, reading the fear in her wide eyes. He straightened his coat and turned to Paul with a reassuring smile.

"Ms. Jane is very weak," he said smoothly. "I had to run a few tests to make sure she's alright."

Paul's expression darkened. "Is she?" he asked, stepping closer to Jane. His voice was softer now, but the underlying tension remained.

The doctor nodded. "She's fine, but she needs to stay away from stress. According to her records, she has been admitted a few times this year. You should take better care of her."

Paul's face softened, but Jane saw the flicker of suspicion in his eyes. "I will," he promised. Then, turning to her, he asked, "Are you okay to leave?"

Jane forced a nod, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She slid off the table, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. As they walked out into the corridor, a chill ran down her spine.

And then, she saw him.

Nick.

He was standing at the far end of the hallway, half-hidden in the shadows, his eyes locked onto hers.

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. Her steps faltered, and she came to a dead stop.

Paul followed her gaze and turned his head. But by the time he looked, Nick was gone.

Paul frowned. "Jane? What's wrong?"

She swallowed hard, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Uh… No… Nothing." She stammered, dragging her gaze away.

Paul studied her for a moment before opening the car door. She climbed into the passenger seat, her hands gripping the fabric of her dress tightly.

He got in and started the engine, but the air between them remained heavy.

"You met someone, didn't you?" he asked suddenly, his tone unreadable.

Jane's breath hitched. "Who?" she asked, her voice too quick, too defensive.

Paul didn't respond immediately. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel before exhaling sharply. "Nothing," he muttered and pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

The drive was quiet for a while, but Jane felt his lingering gaze on her every few seconds. 

"Where did you go?" Jane asked him casually.

"My dad got into an accident." he said casually. 

She gasped. "What? Is he alright?"

Paul shrugged like it was nothing. "He's fine. His driver called me, so I went to check on him. He was admitted today in the same hospital."

Jane frowned. "But shouldn't we go see him?"

"He's not badly hurt," Paul said, his voice cold and detached. "I'll visit later."

Jane felt something twist in her stomach. The way he spoke about his father—like he was talking about a stranger—made her uneasy.

Then, without warning, he reached across and placed his hand over hers.

"I don't care about anyone but you, Jane. You know that, right?" His grip was firm, possessive.

Jane flinched.

She forced a smile, hoping he didn't notice the way her fingers trembled.

Paul noticed.

His eyes darkened slightly, the corners of his lips twitching. Something had changed in her. He felt it. And he was determined to find out what.

But he didn't show it. Not yet.

Instead, as he pulled up in front of her apartment, he reached for her hand again, this time holding it gently. She hesitated for a second before letting him.

She tried to smile the way she always did, but she knew—he knew—it wasn't the same.

He studied her, his eyes searching.

Then, she did something unexpected.

Stepping forward, she placed a hand on his chest.

Paul inhaled sharply, caught off guard by her sudden closeness.

"Paul…" she whispered, knowing it was his weakness.

His body relaxed instantly. His gaze softened. Just like she knew it would.

"Jane," he breathed, his voice almost reverent.

She smiled, hiding the fear clawing at her insides. "Everything will be alright. Let's just forget what happened today, okay?"

He nodded, his eyes misting over.

She could see it—the way her words soothed him. He was pleased, believing she was finally his.

"I love you, Jane," he murmured.

She forced another smile. "I know."

There was a pause, then Paul tilted his head. "I wanted to ask you something."

Jane braced herself. "What is it?"

His eyes searched hers. "You agreed to marry me on your own will, right? You didn't agree just to provoke Nick?"

Her heart stuttered.

She forced her lips to curve upward, shifting slightly to keep herself from trembling.

"Paul," she said, her voice steady but her fingers digging into her palms. "Even if he comes back, I don't care. If I did, would I have agreed to marry you?"

She saw the way his eyes lit up, the way he bought into her words.

Paul smiled—a real, happy smile—and pulled her into a crushing hug.

"Let's get married this weekend," he whispered against her hair.

Jane froze.

Her breath caught in her throat. "This weekend?"

Paul pulled back slightly, frowning. "Why? Are you not happy?"

"No, I—" She scrambled for an excuse. "I mean, it's too soon. I haven't even met your parents yet. We don't have their approval. There's so much to do—"

Paul's expression darkened.

"They can go to hell for all I care," he hissed, his voice taking on a dangerous edge.

Jane's blood ran cold.

For the first time since he let her go, she saw it—his true face.

The mask was slipping.

His grip on her wrist tightened. "We don't need anyone's approval," he muttered. "If anyone gets in our way, I'll deal with them."

Jane forced herself to smile, even as terror crawled up her spine.

Paul exhaled, his lips softening into a smirk. "It's late. Go rest." He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss on her forehead.

She clenched her fists, willing herself not to shudder.

"Goodnight," she whispered before stepping away.

As she walked toward her building, she felt it—eyes watching her.

From the corner of her vision, she saw them.

Men. Paul's guards.

They stood behind pillars, barely visible, but there. Watching.

Had they always been there? Had she been this blind?

Her stomach twisted violently.

Nick was right.

This man was terrifying.

Once inside her apartment, she collapsed onto her bed, her body shaking. An hour later, she hesitantly pulled back the curtains.

Her heart pounded at what she saw.

The guards.

They were still there, circling her apartment, keeping watch.

Jane stumbled backward, her breathing uneven.

The walls felt like they were closing in.

She was trapped.