Page 48 of Captured By Fate

Frustrated, I wipe away a lone tear that has fallen onto the screen. I went to the arena that day to complete a mission, one that now feels impossible. Because at some point, this stopped being just about a story. It became about him. And I can't betray him.

I sink to the floor beside the plush king bed, burying my face in the velvet blanket as I weep. Outside the panoramic windows, the moonlight dances across the mansion's sprawling grounds and gardens, unaware of the storm raging within me.

Somehow I find the strength to pull myself up onto the bed. Curling up in a ball, the dam holding back my tears finally breaks. Soul-wrenching sobs shake my body as I clutch a pillow to my chest. It's a feeble attempt to quell the aching void expanding within me.

In the stark quiet of this room, broken only by my soft cries, I'm forced to confront the truth. The truth that's been creeping up on me but I've been too scared to acknowledge.

I'm in love with Jackson. Irrevocably and completely in love with him.

There's no denying it anymore. No running from the depth and power of my feelings. I crossed a point of no return the moment I let him in. And now my heart is his, whether I want it to be or not.

I should despise him - the man who took me captive, who threatened my mission, who represents everything I stand against. But I don't. That man exists, but he's not all of who Jackson is.

I've seen glimpses of the wounded soul behind the bravado and control. The neglected child who grew up to hide his vulnerability behind wealth and dominance. A hint of the man who just needs to be loved, even if he'd never admit it.

I understand him in a way I never expected to. And he understands me. We've connected on a level I've shared with no one else. Two damaged people find solace together.

With him, I feel a passion that consumes me. But also laughter, joy, and a sense of belonging. Of being home. It terrifies me even as it exhilarates me.

I never imagined I could develop feelings for my captor. That's the stuff of stories, not real life. Yet here I am, crying into this pillow over a love I didn't ask for.

I don't know how to reconcile the man I love with the criminal empire he presides over. I came here with a purpose, but now that purpose pales in comparison to this connection we've forged.

Despite everything, I cherish the intimacy we've shared. The raw, authentic moments between us. I've seen beneath the surface with him. I know there's goodness in Jackson, buried but still alive.

But how can this work? He's still holding me here against my will, even if the nature of our relationship has changed. I have a life waiting for me back home. One I miss, even if it now feels like part of another world.

If I stay, am I betraying myself? If I go, am I losing the man I love after finally opening myself to him?

My sobs gradually fade to whimpers as exhaustion overtakes me. Curled around this pillow, clinging to it like a lifeline, I slip into a fitful sleep.

The morning will bring no answers. But in the silence of this room, I've finally admitted the truth to myself. A truth I can't hide from anymore.

I am in love with Jackson. Helplessly, terrifyingly in love. And I have no idea what comes next.

30

JACKSON

Idon’t want to open my eyes. I can still smell the hot heavy scent of the night before. Kelley's sweet smell lingers on every surface of my skin.

I’m not one for dreams, so these memories will have to sustain me. The heat of her breath on my neck when she straddled me…

Instinctually my hand reaches out, seeking the source of my need. My cock pricks, pushing against my thigh hungry for her again.

But my hand thuds against leather pincushion, cold and unforgiving. Finally, I'm forced to seek out with my eyes the source of this disruption, the cold space next to me on the couch can only mean one thing.

Kelley’s gone.

I jolt awake, instantly alert. Reaching down, I frantically pat the pocket of my discarded pants. My phone is gone. Damn it, I got careless.

Fueled by a sense of betrayal, I storm to Kelley's room, the anger in each step threatening to leave cracks in the floor. How could I let my guard down? I never should have trusted her.

Throwing open her door, I halt mid-tirade at the sight before me. Kelley lies curled up on the bed, my phone clutched tightly to her chest. Her eyes are swollen and red, filled with a despair that gives me pause.

The fury simmering within me hesitates, doubt creeping in. I harden my heart once more and demand to know what she's done.

“Jackson, I-”

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