𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛

57

Salvatore Russo stood in the darkness of the mansion's basement, his breath steady, eyes locked on the monitor in front of him. The room was cold, a sharp contrast to the heat that always seemed to build whenever he thought about her-Kailani. His precious flower, his salvation, his everything. He watched the screen with a twisted sense of satisfaction. Kailani, curled up in the center of their lavish bedroom, alone, fragile, and unaware of what he was about to do.

He had spent months carefully crafting this world around her-his world, designed specifically to keep her safe, with him. The soft lighting, the perfect temperature, even the specific scent that filled the air-everything was precisely engineered to make sure she couldn't leave, wouldn't want to leave. And yet, despite all of that, he felt the weight of her sadness crushing him. The way she looked at him lately, made his heart twist in his chest.

He couldn't let her slip away. Not when he had gone to such lengths to keep her by his side.

And little did Kailani know that every time she looked away from him for too long, the voices in his head grew closer and closer to convincing him to lock her away forever.

A dark, dangerous idea had been brewing in his mind for weeks now. A plan that, in his delusion, felt like the only way to solidify what he knew in his heart-she was meant for him.

She had to be his, completely and utterly. And if that meant breaking her down, trapping her in the only way she would understand, then so be it. He had already done everything he could to show her his love, and still, she didn't truly see it.

But she would. She would see him.

With a slow exhale, Salvatore pressed a button on the control panel, and the door to the bedroom on the screen slid open. Two men, his most trusted, entered the room without a word, moving like shadows around her as she remained curled up in bed. The moment she noticed them, she bolted upright, her eyes wide with confusion and fear.

"Salvatore?" Her voice was small, cracking with a mix of sleep and terror. She stood, backing toward the corner of the room, her hands trembling as she realized she was not alone.

The men said nothing. Instead, they grabbed her by the arms, pulling her toward the open door. Kailani fought, screaming, kicking, tears already spilling down her cheeks, but it was no use. They were too strong, too efficient. She had no chance.

Salvatore's eyes darkened as he watched her struggle, a mixture of pain and desire burning in his chest. It killed him to see her so frightened, so vulnerable, but he knew this was necessary. She needed to understand. She needed to feel what it was like to be truly vulnerable so that she would never question his protection.

As the men dragged her into the basement, he rose from his chair, already feeling the rush of anticipation tightening in his gut. He took slow, deliberate steps, descending the staircase to where she would be brought. His mind raced with the thought of what he was about to do-the act itself wasn't new to him, but this time, it would be different. It was for her. For them.

The basement was dimly lit, just enough for her to see, but not enough for her to grasp the full scope of what awaited. Kailani was shoved into the center of the cold stone floor, her breath ragged, panic written across her face. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks streaked with tears, her body trembling in fear. She looked so fragile, so breakable.

And yet, in Salvatore's twisted mind, she had never been more beautiful.

Her tear-filled eyes locked onto his, the betrayal in them cutting deep, but he ignored it. She didn't understand yet. She couldn't understand.

"Why... why are you doing this?" she whimpered, her voice shaking, pleading for an explanation, for some kind of sanity in the madness that surrounded her.

Salvatore knelt before her, reaching out to gently caress her cheek. She flinched at his touch but didn't pull away. "Because I can't bear the thought of you leaving me. And you've been slipping, haven't you? I can see it in your eyes. You don't feel safe here. You think you can run."

"I... I never-" her voice cracked, her words stumbling over each other in desperation, but Salvatore's gaze remained calm, unflinching.

His grip tightened, pulling her head back slightly, forcing her to look up at him. "I need you to know that I am the only one who can protect you. I am the only one who loves you."

Her breath hitched, a fresh wave of fear flooding her senses. "Salvatore, please..."

And then, without warning, he snapped his fingers. The door behind them creaked open, and two more men entered the room. One of them held a small, clear box in his hands, and as he approached, Salvatore's eyes gleamed with something dark and twisted.

The box was filled with syringes-rows and rows of needles, each one filled with a clear, viscous liquid.

Kailani's eyes widened in horror as the man knelt beside them, holding the box out to Salvatore like an offering.

"Do you see this?" Salvatore murmured, holding one of the syringes up to the dim light. "This is how much I'm willing to give. I would rather see you broken, dependent, needing me for every breath... than let you go."

Kailani's body shook violently, her breaths coming in panicked gasps. "No... no, please..."

But Salvatore only smiled, a sickening, possessive smile that chilled her to her core. "Don't worry," he whispered, gently pushing the needle against the skin of her arm. "You'll feel better soon. You'll forget why you ever wanted to leave."

Her scream echoed through the basement, but he didn't stop. Not until the needle was empty, not until the liquid was coursing through her veins, binding her to him in a way that went beyond love-beyond reason.

This wasn't love anymore. This was something far darker. Something twisted.

Salvatore stood back, his breathing heavy as he watched her crumple to the floor, her body trembling as the drug took hold.

Kailani's vision blurred, her body felt heavy, and the world around her dimmed. But through the haze, she heard his voice, clear and unwavering.

"You belong to me now," Salvatore whispered, his breath hot against her skin. "And no one-no one-will ever take you away."

She wanted to scream, to fight, to run. But she couldn't. She was his now-completely. Trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape.

And Salvatore, in his twisted, deluded mind, believed it was love.

Kailani jolted off of the bed, covered in sweat as she woke from the nightmare.

Her heart pounding in her chest as she looks around the room frantically.

It was just a bad dream.
Just a bad dream
Just a dream
Just...bad

Or maybe...was it a sign? No. Salvatore would never hurt her.
Salvatore would never.
Never hurt her.
...
Hurt her?