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He leans in until his lips brush my ear. His voice drops to a whisper that sends ice down my spine. “I can’t leave you alone. You’re mine, Elias. My sweet little lamb. My good boy who takes my cock so perfectly. Haven doesn’t know you as I do. She doesn’t know how you sound when you’re bouncing on my cock. She doesn’t know the way your tight little hole squeezes me when you come. That’s because it’s our little secret. So thread carefully. If you try to run to her, I’ll kill her.”

I try to push him away, but he doesn’t even budge. “Yakov, please. This isn’t normal. You’re not listening to me.”

“I am listening,” he says softly, still smiling like he didn’t just threaten murder on my crush. “I hear you saying you need me. I hear you saying you’re confused right now. That’s why I’m here. I’m going to take care of everything. Tonight you’ll come to my flat after your shift. I’ll cook your favorite soup. Then we’ll study… and afterward I’ll fuck you until there’s not one coherent thought left in that brain.

I shake my head hard. “I’m not coming over. I’m not doing this anymore.”

Yakov’s hand slides down to gently squeeze my throat. “You will come. If you don’t, I’ll have to come find you. And next time I won’t stop at the door. I’ll come inside your room, climb into your bed, and do some very bad things. I’ll beg you to forgive me afterward. I love you too much to let you go. Please don’t make me the bad guy.”

He finally steps back, but his eyes stay locked on mine. “I’ll see you tonight, baby. Wear the green shirt I like. It makes your eyes look so pretty when you’re under me.”

He turns and walks away as quickly as he came.

I slide down the wall until I sit on the ground. My whole body shakes. Tears run down my face, and I can’t stop them. He isn’t going to let me go. He really believes every word he said.

And what’s more terrifying is that now I know he has been watching me in my own room. He knows things no one should know. This isn’t obsession anymore. This is something much darker.

Chapter 6

Elias

I stand in front of the big stone mansion and stare at the iron gate for a long time. My hands shake, but I make myself press the intercom button. I have come here to end things like an adult. I will walk in, say the words clearly, and walk back out. The gate buzzes and clicks open. I walk up the long driveway and reach the front doors. They open before I can knock. Yakov stands before me in a black shirt that stretches tight across his chest. He smiles at me like I have just made his whole day better.

“Hey, baby,” he says softly, smiling. “You came.”

I step inside the massive foyer but keep my distance. “I’m not staying long. I only came to talk. This needs to end, Yakov. We’re done. I can’t keep doing this with you anymore.”

Yakov doesn’t answer right away. He closes the door behind me and takes my bag off my shoulder, ignoring the obvious elephant in the room. “You look tired. Come upstairs. I made dinner for you.”

“I’m serious,” I say louder. “Listen to me. I want out. I have school, my mom, and Haven. You need to let me go.”

He acts like he doesn’t hear the last part. His hand lands on my lower back and guides me toward the elevator at the end of the hallway. “The food will get cold if we stand here. Let’s go up.”

The elevator doors slide open. I hesitate, but Yakov gently pushes me inside. The metal box carries us up to the third floor in silence; we pass the hallway to his flat door. We step into his private flat. The place looks the same as always — big windows looking out over the dark ocean, expensive furniture, and the faint smell of something delicious cooking.

“Sit down,” he says, pointing to the leather couch in the living room. “I’ll bring the plates.”

I stay standing. “Yakov, I didn’t come here to eat. I came to tell you we’re finished. This arrangement is over.”

He disappears into the open kitchen anyway. A few minutes later he comes back with two plates of grilled chicken, rice, and vegetables. He sets them on the low table and sits down. “Come eat with me, baby. You haven’t had a proper meal today, have you?”

My stomach growls even though I don’t want it to. I tell myself I will eat fast, say what I need to say, and leave. I sit on the edge of the couch and pick up the fork. The food tastes good, warm and seasoned just right. For some reason, he has always cooked me meals during our arrangement, and he is a hell of a cook. But Yakov is still a dangerous man. Yakov watches me the whole time with a soft smile plastered on his lips.

We eat in silence for a while. When my plate is almost empty, he reaches over and brushes a piece of hair out of my eyes. “I missed you this week. The flat feels empty without you here.”

I put the fork down and look him straight in the face. “Yakov, stop. I’m not joking. We’re done. I don’t want to see you like this anymore. I want my life back.”

He tilts his head like my words confuse him. “You’re just stressed from finals. That’s all. Eat a little more. You’ll feel better.”

I stand up. “No. I’m leaving now.”

Before I can take two steps toward the elevator, Yakov is behind me. His arms wrap around my waist and pull me back against his chest. “Not yet,” he whispers against my ear. “We haven’t spent time together. Sit with me on the couch for a little while.”

I try to twist out of his hold. “Let go. I’m serious. Open the door.”

He doesn’t let go. Instead, he walks me backward until my legs hit the couch and we both sit down. His body stays pressed close to mine. One of his hands rubs slow circles on my thigh. “You always say these things when you’re tired. Just relax with me. I’ll take care of you tonight.”

We sit there for what feels like forever. Yakov keeps talking calmly, telling me how much he misses me and how he's bought more of the sparkling water I like. Every time I try to stand up or repeat that I am leaving, he pulls me closer and changes the subject, rendering my protest deaf.