CHAPTER 15

As the confrontation escalates, Felix's grip on Lira's wrist tightens. He's not going to let her go, not now, not ever. Lira struggles and pleads, but Felix is unmoved.

"You're mine, Lira," he repeats, his voice low and menacing. "You'll never leave me."

Lira's eyes well up with tears as she realizes the true extent of Felix's obsession. She's trapped, and she doesn't know how to escape.

As Felix's hold on Lira tightens, he begins to reveal the depths of his madness. He tells her about his past, about the pain and the loss he's endured. He tells her about Emma, and how her death shattered him.

"I was lost without her," Felix says, his voice cracking with emotion. "But then I saw you, Lira. You were so like her, so beautiful and vibrant. I knew I had to have you, to keep you safe."

Lira listens in horror as Felix's words paint a picture of a twisted and obsessive love. She realizes that Felix's feelings for her are not about her at all, but about his own desires and needs.

As the night wears on, Felix's grip on Lira never falters. He's holding her close, too close, and Lira feels like she's suffocating.

"Felix, please," she whispers, trying to reason with him. "Let me go. I'm not Emma. I'm Lira."

But Felix just shakes his head, his eyes filled with a mad determination. "You're mine, Lira," he repeats, his voice echoing through the night. "You'll always be mine."