The silence between them stretched on, thick and heavy, as Jungkook's intense gaze remained locked on Lisa. Her small frame trembled under his scrutiny, and despite her instinct to recoil, to run, she remained rooted in place, too scared to make a move.
"Why are you crying, Lili?" Jungkook's voice softened, his fingers caressing her cheek, wiping away the tears that continued to spill from her doll-like eyes. Those eyes—so wide, innocent, and filled with fear—were what had drawn him in from the beginning. He loved how they twinkled with excitement or dulled with despair at his whim. He relished the power he held over her.
Lisa blinked, her lips quivering as she tried to answer. But words escaped her, lost in the overwhelming weight of her emotions. Her chest ached with a longing she couldn't quite understand, a deep desire to please him, to stop the darkness from closing in.
Jungkook tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. His expression was unreadable, but his voice dripped with a deceptive tenderness. "I don’t want you to be scared of me, Lili," he murmured, stroking her hair gently. "You know I only want what's best for you. You know that, don’t you?"
Lisa’s bottom lip trembled, her voice barely a whisper. "Kookie... you said you would hurt Daddy. You said you would hurt the people I love."
Jungkook's eyes darkened momentarily, but he quickly masked the frustration threatening to spill over. "I said that because I was angry, Lili," he lied, his voice smooth, almost soothing. "I would never hurt your mommy or daddy. They’re your family, and I know how much you love them." He paused, studying her face for any sign that his words were sinking in. "But you need to understand, they don’t know how to take care of you like I do. I can protect you. I can give you everything you need."
Lisa stared at him, her mind a swirl of confusion. His words were comforting, and the softness in his tone was almost enough to make her believe him. But the lingering fear, the memory of his threats, kept tugging at the edges of her consciousness.
"But... but you said—"
"I know what I said, and I’m sorry." Jungkook's grip on her chin loosened as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear. "Sometimes, when I’m upset, I say things I don’t mean. I would never hurt them. I promise, Lili. I’ll never hurt them as long as you’re with me. You're safe with me."
The promise hung in the air, sweet and intoxicating, like a poison wrapped in honey. Lisa’s heart, innocent and trusting, wanted so desperately to believe him. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was before, when Jungkook wasn’t so scary, when he showered her with affection, and she felt loved.
Jungkook pulled back slightly, watching her closely. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, and he knew he was close—so close to breaking down the last of her resistance. "I even have something for you," he said softly, his lips curving into a gentle smile.
Her eyes flickered with cautious curiosity. "Something for me?"
Jungkook stood and walked over to the wardrobe, retrieving a small, plush toy from a hidden compartment. It was a bunny—soft and blue, with floppy ears and big, round eyes. He turned back to her, holding it out in his hands like an offering.
Lisa’s eyes widened with a childlike wonder, a glimmer of excitement dancing in her gaze. "A bunny!" she gasped, her voice soft but filled with delight. "Is it for me?"
Jungkook nodded, kneeling beside her again. "Yes, Lili. It’s all yours. I thought you could use a new friend. His name is Benny."
"Benny," Lisa whispered, testing the name on her lips. She reached out, taking the bunny from his hands, her face lighting up with pure joy. For a brief moment, the weight of the previous night, the threats, the fear—all of it melted away as she hugged the bunny close to her chest.
"He's so soft," she said, her voice barely audible as she nuzzled against the plush fur. "Is Benny a boy?"
"Of course, he is," Jungkook replied smoothly, though he knew Benny was actually a girl. But Lisa didn’t need to know that. In her mind, Benny was now a boy, and that was all that mattered.
"Just like Daisy," Lisa whispered, glancing at her other bunny sitting on the bedside table. She reached over and grabbed Daisy, pulling her into her embrace alongside Benny. The two bunnies now sat nestled against her, and Lisa’s eyes twinkled with the kind of innocent joy that made Jungkook’s possessive heart swell.
"Now you have two bunnies to keep you company," Jungkook said, his voice gentle as he brushed a strand of hair from her face. "They'll always be here with you, even when I’m not."
Lisa’s smile widened, her earlier fears forgotten in the presence of her new toy. "Thank you, Kookie," she said, her voice small and soft, but filled with genuine gratitude. She hugged the bunnies tighter, her delicate fingers stroking their soft fur.
Jungkook’s smile darkened, though he kept his expression warm. She had no idea. No idea that Benny, like Daisy, was more than just a toy. Hidden inside the plush fur was a small camera, one that would allow him to watch her, even when he wasn’t there. He could always keep an eye on her, always make sure she was behaving as he expected.
"You’re welcome, Lili," he said, his voice a soft murmur as he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I’m glad you like him."
Lisa’s eyes twinkled with excitement as she positioned Daisy and Benny on either side of her, snuggling back into the bed with the two plush toys by her side. The dark, oppressive atmosphere of the room seemed to lift for her, if only slightly. For now, with her new bunny, her old friend Daisy, and Jungkook’s soft words, she felt safe.
But Jungkook knew better. He could see the subtle cracks in her mind, the way her innocence made her easy to manipulate, easy to control. She would never truly escape him, not now that he had woven himself so deeply into her life.
As he stood to leave, Jungkook cast one last glance at Lisa. She lay nestled in the bed, her wide eyes fluttering shut as she drifted into sleep, her small hands clutching Benny and Daisy close to her chest. He watched her for a moment longer, the possessive gleam in his eyes growing darker, more dangerous.
"Sweet dreams, Lili," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he left the room, the door closing softly behind him.
Lisa, in her innocent mind, believed that things would be better now. That Jungkook would keep his promises, that he would protect her and her family. She didn’t know that, in truth, she was as much a prisoner as ever—trapped in a gilded cage, under the watchful eye of the man who would never let her go.
As she slept, the camera in Benny’s eye blinked to life, recording every peaceful breath she took, every flutter of her eyelids, as Jungkook watched from the other side.
CONTINUE...
