The room was cold, dark, and filled with an oppressive silence that made Amelia's skin crawl. She sat in the chair where Michael had forced her to sit, her hands trembling as she tried to steady her breath. The fear was overwhelming, a suffocating force that seemed to press down on her from all sides. She knew she was trapped, but her mind raced with desperate thoughts of escape.
Michael paced back and forth in front of her, his movements erratic, his eyes wild with a mix of fury and despair. He muttered to himself, his words barely coherent, as if he was caught in a conversation with his own demons. Every now and then, he would glance at Amelia, his gaze dark and intense, sending a shiver down her spine.
"You think you can just leave me?" Michael suddenly snapped, his voice loud and sharp in the quiet room. He stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression twisted with anger. "After everything I've done for you? After everything we've been through?"
Amelia flinched at the venom in his voice, but she forced herself to stay calm. She knew that any sign of fear or resistance would only make things worse. She had to keep him talking, had to find a way to buy herself time.
"Michael, please," she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady. "I didn't want to leave you. I was just scared. Everything happened so fast, and I didn't know what to do."
"Scared?" Michael echoed, his voice dripping with disdain. He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "You think I'm the one you should be scared of? I'm the only one who's ever cared about you. The only one who's ever truly loved you."
Amelia swallowed hard, trying to push down the panic rising in her chest. "I know you love me, Michael," she said carefully, trying to placate him. "But love isn't supposed to hurt like this. It's not supposed to make you feel trapped."
Michael's expression darkened, and he clenched his fists at his sides. "You don't know what you're talking about," he hissed, his voice trembling with barely restrained rage. "You don't understand anything. You're just like everyone else—ungrateful, disloyal."
Amelia's heart raced as she saw the storm brewing in his eyes. She had to say something, anything, to calm him down before he lashed out again. "Michael, I'm sorry," she said quickly, her voice trembling. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I never wanted to hurt you."
Michael's gaze softened slightly, but there was still a dangerous edge to his expression. He took another step closer, towering over her, his breath hot against her face. "You say that now," he murmured, his voice low and menacing. "But I've seen the way you look at me, the way you pull away. You think you can lie to me? You think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours?"
Amelia's pulse quickened as she realized just how unhinged he had become. His mind was spiraling, lost in a world of his own making, and there was no reasoning with him. She had to find a way out—now.
But before she could think of a plan, Michael suddenly grabbed her by the wrist, yanking her to her feet with a force that made her cry out in pain. He dragged her across the room, shoving her against the wall with a brutal strength that left her gasping for breath.
"You're not going anywhere," Michael snarled, his grip tightening on her wrist. "You're mine, Amelia. And if I can't have you, no one will."
Amelia's mind raced as she tried to think of a way to escape, but the fear and the pain made it impossible to focus. She could feel the bruise forming on her wrist where Michael's fingers dug into her skin, and the terror of what he might do next made her blood run cold.
But then, in the midst of her panic, she remembered something—her phone. It was still in her pocket, and if she could just reach it, she might be able to call for help. The thought gave her a surge of hope, a small spark of determination that cut through the fear.
Carefully, slowly, she reached down with her free hand, her fingers brushing against the edge of the phone in her pocket. But Michael noticed the movement and his eyes flashed with anger.
"What are you doing?" he demanded, his voice sharp as he yanked her hand away from her pocket. He reached down and grabbed the phone himself, his expression darkening as he realized what she had been trying to do.
"You think you're smart, don't you?" Michael sneered, holding the phone up as if it were a dangerous weapon. "You think you can call for help? You think anyone's going to save you?"
Amelia's heart sank as she watched him toss the phone across the room, where it hit the wall with a sickening crack and fell to the floor in pieces. Her last hope of escape was shattered, leaving her trapped and alone with a man who was rapidly losing his grip on reality.
Michael's anger seemed to swell at the sight of the broken phone, and he turned back to Amelia with a look of pure rage. "You're not going to ruin this, Amelia," he growled, his voice trembling with fury. "I won't let you."
Amelia's mind raced, trying to think of anything that might calm him down, but before she could say a word, Michael lashed out, slapping her hard across the face. The force of the blow sent her stumbling back, her vision blurring as the pain exploded across her cheek.
She barely had time to react before Michael grabbed her again, this time by the shoulders, shaking her with a force that made her head spin. "You belong to me!" he shouted, his voice a terrifying mix of anger and desperation. "No one else! You're mine, do you hear me? Mine!"
Amelia struggled to stay conscious, the pain and fear threatening to overwhelm her. She could barely see, barely think, as Michael's grip tightened, his words becoming more incoherent, more frantic.
But even in the midst of the terror, a small, defiant part of her refused to give up. She couldn't let Michael win. She couldn't let him destroy her.
With a surge of adrenaline, Amelia mustered all the strength she had left and shoved Michael as hard as she could. The sudden movement caught him off guard, and he stumbled back, his grip loosening just enough for her to break free.
Amelia didn't hesitate. She turned and ran, her heart pounding in her chest as she raced towards the door. She didn't know where she was going, didn't know if she would make it out alive, but she knew she had to try.
Michael's shout of rage echoed behind her, but she didn't stop. She reached the door, her hands fumbling with the lock in her panic, and for a terrifying moment, she thought she wouldn't make it. But then the door finally swung open, and she burst out into the night, the cold air hitting her like a slap to the face.
She didn't stop to catch her breath. She ran, her feet pounding against the pavement as she fled into the darkness, her heart racing with a mixture of fear and determination. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she had to get away, had to find help before Michael caught up with her.
But just as she thought she might have a chance, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her—fast, angry, and getting closer by the second. Panic surged through her as she realized that Michael was right behind her, and she pushed herself to run faster, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
But it wasn't enough.
Michael caught up with her in a matter of seconds, tackling her to the ground with a force that knocked the wind out of her. She hit the pavement hard, the pain shooting through her body as she struggled to breathe.
Michael was on top of her in an instant, his hands grabbing her by the throat, squeezing with a strength that made her vision blur. "You think you can run from me?" he snarled, his voice filled with venom. "You think you can escape?"
Amelia gasped for air, her hands clawing at his, but Michael's grip was like iron, unrelenting and suffocating. She felt the darkness closing in, the edges of her vision growing dim, and she knew she didn't have much time left.
But just as she was about to lose consciousness, a loud noise rang out—a car engine, followed by the screech of tires as a vehicle skidded to a stop nearby. Voices shouted in the distance, urgent and frantic, but Amelia couldn't make out the words.
Michael froze, his grip loosening just enough for Amelia to suck in a desperate breath of air. The voices grew louder, closer, and suddenly, Michael was yanked off her, thrown to the ground by a pair of strong hands.
Amelia blinked, her vision clearing just