The next time they met, it was at a charity event, one that Ava had reluctantly agreed to attend. She wasn't surprised to find him there, standing in the shadows, watching her as if he had been waiting for this moment.
He approached her slowly, his movements deliberate, like a predator closing in on its prey.
"Ms. Harris," he greeted, his voice smooth and knowing. "It's so good to see you again. I couldn't help but notice how stunning you look tonight."
Ava forced a smile, trying to push aside the growing sense of dread that clung to her. "Thank you, Mr. Rhea. But I don't think this is the time or place for our usual… encounters."
His lips curled into a smile, though there was something colder beneath it. "Are you sure? Because I have a feeling that, deep down, you know I'm the only person who truly understands you."
Ava's heart skipped a beat, a flutter of something dangerous stirring within her. "You don't know anything about me."
"Don't I?" he murmured, his eyes never leaving hers. "I know everything. I know your fears, your desires, your doubts. I know you better than anyone else could, because I've been watching you, Ava. From the moment I first laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one. The one who would complete me."
A chill ran through her as his words sank in. His obsession was no longer a mere whisper. It was in the air between them, thick and suffocating.
"You're the one who's been watching me," she whispered, her voice cracking with a mix of fear and fascination.
He nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "I always will."
Ava took a step back, her mind racing. Was this love? Was this something real? Or was it just an obsession twisted by his mind?
But before she could say anything, he reached out, his hand gently brushing her cheek. The touch was tender, almost loving, but there was a sharpness beneath it—a promise of something more. Something she couldn't fully comprehend.
"I'll never let you go, Ava," he whispered, his voice low and filled with an intensity that left no room for doubt. "No matter how far you try to run, no matter how much you resist. You're mine."