The next day dawned with a chill in the air, and Rose tried to steel herself for another day of dodging Sylus. She had spent the entire night going over the game's rules in her mind—rules she couldn't seem to escape. Her heart ached, a dull throb that refused to be ignored. Despite her efforts to push him out of her thoughts, Sylus was always there, lurking just beneath the surface.
When she entered the office that morning, she could feel it—his presence. It wasn't just the physical closeness, though that was ever-present; it was the way he seemed to reach into her chest and pull at something deep inside her. The moment she stepped into the office, it was as if she was no longer in control of her own actions.
She busied herself with work, focusing on the files in front of her, trying to block him out. But it was futile. Sylus had a way of drawing attention, of making sure all eyes were on him. And he had a particular way of making sure she couldn't forget him.
"Kitten," came his voice from behind her desk, warm and smooth, like velvet.
Rose's heart jumped at the sound. She took a steadying breath, gathering herself before turning around to face him. He was standing there, as always, his dark eyes holding a mixture of curiosity and something else—something she couldn't quite place.
"Yes?" she asked, her tone careful, keeping it as neutral as possible.
Sylus raised an eyebrow, holding out a steaming cup of coffee. "Coffee?" he asked, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
She hesitated for a moment, her gaze flickering between his hand and his face. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how he affected her, but there was something about his gestures—simple, but always with an intent—that made her heart race.
"Thanks," she muttered, taking the cup from him. Her fingers brushed against his, and for a split second, she felt an electric shock run up her arm. She pulled her hand back quickly, trying to ignore the way her pulse quickened.
Sylus didn't seem to notice—or maybe he did. He didn't move, instead leaning casually against her desk, his dark eyes still locked on hers. "You're awfully tense lately," he remarked, his voice softer, almost teasing.
"I'm fine," she said quickly, offering him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She wanted to believe the lie, to convince herself that she was fine, but deep down, she knew it wasn't true.
"Are you?" Sylus asked, narrowing his gaze, his voice dropping into something more dangerous, something more intimate. "Because it doesn't seem that way."
Rose's breath hitched in her chest. She couldn't keep up this facade, not when he was looking at her like that. There was no escaping him. No escaping the way he saw right through her.
"I'm just busy," she said, trying to force the words out without sounding too defensive.
"Hmm." He tilted his head, studying her with a piercing look. "You're hiding something."
Her breath caught in her throat. "I'm not," she replied, her voice weaker this time, but she tried to sound confident.
"You are," Sylus countered, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "And I don't like being lied to, kitten."
The words hung in the air like a heavy weight. Rose tried to keep her composure, but it was becoming harder by the minute. Every time she tried to push him away, he pulled her closer. And with every passing day, she was finding it harder to ignore the pull between them.
---
That evening, Rose sat in her apartment, her nerves frayed. She opened her journal, her thoughts swirling in a chaotic mess. She had written the same rules over and over again, trying to make sense of her situation, trying to hold onto something she could control.
1. If I fall for him = I stay here.
2. If he falls for me = I might go back.
3. BUT: Both can't happen at the same time.
She chewed on her lip, staring at the words, willing them to make sense. What if she was wrong? What if there was no way back, no matter what she did?
The thought terrified her. But even more terrifying was the growing realization that she didn't want to leave—not if it meant losing Sylus.
Her chest tightened, the weight of it almost unbearable. She slammed the journal shut, trying to silence the doubts creeping into her mind.
"No," she muttered to herself, her voice shaky. "I can't think like that. I have to get out of here. I have to."
---
The next day, Rose decided to test her theory—without Sylus realizing it. If the game was truly controlling her fate, then maybe her emotions had the power to trigger something. She couldn't be sure, but it was the only thing she had left to go on.
She spent the day avoiding him, deliberately keeping her distance. She didn't want to fall for him. She couldn't afford to.
But Sylus was relentless. Every time she thought she had a moment to herself, he appeared, as if the universe itself were conspiring against her.
"Kitten," he said that afternoon, his voice soft but firm, like it always was when he was determined to get under her skin.
Rose turned, her resolve wavering as she met his gaze. "What is it, Sylus?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to remain calm.
"I'm taking you out," he said, the words simple, but loaded with intent.
Her heart skipped a beat, the familiar flutter in her chest returning. "What?"
"Dinner," he clarified, his smirk never wavering. "You've been cooped up in here all week. It's not a request."
---
That evening, Rose found herself sitting across from Sylus in a cozy restaurant. The atmosphere was intimate, but the air between them was thick with unspoken tension. Every word, every glance seemed to hold weight.
"This feels more like an interrogation than dinner," she said, trying to keep her tone light, trying to deflect from the suffocating feelings that were rising in her chest.
Sylus smirked, his eyes never leaving hers. "Maybe it is," he said with a shrug, his voice teasing but his expression unreadable.
Rose's stomach twisted at his words, but she couldn't stop herself from looking at him, from feeling the pull between them. She couldn't keep pretending that everything was okay when he was looking at her like that. It was too much. Too powerful.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice quieter this time, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
"Because I care," he said simply, his gaze softening for a brief moment, as if he were letting her see something more than just the surface.
Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't believe it. She didn't know if she could trust him—if she should trust him. But in that moment, something inside her broke. The walls she had built up around her heart started to crack.
"You can trust me, Rose," he said, his voice quieter now, more sincere. "Whatever it is you're afraid of, you don't have to face it alone."
The sincerity in his words hit her harder than she expected. But she couldn't let him in. Not completely.
"I'm not afraid," she lied, forcing the words out through clenched teeth.
Sylus leaned back, his eyes studying her with that same intensity. "If you say so," he murmured, his voice carrying an edge of uncertainty that only made her heart ache more.
---
That night, as Rose lay in bed, she felt more conflicted than ever. Her theory might be right—Sylus's feelings seemed to be growing stronger. But so were hers.
And if she couldn't stop herself, she knew she would be trapped here forever.
I have to leave, she thought desperately. But how do I walk away from him?
Her chest ached, and she pressed her hand to her heart, trying to will the pain away. But deep down, she knew the truth.
She was falling for Sylus.
And it might already be too late to stop it.