Inessa

13

The neon lights of London pulsed against the darkness, bathing the crowded streets in a restless glow. At the heart of it all stood Wild Night—a place where people sought escape, indulgence, and temporary oblivion. The club thrived on decadence, not just for its liquor and music, but for the promise of companionship for those willing to pay the price.

Noah sat in the farthest corner, a drink in his hand, his sharp eyes scanning the room as if hunting for something—someone. He had never come here before, never needed to. But now, four months had passed, and the void inside him had only deepened. The taste of whiskey burned down his throat, yet it did nothing to dull the ache clawing at his insides.

Inessa.

She was gone.

She had run from him—her cowardice had turned into defiance, and her defiance had fueled an obsession that now consumed him. She wasn’t the love of his life. She was his possession, his right. And she had dared to deny him that.

Darkness slithered through his veins, the beast within gnashing at the chains he barely held. He had done everything to keep her. Blackmail. Manipulation. He had used every weakness she had against her, backed her into a corner where he thought she would surrender.

But he had underestimated her.

She had run.

One shot.

"I will find you."

Two shots.

"No one will come to your rescue this time."

Three shots.

"I will tie you up. I will break you so you never run again."

The glass slammed against the bar, empty. The burn in his chest did not come from the alcohol. He blinked once, twice, his vision swaying under the haze of intoxication. And then he saw her.

A girl.

Dancing under the strobe lights, her body moving with reckless abandon. His breath hitched, his heart stuttering for a fraction of a second.

Inessa.

His legs carried him forward before he could think, pushing through the throng of bodies until he stood before her. Up close, reality struck like a cruel joke. The girl bore a resemblance—enough to momentarily fool him—but she wasn’t his Inessa.

Her hair was shorter. Her eyes were a piercing blue, lacking the deep chocolate warmth that had once entrapped him. She was taller, leaner. And yet, for the briefest moment, he let himself pretend.

"Inessa," he whispered, his grip tightening around her wrist.

The girl frowned, trying to tug away. "Sorry? I think you have the wrong person."

His jaw clenched. The wrong person. He knew that. But for tonight, she would be Inessa.

"What’s your name?"

She hesitated before answering, "Ella."

"Are three hundred bucks enough?"

Her lips curled into a smirk. "More than enough."

Noah barely acknowledged her response, his mind lost in the delusion he was crafting for himself. He needed this. Even if she was a stranger, for tonight, she would be his Inessa.

The hotel room was dimly lit, the shadows stretching across the walls as he guided her inside. Ella watched him with a mix of curiosity and wariness, sensing something unhinged in his demeanor.

"Inessa," he murmured again, as if saying her name could summon her spirit through another’s body.

Ella sighed. "I told you, I’m not—"

His palm struck her cheek before she could finish.

The sound echoed in the room.

Her head snapped to the side, a sharp intake of breath following. Her fingers trembled as she touched her stinging skin, fear creeping into her features.

"Shut up," he growled, his voice low, menacing. "Tonight, you are Inessa. And I don’t want to argue about this anymore. Understood?"

She swallowed hard, nodding hesitantly.

"Now strip."

Her fingers fumbled with the hem of her dress, hesitating. A mistake. He stepped closer, his presence suffocating, his hand grasping her chin roughly.

"Don’t make me repeat myself."

Shaking, she obeyed.

Clothes fell to the floor, and so did any semblance of control she thought she had.

"I love you, Inessa," he murmured against her skin, his grip bruising, his actions unforgiving. "You betrayed me. You ran from me."

Ella bit her lip to stifle her cry.

Time stretched endlessly in that cold room. Minutes turned into hours. She didn’t know how much longer she could endure. Her body ached, her mind screamed for an escape that wouldn’t come.

"Please stop," she whimpered, barely audible.

A sharp slap landed across her thigh. "Don’t speak unless I tell you to."

Tears welled in her eyes. She had made a mistake. A terrible, irreversible mistake. No amount of money was worth this. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go.

"Say you love me," he demanded. "Say you will never leave me."

Ella’s lips trembled. She could see the madness in his gaze, the desperation clashing with cruelty.

"I love you," she whispered, the words foreign on her tongue. "I will never leave you."

His lips curled into something almost gentle as he pressed a kiss to her temple. "Good girl. See? That wasn’t so hard."

Her stomach twisted.

Hours later, exhaustion consumed her. Darkness overtook her mind, mercifully dragging her into unconsciousness.

But Noah wasn’t done.

As dawn’s light filtered through the curtains, he traced a finger over her bruised skin.

"Until I get Inessa back," he murmured, his voice eerily soft, "you will be Inessa for me."

He smiled as he watched her sleeping form, unaware that she had just become another pawn in his game of obsession.