Anna could feel his stare on her as she was still tied up. She was looking around the room hoping to find a way to escape. Was there any doors or stair cases she could escape through if she was ever set free in this room and was left alone? She wasn't sure. She was blind folded on the way to this place but she could tell it was far. They had driven her a long distance and she knew she had been transported to this room through an elevator so this was not the ground floor. The Windows didn't give much away. It was still pretty dark outside and the curtains were drawn.

Jackson was sitting on a sofa with his leg on the coffee table while looking at her intently as he was sipping his coffee. He had been watching her silently for a while now. He was taking in her beautiful form. He had missed looking at her. It was surreal to have her all to himself. He could get used to this. Waking up to her sight every morning from then onwards. It was a pretty sight to wake up to.

Anna reluctantly looked at him and said "You do know that the smell of coffee gives me a headache. Why do you drink strong coffee in this room?" She had broken the uncomfortable silence as she was feeling annoyed with him staring at her. What was wrong with him? His obsession had gone too far. He was way too obsessive over her.

Jackson said "I guess opposites attract Anna. I didn't deliberately choose to drink coffee to torment you if that's what you are thinking. I love coffee. You don't. Trust me. If I wanted to torment you I would have made sure you were feeling excruciating pain."

Anna asked "Then why am I restrained? If you are not trying to torment me then why have you tied me up. It's pretty tight. My hands are going numb." She had to reason with him and pick her battles. Some politeness was not going to kill her. She had to move around so she had a chance to escape.

Jackson said "Well. I don't think you have earned the right to be free Anna." He put away his mug and put his hands behind his head looking relaxed on his sofa "You are defiant, arrogant and keep reminding me that you belong to Arturo. Does that sound appealing to me enough to untie you and give you some privileges as my prisoner? I don't think so."

Anna sighed "How do I earn the right?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer. In a way she didn't mind being tied up so that meant Jackson kept his distance and treated him like a captive rather than treating him like a guest. She didn't want to be touched by him in anyway. She didn't want him to get friendly with her.

Jackson said "You don't need to do anything. It's me who needs to be satisfied enough to want to untie you for breakfast. I am not yet satisfied. So go on Anna... Satisfy me..."

Anna cringed "Stop playing games."

Jackson said "No games. I will never be satisfied fully until your husband is dead and I can claim you as my wife legally. Well there is a possible other solution too. If he divorces you...."

Anna gasped "You can't make him divorce me..."

Jackson said "I don't think I wish to. I prefer if he dies. But if I get to have you then I shouldn't be too difficult about approving the methods of our union. You either can divorce him or he divorces you. Job done. No bloodshed. That's the last resort. I prefer to just kill him."

Anna pressed her lips wanting to curse him so badly for talking so casually about killing her husband but she didn't wish to get him jealous again. When he got riled up he became more aggressive and lost his inhibitions.

Jackson said "I can see you love him. I don't see why. Tell me this Anna. Why do you love him? Why did you marry him. Why did you not wait for me?"

Anna looked away.

Jackson raised an eyebrow "Don't look away. I don't wish to use force Anna. Don't make me come there to tilt your chin to look at me. I don't trust myself to be gentle Anna when you disobey me. I never liked it."

Anna looked back at him not wanting him to touch her again. She said "You don't get it. You never get it Jackson. I don't love you. Why can't you accept it. I can't love you. I don't return your feelings."

Jackson stood up and made Anna brave herself. He walked towards her "You used to love me Anna. You did. Don't you dare lie to me. I don't like liars Anna." He then walked around her as he said "You loved me. You stopped because Francesco gave you away to Arturo."

Anna held her breath as he touched her golden strands again. He liked doing that unfortunately. If she objected he was going to pull her hair. She knew his violent approach. So she tried to remain calm and not react. She didn't want his touch. It was unwelcome. She wanted Arturo's touch.

Jackson leaned down and whispered in her ear "You know... When you deny that you love me, it makes me want to prove you wrong Anna. You do love me.  You just are tied to your husband legally so you can't admit it. I don't have a problem if you don't admit to me you love me or rather have less of a problem. But I hate it and I mean it when I say to you that I can't stand it when you deny your feelings. You once loved me. Don't deny it."

Anna felt his hands rubbing her shoulders. She hated it. Why couldn't he keep his hands to himself? She closed her eyes shut and tried to think of Arturo. She imagined him standing there with her.

Jackson said "Confess to me Anna. How much did you love me back in the day? I am certain you love me as much."

Anna remained silent. She then groaned in pain as she felt the restraints getting tighter. He had pulled the ropes. She couldn't feel her hands now. Her hands felt so numb.

Jackson ran her fingers on the side of her head as he was standing behind her and made her take a shaky breath "I told you Anna. I don't want to hurt you. But if you don't do as I say, I will make your stay difficult and will have to hurt you even though I don't wish it." He then walked away to his sofa "I am resisting the urge to hurt you." He sat down. "The urge to want to cherish you as my wife suppresses my urge for revenge. You betrayed me after all. You chose Arturo over me and for that you should be punished. So just be ware if there is any trigger to set me off or if you provoke me in any way Anna I will hurt you. I have a pretty good idea how I wish to hurt you and punish you for betraying me and running to Arturo when you could wait for me. You won't want to find out the hard way how much I can hurt you Anna. Use your imagination."

Anna said "You already have hurt me before."

Jackson said "Enough Anna. Now answer my questions? First tell me this ... Why do you love him. Why did you choose him over me?"

Anna sighed "You know the answer already Jackson. I love him. I can't explain why. Love is love. Now go ahead and reveal your true intentions. Hurt me. Torture me. You want me to get hurt for the past. You have restrained me because you want to hurt me." She didn't even care for the consequences now. She couldn't believe how he couldn't understand that she loved Arturo more that she loved him. Part of her outburst was to hide the fact that she did have feelings for him. She wished she didn't. She couldn't believe herself. But she did have feelings for him.

Jackson said " Firstly, I won't give you any torture. You must know that I won't. You want torture? I think not. Why do you want me to hurt you Anna? I told you that's not why you are here. I should want to hurt you for choosing another man. I should want you to suffer. But I love you more. I want you to admit to me how you chose Arturo when you loved me. Francesco made you choose him. I know that."

Anna shook her head "Leave the past in the past Jackson. I don't wish to discuss it. I chose Arturo. Let it go. I can't ever marry you even if my husband died. I won't re-marry."

Jackson said "You will. Don't try to burn the bridges between us Anna. It doesn't work. When I kill your husband you won't be sounding so sure of yourself to reject me. As a widow, you will give in to me. I will make you mine. Your children will be mine to dictate."

Anna froze and her breath caught in her throat as she heard his sincerity. He meant every word. "Is this how low you want to hit? The almighty Jackson will kill a father of two to marry a woman? The almighty Jackson making a woman a widow to give into his temptations."

Jackson said " Yes I will. He took what was mine. You were mine to have. He must die for touching you when you truly belonged to me. His existence is a sin. Come on Anna." He looked at his watch "I need you to co-operate so you earn the right to be untied to have breakfast with me. I won't untie you if you don't do as I say...."

Anna said weakly "I am the one tied up. I can't even move. I don't have no options here. Doing as you say? What do you want from me?"

Jackson said "That's a dangerous question to ask me Anna. That's too broad. You ask me what I want. Don't ask me that. I want you. Only you. And I want you to be my wife with a baby on the way. That's what I want... It can happen after your husband dies."

Anna felt nauseous of his crude talk. "Stop this... I am a married woman."

Jackson said "Your marriage should never have happened. You should have been mine. Your children should have been mine."

Anna said "I love him. Why can't you understand that."

Jackson stood up and started pacing the floor "Anna, Anna, Anna... Confess. Stop avoiding my initial questions. Do as I say. Answer me... When did you stop loving me? Why did you marry him? Was it Francesco? How much did you love me? You loved me first. Didn't you? He is your second. I am your first. I met you first. I saw you first. He was just a replacement for me. Admit it Anna. Who did you meet first?"

Anna pressed her lips. She knew it mattered to him to hear her say it. It seemed like Jackson wanted to satisfy himself by getting her to confess to him she loved him more. He needed to hear it to feel the pleasure of her surrender. She had to resist. She didn't want to give him any satisfaction. She didn't want him to think he could have ever filled Arturo's place for her.

Anna said "My memory doesn't go that far. It's too early in the morning."

Jackson stopped pacing "Really? Then I will have to refresh your memory for you then. Won't I." He then walked to her. He took out a pocket knife and she stiffened. She had seen glimpses of what he did with the knife. When he said to his victims he wanted to set them free he did so by chopping them up. When he told his victims he wanted to untie them he stabbed them... Here he was with a knife facing her. Francesco and Arturo would have gone to hell and back to stop such situation from happening. She didn't take the threats seriously. The cold metal touched her skin as he cut off her restraints. Her muscles had tensed. He was cruel. But so was Arturo and so was Francesco but they weren't sadistic. Jackson was.

Jackson stood behind her and forcefully pulled her hands making her stand up as he kicked the chair away. He then gave the bruised areas a soft rubbing on her wrist a rubbing as he stood close to her "Look what you forced me to do Anna? I didn't want to hurt you. You brought it on yourself. Now you have a choice. You will be civil and well behaved when we have breakfast or I will tie you up when you eat. Your choice. Are you going to be difficult?"

Anna didn't reply.

Jackson said "Tsk Tsk. Anna. I don't like it when you ignore me." He grabbed her right arm roughly and pulled hard making her turn around. His ice cold eyes staring into hers. He said "You know it's within your interests to be co-operative. You know why. Don't you?" He then leaned close and whispered "Because when you are rebellious, it turns me on. It makes me want you even more..." He then rested his hand on her hip and squeezed. He loved her curves.

"Don't touch me like that." Anna instinctively slapped him hard which Jackson did not expect at all. He let go and she took a few steps away.