The door closed with a soft click behind Mae, sealing her inside the dimly lit room with Charlie. Her heart pounded in her chest, and every nerve in her body screamed at her to run. But there was no running now. She had come this far, and whatever awaited her on the other side of this moment was inevitable.

Charlie leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving hers. The calm, measured expression on his face sent a chill down her spine. He looked as if he had been expecting this for a long time, as if everything had been meticulously planned and she had merely walked into the trap he had set.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. His voice was soft, but the command was clear.

Mae hesitated for a moment, but then her legs carried her forward, almost against her will. She sat down, her body tense, her hands gripping the edge of the chair as she forced herself to meet his gaze. The air between them felt thick, charged with something unspoken, something dark.

"You've been fighting," Charlie said, his voice low, steady. "Resisting. But you knew this moment would come, didn't you?"

Mae swallowed hard, her throat dry. "I didn't know it would be like this."

Charlie smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "It was always going to be like this, Mae. You just didn't want to see it."

Mae's pulse quickened. She had spent so long trying to make sense of everything, trying to unravel the web she had found herself trapped in. But every answer she uncovered only led to more questions, and now, sitting in front of Charlie, she realized that he had been controlling the game from the very beginning.

"What do you want from me?" Mae asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Charlie leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk, his fingers steepled as he watched her intently. "I already told you," he said softly. "I want all of you. Your loyalty, your submission, your trust."

Mae's heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She had heard those words before, but now, sitting here in front of him, they felt heavier, more dangerous. The weight of what he was asking for pressed down on her, suffocating her.

"You've tried to resist," Charlie continued, his voice smooth and controlled. "But you've always been drawn to this, haven't you? To the power, to the control. You've wanted it, even if you didn't want to admit it."

Mae's stomach churned. A part of her wanted to deny it, to push back against the truth in his words. But deep down, she knew he was right. She had been drawn to the darkness, to the danger, from the very beginning. It had scared her, but it had also excited her. And that terrified her more than anything.

Charlie stood up slowly, walking around the desk until he was standing in front of her. He reached out, his hand brushing against her cheek, his touch both gentle and possessive.

"I've been patient," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "I've given you time to understand. But now, Mae, it's time to make a choice."

Mae's breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him, her heart racing. "What choice?"

Charlie knelt down in front of her, his hand still resting on her cheek as his eyes bore into hers. "You can walk away," he said softly, his voice laced with a challenge. "You can leave all of this behind and never look back. Or..."

He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin. "You can stay. You can accept what you've been running from. You can give yourself to me completely."

Mae's pulse thundered in her ears. The room seemed to spin around her, the weight of his words sinking in. Walk away. Or stay. The choice he had given her felt like a lifeline, but it was laced with barbs. She could walk away from the danger, the control, the darkness—but she would also be walking away from him.

And despite everything, despite the fear and the confusion, she wasn't sure she wanted to.

"What happens if I stay?" she asked, her voice barely audible.

Charlie's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "If you stay, Mae, you'll never be free. You'll belong to me, completely. But you'll also know what it means to live without fear, without doubt. You'll be protected. You'll have power you never imagined."

Mae's heart pounded in her chest, the allure of his words pulling her in. Power. Control. Protection. It was everything she had been searching for, everything she had been afraid to reach for. And now, Charlie was offering it to her.

But at what cost?

Her mind raced as she weighed the decision in front of her. Walking away meant safety, anonymity, a chance to return to the life she had known before all of this. But staying meant embracing the darkness, the danger, the power that had both frightened and intrigued her.

Charlie's hand slid down to her neck, his fingers brushing against her pulse, reminding her of the control he already had over her. His eyes never left hers, and in that moment, Mae knew that no matter what choice she made, she had already been claimed.

"I can't promise you that it will be easy," Charlie said softly, his thumb brushing against her skin. "But I can promise you this: if you stay, you will never have to run again. You will never have to hide."

Mae's breath hitched in her throat as she stared into his eyes, the weight of the decision pressing down on her like a heavy blanket. She could feel the pull, the irresistible force that had drawn her to him from the very beginning.

"I..." Mae's voice cracked, and she swallowed hard, trying to steady herself. Her mind screamed at her to walk away, to break free from the control he held over her. But her heart—her heart whispered something else.

Her heart whispered stay.

Charlie's eyes softened, his hand still resting gently against her neck. "Mae," he whispered, his voice low and filled with something she couldn't quite place. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

Mae's breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest as the weight of the decision settled over her. She wasn't sure if it was fear or desire or something in between that was guiding her now, but she knew—deep down—there was only one choice she could make.

Slowly, Mae nodded.

"I'll stay."

Charlie's smile widened, his eyes darkening with something that sent a shiver down her spine. His hand tightened slightly on her neck, not enough to hurt, but enough to remind her of the power he held over her now.

"You've made the right choice," he whispered, his voice a dark promise.

Mae's pulse quickened, her body trembling as she looked into his eyes. She had made her choice, and now, there was no turning back.

Charlie stood, pulling her to her feet with him. His hand never left her neck, his touch both a comfort and a reminder of her submission. He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke the words that would seal her fate.

"You're mine now, Mae."

Mae's breath hitched, her heart racing as the full weight of her decision sank in. She had crossed the line, stepped fully into the darkness. And now, there was no escape.

Not from him. Not from the world he had pulled her into.

She belonged to Charlie.

And a part of her didn't mind at all.