𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛

30

Kailani stumbled back, her legs weak beneath her. Her throat felt raw as she gagged, a scream dying on her lips. Her eyes darted around the room, from the blood-streaked floor to her teacher's lifeless body. Reality felt warped, twisted-nothing made sense. The metallic scent of blood mixed with the lingering warmth of Salvatore's breath against her skin.

She pressed a shaking hand to her face, wiping the spit, blood, and tears, but it didn't make the horror go away. Salvatore stood nearby, his body still as a shadow, watching her intently. His eyes burned with a possessive hunger, but he made no move to comfort her-only watched, as though this moment was one he'd long been waiting for.

Her voice broke through the heavy silence, hoarse and fragile. "What did you do? Why did you...?"

Her words fell flat. She didn't know what to ask. She didn't want the answer.

Salvatore's eyes flickered briefly to the body. It was as if he was proud of the scene before them, the proof of his devotion to her painted in crimson. But he offered no explanation, no word of comfort. He never did. Instead, he moved closer, his hand once again finding her waist, pulling her against him, forcing her to stand.

Kailani's body stiffened under his touch. "You're insane," she whispered, her voice shaking with fear and disbelief. "You... you killed her." Her breath came in ragged bursts. "For me?"

He nodded once, the movement slow, deliberate. His eyes locked onto hers as though she was the only thing in the world that mattered.

Tears blurred her vision, and she pushed against his chest, trying to break free from his suffocating grip. "You think I wanted this?" she choked out, her voice rising with desperation. "How could you... how could you do this?"

He didn't loosen his hold, his strength far too overpowering. Instead, he let her thrash for a moment, as if allowing her to get it out of her system. When she finally went limp, exhausted from fighting, he lifted her chin with two fingers, forcing her to look up into his dark, piercing gaze.

Salvatore's hand moved from her chin to her throat, his grip firm but not painful, like he was reminding her of his control. Her pulse raced under his fingertips. She could feel the thrum of her own panic beneath his cool exterior.

"Let me go," she whimpered. "Please, just let me go."

But he only responded with silence, his gloved hand brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. Then, without another glance at the teacher's body, he turned her around, guiding her back toward the hallway, away from the gruesome scene as though nothing had happened.

Kailani couldn't take her eyes off the lifeless figure on the floor. It felt like the image was seared into her mind, an inescapable nightmare. The world outside seemed impossibly far away. Would she ever escape this prison?

Salvatore led her to the couch, sitting her down gently, though his presence remained overwhelming. He took the remote and flipped on a classical record, filling the space with haunting violins. He crouched in front of her, brushing her hair away from her pale face.

Her lips trembled, unable to form words as her eyes darted across the polished floors and the pictures of her hanging on the walls. His perfect world. His perfect prisoner.

With steady hands, Salvatore grabbed a clean cloth and, to her surprise, started wiping the blood from her hands, her arms, and her neck. The juxtaposition of care after his violence made her stomach churn.

"Why?" she asked again, her voice fragile. "Why me?"

There was no answer, just the soft rustle of fabric and the lingering tension in the air as Salvatore continued to clean her, treating her like a doll. His actions were methodical, calculated, yet the possessiveness in every touch was unmistakable.

And in that moment, Kailani realized something horrifying: she wasn't just a captive anymore. She was his obsession-an obsession so deep that he was willing to kill, destroy, and devour anyone who stood in his way.

She looked at him, her voice a broken whisper. "You're never going to let me go, are you?"

Salvatore's hand paused mid-motion, his dark eyes locking onto hers, and in that silent exchange, she already knew the answer.

Kailani stumbled back, her heart racing, her entire body trembling. The sight of her teacher's bloodied, lifeless body on the floor hit her like a punch to the gut. Her breath came in short, panicked gasps, eyes wide with disbelief and terror. The room spun as the reality of what had just happened crashed down on her.

"No... no, no, no..." she whimpered, backing up until she hit the wall. She pressed her hands to her head, clutching her hair as if she could block out the horror in front of her. "You... you killed her!"

Her voice cracked with hysteria as she screamed, her chest tightening in fear. "You killed her!" she shrieked again, her voice louder, more desperate.

Salvatore stood still, his massive frame blocking the only exit, his dark eyes fixed on her, unblinking. He didn't react to her screaming, his silence only making her panic worse.

Kailani's knees buckled, but before she could collapse, Salvatore was suddenly in front of her, his hand gripping her waist, lifting her as though she weighed nothing. But she wasn't about to let him control her this time. Not after what she'd seen.

"Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing wildly in his arms. She slapped his hand away, her nails scratching at his gloved fingers as she struggled to break free. "Get away from me!"

Her heel slammed into his shin, but he barely flinched. His grip only tightened, pulling her closer to his chest as he started walking, carrying her away from the scene like she was nothing more than a tantrum-throwing child.

"Stop!" she cried out, kicking her legs wildly, her fists pounding against his chest. "Stop it! You're insane! I hate you! I hate you!"

Salvatore's face remained blank, his calm demeanor unnerving against her violent panic. No words, no explanations, just the crushing silence of his presence.

Kailani's heart pounded in her ears, her vision blurred by tears. She clawed at his arm, trying to pry herself free, but it was useless. His strength was overwhelming, his grip like iron. Every step he took felt like a slow, deliberate reminder that she was utterly powerless against him.

She twisted in his hold, desperate, her throat raw from screaming. "Let me go! Please, let me go!" Her words were more of a sob now, her voice breaking as she realized how futile her fight was. "You're a monster!"

Salvatore stopped walking, his body stilling as he looked down at her. For a brief moment, his eyes flickered with something dark, unreadable. He lowered her onto the couch, holding her shoulders down to keep her from bolting. She pushed against him, slapping his hands away, but he didn't relent.

Kailani's breaths came in frantic bursts, her chest heaving as she tried to make sense of the nightmare around her. She whipped her head toward him, glaring through her tears. "How could you do this?!" she shouted, her voice filled with raw anger and fear. "Why are you doing this?!"

But again, he gave her nothing. Just that same, cold silence that made her want to scream even more. He pulled out a clean cloth, his movements slow and deliberate, as if they hadn't just walked out of a room soaked in blood. He reached for her hands, stained red from the chaos of the scene, and tried to wipe them clean.

"No!" she shrieked, jerking her hands away from him, scooting back on the couch until she hit the armrest. "Don't touch me!"

Salvatore's gaze hardened for just a split second before he grabbed her wrists, pinning them in his large hands. He began wiping the blood from her skin, ignoring her frantic attempts to resist. Her body squirmed beneath his hold, her legs kicking out as she tried to shake him off, but he was unmoved by her desperation.

"I don't want your help!" she spat, her voice filled with venom. Her vision blurred with tears, her breath hitching as panic overtook her. "You're sick! You're disgusting!"

Her words seemed to slide right off him as he continued cleaning her, his movements gentle but firm, methodical in their care despite the chaos she was in. Her chest heaved with sobs, her entire body trembling as she realized how little control she had over her own life.