"You can leave now. I have..." Henry started, his voice shaky, but before he could finish, he was suddenly spun around. He found himself staring into Diois's burning eyes, full of frustration and something darker.

"When I say something, I expect you to do it. I hate repeating myself," Diois growled, his grip firm on Henry’s wrist, the heat of his presence overwhelming.

Diois closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, the intensity in his gaze had melted into something softer, almost gentle. The shift in his emotions was so sudden that it left Henry stunned.
How could he change so quickly?

"Henry..."
Diois's voice was now soft, melodic, drawing Henry in despite the turmoil he felt inside. He slid his palm up to Henry’s neck, holding him there tenderly, and Henry’s breath caught in his throat.

"I know you’re avoiding me," Diois continued, his fingers lightly tracing the side of Henry’s neck.
"That night, I saw you outside your room. But you ran away."

Henry’s blood ran cold. So Diois had seen him that night? The night Henry thought he'd escaped unnoticed.

Diois took a step closer, wrapping his arms around Henry in a firm embrace, the warmth of his body sending Henry’s heart into overdrive.

Diois's hands gently caressed Henry’s back, as if to comfort him, but the gesture only made Henry feel more trapped, the weight of the situation pressing down harder.

"If you had come back to the room that night, I wouldn’t have had to come here," Diois murmured.
"I waited for you, but you kept running. Now, it’s time to stop." He paused, his voice calm yet commanding. "It’s not proper for a grown man to stay in a single girl’s room, don’t you think?"

Henry’s heart raced. Diois wasn’t just talking about the situation with Sofia—he knew everything. Every detail. The implication was clear, even if Diois hadn’t spelled it out. Henry had been staying with Sofia temporarily, but now that wasn’t an option anymore. Diois’s presence was suffocating, and there was no escaping it.

Diois pushed Henry back slightly, locking eyes with him once more. "Go get your stuff," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Henry bit down hard on his tongue, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. With a nod, he turned and walked away, feeling the weight of Diois’s gaze on his back, knowing that, no matter what he did, running wasn’t an option anymore.

Henry quickly grabbed his bag, locked up the café, and stepped outside. The same black car from before was parked there, waiting. Diois stood by the passenger door, opening it for Henry without a word. Reluctantly, Henry got in, clutching his bag like a lifeline.

He kept his eyes fixed on the passing scenery as Diois drove, avoiding any glance or conversation. The silence between them felt heavy, suffocating.

When the car finally stopped outside his apartment, Henry was about to exit without a word, hoping to make a clean escape, but Diois’s voice stopped him cold.

"I’ll come tomorrow morning," Diois said.

Henry’s fists tightened. His frustration and exhaustion boiled over.

He turned to Diois, unable to hold back any longer. "What exactly do you want from me?" His voice trembled with frustration. He was tired—tired of this constant pressure, tired of being dragged into something he didn’t understand.

Diois’s cold expression darkened, his voice icy. "You still don’t get it?"

"No," Henry snapped, his frustration spilling out. "If you’re after me because of what I saw that night, you don’t have to worry. I won’t tell anyone. I don’t have time for this. Just leave me alone."

Diois’s gaze turned dangerous, and before Henry could react, Diois grabbed him by the collar, yanking him closer. Henry’s breath hitched, fear striking through him as Diois's dark eyes locked onto his.

"I don’t care what you saw that night," Diois growled, his voice low and deadly. "It wouldn’t matter if you told anyone. No one can do anything to me. But you..." He tightened his grip. "You must not leave me. From the moment I kissed you, you became mine. You have no other options."

Henry stared at Diois in shock, his mind reeling. The darkness in Diois's eyes was overwhelming, leaving no room for resistance. He was like a force Henry couldn’t fight against, a demon determined to claim him.

"Why me?" Henry whispered, his voice shaky. "There are so many other people out there..."

Diois’s grip on his collar loosened slightly, and he cupped Henry’s face, though his touch lacked gentleness. "Because it’s you I want. No one else."

Without waiting for a response, Diois leaned in and pressed his lips to Henry’s. Henry didn’t move, didn’t react—he was too numb, too lost to even process what was happening.

Diois sighed against his lips, pulling away with an air of frustration.

"Go inside," Diois ordered. "I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning."

Henry didn’t say another word. He grabbed his bag and stumbled out of the car, feeling like a ghost.

He walked to his room in a daze, barely aware of his surroundings. Only once he was inside did the weight of everything hit him, and he collapsed to the floor, breaking down completely. The confusion, fear, and helplessness overwhelmed him, and all he could do was cry.

Henry's body shook as he sat on the cold floor of his room, his hands trembling as he clutched his bag tightly against his chest.

The silence around him seemed to echo his frantic thoughts, swirling in a mess of confusion, fear, and helplessness. Diois’s voice, his cold touch, his dark, possessive gaze—it all replayed in Henry's mind like a nightmare he couldn’t wake from.
But Diois... he was like a force of nature, impossible to resist, and Henry felt trapped, caged in a situation he couldn’t escape. The more he thought about it, the more helpless he felt.

He couldn’t understand why this was happening to him, why Diois had chosen him, and more importantly, why he couldn’t seem to escape.

Tears streamed down Henry’s cheeks, and he buried his face in his knees, muffling his sobs. He felt trapped, like there was no way out. Diois had made it clear: he wasn’t letting Henry go, no matter what. And the worst part was, Henry wasn’t sure how to fight back.

He stayed like that for what felt like hours, too drained to move, too emotionally shattered to think clearly. His mind swirled with memories of the past few days—how everything had spiraled so quickly. Diois had appeared like a storm, disrupting Henry's quiet life, dragging him into a situation he couldn’t understand or control.

But how could he fight someone like Diois? Diois, who exuded dominance and power with every glance, every word, every touch?

Henry felt so small, so powerless in comparison.

Eventually, exhaustion took over, and Henry managed to pull himself off the floor. His limbs felt heavy as he shuffled to his bed, collapsing onto the mattress without bothering to change out of his clothes. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind still racing, but his body too worn out to do anything but lie there.

The weight of everything settled over him like a suffocating blanket. What was he going to do?

Diois said he would come in the morning. The thought alone filled Henry with dread. But what could he say? What could he do to stop Diois from barging into his life again?

Henry’s eyes fluttered closed, but his sleep was restless, haunted by dreams he couldn’t escape.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Diois’s face, felt his grip, his demanding voice, and that terrifying possessiveness in his eyes.

“You became mine. You have no other options.”
As the minutes dragged on, Henry's mind wandered to the few friends he had—people like Sofia, who had given him a place to stay when things were rough. Maybe he could talk to her, tell her what was happening. But then, what could she do? Diois seemed untouchable, his confidence terrifying.

By the time morning came, Henry was a wreck. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, and the anxiety gnawing at his chest was almost unbearable. He hadn’t even heard his alarm go off, and it was only when a loud knock echoed through his room that he jolted upright, heart pounding in his chest.

His eyes darted to the door, fear tightening his throat. He’s here.

Henry stood frozen for a moment, debating whether he should answer or pretend he wasn’t home. But another knock—firmer this time—shattered any hope of ignoring it.