┏━━━━━━━━━┓

𝖯𝖨𝖭𝖪𝖸 𝖯𝖱𝖮𝖬𝖨𝖲𝖤

┗━━━༻❁༺━━━┛

Sophie stepped further into the room, her trembling hand pressed tightly over her mouth to stifle her cries. The acrid scent of lye and decay clawed at her, turning her stomach. She felt the bile rise in her throat, her knees threatening to buckle as her gaze landed on the grotesque scene before her.

On the bed, two decayed corpses lay in unnerving stillness, their flesh reduced to leathery remnants clinging to bone. It was clear they had been there for years.

Her mind raced, piecing together the fragments of lies and omissions. This is what really happened to his parents, she realized, her stomach twisting violently.

Had Kai killed them?

Her heart pounded as a darker thought pierced through her panic: Winter knew. She had to have known. She'd been covering for him this whole time.

Her legs gave way, and she crumpled to her knees beside the bed, her breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. She reached out instinctively toward the frail remains on the right side of the bed—Janice, she presumed—but her hand faltered midair. The enormity of it all pinned her down, leaving her with nothing but her tears.

"She shot him. Then herself."

Sophie gasped sharply, jerking backward in terror until she fell onto the floor. A strangled cry escaped her lips as her wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto Kai standing in the doorway.

He was calm, unnervingly so, his hair still damp from the shower. His gaze didn't waver as it settled on her crumpled figure, surrounded by the ghastly truth she'd uncovered.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this," he said, his voice almost wistful, as he stepped into the room, his slight limp making his approach all the more unsettling.

"It was you," she finally managed, her voice trembling. "My stalker. The killer."

Kai's gaze never left hers, dark and unreadable. "You really shouldn't go through people's things, Sophie," His black eyes seemed to pierce through her, stripping her of any remaining sense of safety.

"Are you going to kill me?" Sophie whispered, her voice so faint it was almost swallowed by the silence.

For a moment, Kai's composed expression cracked. His brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a firm line. "No," he said sharply, shaking his head like she'd asked the most absurd question imaginable. "Of course not. You and Micah mean the world to me. I would never hurt you."

"Why?" she asked. "Why do this? Why stalk me?"

Kai's expression softened, and for a moment, there was something in his eyes—something desperate, almost human. "Winter told me about running into you," he admitted, his voice carrying a quiet intensity. "And I had to see you for myself. See him for myself."

He limped closer, and Sophie instinctively scooted back.

Kai stopped, his face flickering with something between frustration and longing. "I needed a reason," he continued, his voice low. "A reason to get you here. To be with me. And I found it."

Sophie shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "This isn't love," she choked out. "It's manipulation. It's—"

"It's everything I've done for us," Kai interrupted, his voice sharp but laced with a twisted sincerity. He dropped to one knee to level himself with her. "I've sacrificed everything to make this life for us, Sophie. Don't throw it away now."

Sophie stared into Kai's eyes, her stomach churning as his words sank in. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think clearly over the pounding of her heart. Her gaze flickered to the corpses on the bed. Her chest tightened with the knowledge that she was trapped. The guards outside, the locked doors, the surveillance—there was no escape. Not now.

She swallowed hard as she forced herself to look at Kai again. His black eyes were still fixed on her, waiting for something—an answer, a reaction, or perhaps her submission.

"I understand," Sophie whispered. 

Kai's expression softened, a hint of relief flickering in his eyes. "You do?" 

Sophie nodded, swallowing her fear. "I do," she said, forcing her voice to steady. "I see now... you did all of this for us. For me and Micah."

Kai exhaled slowly, nodding as if to affirm her words. "That's right," 

Her muscles screamed to run, to fight, but she stayed rooted to the spot. Instead, she reached out and brushed her fingers against his arm, forcing herself to meet his gaze with a strained smile. "I didn't understand before, but... I see it now. Everything you've done—it's because you care about us."

His lips curved into a smile, one that should have been warm but felt like a trap. "Exactly," he said, his tone almost tender now. "You're finally starting to get it, Sophie."

She nodded again, her fingers tightening briefly on his arm. "I just need time," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly despite her effort to stay calm. "Time to... adjust to everything."

Kai reached out, cupping her face in his hands. His touch was surprisingly gentle, but it made her skin crawl. "You don't need to adjust," he said, his thumbs brushing away the tears she hadn't realized were still falling. "You're exactly where you're supposed to be. With me."

Sophie forced another smile, leaning into his touch as bile rose in her throat. "You're right," she whispered.

He nodded, seeming satisfied. "Good," he said, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead.

Her stomach churned, but she kept still, kept smiling. 

A wave of nausea slammed into Sophie with such force that her head swam, the room spinning around her. She shot to her feet, a hand flying to her mouth as bile burned the back of her throat. Without thinking, she staggered toward the connected bathroom.

The stench hit her first—a cloying mixture of mildew, stale air, and decay. The grimy tiles underfoot felt sticky, and the sink was coated in a layer of filth, evidence of years of neglect. She barely noticed any of it as she collapsed to her knees in front of the toilet, the porcelain yellowed and rimmed with grime.

Her stomach convulsed violently, and she leaned forward, clutching the rim of the toilet as she heaved. The retching echoed in the cramped space, harsh and raw, each wave leaving her gasping for air. Tears pricked her eyes as she coughed and spat, her body trembling from the force of it.

The smell of the room mixed with the bitter taste in her mouth, intensifying the nausea. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady her breathing, but her stomach rolled again, and she leaned back over the bowl.

When the heaving finally subsided, Sophie slumped back against the wall, her hand gripping the edge of the sink for support. Her body felt weak, her limbs trembling as she wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand. Her skin was clammy, and sweat trickled down her temple.

She forced her eyes open, staring blankly at the cracked tiles on the floor. She pressed a hand to her stomach, the nausea lingering like a ghost, her mind too chaotic to think straight.

Kai stepped into the room with an energy that felt entirely out of place, his eyes gleaming with a wild, almost feverish excitement. His smile stretched wide, bordering on manic, as he took in the sight of her trembling on the bathroom floor. "I didn't think it would happen so fast," 

Sophie's heart pounded in her chest as her gaze darted to him. His expression was jubilant, but there was an undercurrent of something darker, something that made her stomach twist in fear. "What are you talking about?" 

Kai stepped closer, his hands clasped together in a way that made him look almost childlike in his enthusiasm. "Your pills," he said, as if it were the most casual thing in the world. "I switched them out." His tone was light, matter-of-fact, as though he were talking about swapping out sugar for sweetener in her coffee.

Sophie's blood ran cold. Her mouth felt dry as the meaning of his words slowly sank in. "My... birth control pills?" 

Kai nodded, his grin unwavering, his gaze locked onto hers like a predator cornering its prey. "Yeah," he said, his tone almost proud. "It's like it was meant to be, don't you think?"

Her heart dropped into her stomach, her mind racing as she tried to comprehend what he was saying. "You... you did this without telling me?"

Kai's smile faltered for a fraction of a second, but he quickly recovered. "I did it for us," he said, stepping closer, his tone gentle but patronizing. "For our family. You're going to thank me for this one day, Sophie. I know you will."

She felt sick, not just from the nausea that had driven her to the bathroom in the first place, but from the realization that the man standing before her—the man she thought she knew—had taken away her agency, her choices, her control.

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and heartbreak.

Kai tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as though her question puzzled him. "Because I love you," he said simply, as if that justified everything. "Because I want us to be closer, to be a real family. Don't you see? This is what's best for us."

Sophie stared at him, her chest rising and falling erratically as she struggled to contain the storm of emotions threatening to consume her. Her vision blurred with tears, but she refused to let them fall, refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her completely broken.

Kai's expression softened, though it didn't feel comforting—it felt calculated. He crouched slightly to meet her gaze, his tone taking on an almost wistful quality. "I missed out on a lot with Micah," he said as if he were confessing some deep regret. "I didn't get to be there for his first steps, his first words... any of it."

He straightened, the intensity in his eyes sharpening as his lips curved into a faint, almost hopeful smile. "But now," he continued, gesturing vaguely as though painting an invisible picture of the future, "now we have the chance to start over. To do things right this time. A real family, Sophie. That's all I've ever wanted."

Sophie's stomach churned as his words hung in the air. The audacity of him framing this as some kind of redemptive opportunity made her blood boil. Her mind screamed with protest, but outwardly, she remained still, her face carefully neutral.

"That's why you did this?" she asked quietly.

Kai nodded. "Yes," he said, his hand reaching out to brush her arm lightly, a gesture that made her want to recoil. "For us."

────༻❁༺────

Sophie sat at the small table in the basement, the harsh fluorescent light above casting a cold, unflattering glow across the room. The silence was thick between her and Kai, who sat across from her, his posture relaxed yet commanding.

"I know this is a lot," he began, his voice unusually soft but carrying an undertone of unsettling confidence. "Change can be scary, but I need you to trust me. We're building something special here, Sophie. Something bigger than both of us."

She didn't respond, her eyes fixed on the scratched surface of the table. His words pressed down on her, but she refused to meet his gaze. Her silence must have grated on him because he shifted forward, resting his elbows on the table as his voice hardened slightly.

"You're not hearing me," he said, his tone firm but measured. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, Sophie raised her head, her eyes meeting his. His intense stare pinned her in place, a mix of control and conviction that sent a chill down her spine. Slowly, he extended his hand across the table, his pinky raised.

"Pinky to pinky," Kai said, a strange, almost tender smile curving his lips. "No lies. No secrets. Total honesty. That's how we'll get through this—together."

Sophie's gaze dropped to his outstretched finger, her stomach churning with unease. The gesture seemed so innocuous, so absurdly innocent, but coming from Kai, it was anything but. She hesitated, her instincts screaming at her to pull away, to refuse. Yet she knew better. Defiance wasn't an option—not now, not like this.

"Once physical contact is initiated, you answer all of my questions. Understand?" Kai's voice was calm but carried the weight of an unspoken threat.

Sophie forced a small nod, her throat tight as their pinkies intertwined. The moment stretched, heavy and oppressive, before Kai finally spoke again.

"What fills your heart with dread?"

Her voice trembled as she finally spoke. "Losing Micah."

"Micah is safe," he said, almost dismissively, as if her fear was unfounded. "You know I'd never let anything happen to him. But that's not what I mean, Sophie. What truly terrifies you? Deep down, in the darkest part of your heart."

Her grip tightened around his pinky, a reflex more than a conscious action. Her gaze darted to the table, then back to his face, which was waiting, patient but expectant. She knew she couldn't stall forever.

"You," she whispered, the word barely audible.

Kai's eyes flickered, though it was unclear if it was amusement, pride, or something darker. "Good," he murmured. "Honesty. That's what I want from you."

Sophie nodded.

"Fear isn't a weakness, Sophie. It's fuel. It drives us. Makes us stronger. You should embrace it."

"I'm not your enemy," he continued, his voice soothing but unnervingly intense. "I'm your partner. Your protector."

He leaned forward again, tightening his grip on her pinky. "And if you're honest with yourself, you know that. Don't you?"

Sophie swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod. "Yes," she said, her voice hollow.

Kai's face lit up with a smile, and the sight of it made her stomach churn. "That's my girl. See? We're a team. Together, we can face anything."

She nodded again, unable to speak. In her mind, one thought looped endlessly: Play nice. Survive. Keep Micah safe.

The air between them thickened as Kai's voice cut through her thoughts, the words simple yet heavy. "What's your most humiliating experience?"

Her heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she felt her body freeze, as if the question itself had paralyzed her. Her instinct was to hold back, to hide the raw truth, but the pinky promise, the binding agreement that hung between them, weighed on her. 

"When you left," she said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "I felt like a naive little girl for letting myself think you would want anything to do with me."

The words hit her harder than she expected, and for a brief moment, she felt a sting of old pain rush through her chest. It was almost like the years of quiet rejection and abandonment, the loneliness that had settled deep in her bones, had never left her. The feeling of betrayal she had tried so hard to bury resurfaced with Kai's gaze locked on her, watching her.

She could feel Kai's eyes on her, studying her as if trying to gauge the depth of her answer. His presence seemed to swallow the air around her, every second dragging out longer than the last, leaving her feeling like she was standing on the edge of a precipice, unable to turn back.

"What's the most physical pain you've ever experienced?" 

"Childbirth," she answered. "It was too late for an epidural, so..." Her throat tightened, the words catching in her chest as the pain of that experience—of everything she had endured alone—came flooding back.

Her mind drifted to the night she gave birth to Micah, the excruciating contractions, the helplessness she felt as the room spun around her, and the overwhelming sense of powerlessness as her body fought against her. She could still feel the sweat on her skin, the weight of the doctor's hands on her, the endless scream that had escaped her throat. The pain had been all-consuming, like a burning fire that wouldn't die.

Sophie could see Kai leaning in slightly, his eyes glinting with a strange intensity as he waited for more, the silence between them thick with his expectation. She fought to keep her composure, trying not to let the memory break her.

"It was unbearable," she finished quietly.

Kai's voice cut through the silence with an edge that almost seemed to carry a weight of finality. "One more question," he said, his eyes never leaving her as he reached into the pocket of his jacket.

Sophie's heart skipped a beat, her body tensing instinctively, as if preparing for whatever else he might throw at her. Her breath hitched in her chest when he pulled out a small box. He slid it across the table toward her with one hand.

 Sophie's eyes were drawn to it, her pulse quickening, her mind racing with a mixture of confusion and fear. She knew this wasn't going to be anything simple. Nothing with Kai ever was.

Kai flipped the box open, revealing what lay inside. Sophie's gaze fell to the contents, her heart sinking. A simple, elegant ring—its diamond gleaming coldly in the dim light—stared back at her, its meaning too heavy to ignore. 

His mother's ring.

For a moment, she couldn't move as his eyes flickered to hers.

"Will you marry me?" Kai's voice was soft, almost gentle, yet it carried an unspoken demand beneath it. There was no warmth in the offer, no tenderness in the gesture. It was as if he was presenting her with a decision, an ultimatum, and the consequences of refusing were too terrifying to imagine.

Sophie swallowed hard, the words sticking in her throat. She couldn't bring herself to speak just yet, her mind spinning with the realization that this moment, this seemingly innocent question, was so much more than a proposal. This was a power move, a way for Kai to lock her even tighter into his world.

His gaze bore down on her as he waited, his fingers tapping against the edge of the table, his breath steady, though there was something wild, something unhinged, beneath the calm facade. He wasn't asking for her love—he was asking for her compliance.

Sophie's mind raced, her thoughts fighting against the swirl of emotions crashing through her. Could she refuse? What would that even mean for her, for Micah, for everything?

She glanced down at the ring again, her stomach tightening. This wasn't a question of love. This was a question of survival. And as much as she hated it, she knew she had to play along.

Her fingers trembled as she reached for the box, her touch light as if afraid that even the slightest movement would make the world around her crumble.

She didn't answer immediately, letting the tension build, savoring the brief, quiet rebellion that lingered in the space between them. But the moment couldn't last forever. Sophie finally lifted her gaze to meet his.

"Yes."

────༻❁༺────