Destined By Hate

CHAPTER-20

                                                           ~Bella~

As I stood there, his fingers lingering on my cheek, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off—deeply wrong. His touch, so gentle and seemingly sincere, felt like a mask hiding the monster beneath. This duality he displayed—oscillating between sweet and terrifying—was unnerving.

It dawned on me that his behavior was manipulative, a psychological game meant to keep me off balance. One moment, he was the obsessed monster, his dark gaze heavy with possessiveness, and the next, he transformed into a caring man, pretending as if he hadn't just pinned me against the wall, wielding his strength as a weapon.

I recalled the intensity in his eyes when he declared I was his, how that claim had felt like a shackle binding me to him. This shift was chilling; he wanted me to feel safe in his presence, but that safety came with a price—a price I was terrified to pay.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart racing as I wrestled with the confusion swirling in my mind. "You can't just act like nothing happened."

His expression flickered for a moment, and I could see the hint of a smile playing on his lips as if he found my question almost amusing. "I'm just showing you how much I care," he replied, the sweetness in his voice contrasting sharply with the terror he had just instilled in me. "I know you're scared, but you don't need to be. I'm not going to hurt you. I want to protect you."

The very idea felt twisted. How could he say he wanted to protect me when his actions had caused me so much fear? My mind raced with conflicting thoughts. This was his strategy—wearing me down with kindness after the storm of his darker side. It was a classic tactic, and I recognized it now.

With each word, he was weaving a web, attempting to ensnare me in a false sense of security. I could feel the manipulative undertones in his voice, the way he attempted to make me feel guilty for being frightened of him. I was caught in a whirlwind of emotions, desperate to escape but equally terrified of how he would react to my resistance.

"Why can't you just be honest with me?" I pressed, trying to expose the facade he had so carefully constructed. "You can't just switch between these two personas as if it's normal!"

His expression shifted, and for a moment, I saw a flash of something darker flicker in his eyes, a shadow of the monster he could be. "You don't understand how much I've had to change to keep you safe," he replied, his tone slightly sharper now. "You have no idea what I've done for you, what I'm willing to do."

And there it was again—the underlying threat, the unspoken promise of violence that lurked just beneath the surface of his caring demeanor. It was a reminder that I was trapped in a dangerous game, and I had to tread carefully.

In that moment, I realized that his caring nature was just another layer of his psychosis, a way to keep me close while ensuring I remained dependent on him. I wouldn't let him manipulate me. I had to find a way to escape this twisted reality before I lost myself entirely in his chaotic world.

I looked into his eyes, searching for some semblance of truth beneath the layers of obsession and charm. "What would you really do for me?" I asked, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my insides. "What lengths would you go to keep me here?"

A dark smile crept across his lips, one that sent a chill racing down my spine. "I would burn everything for you," he replied, his tone dripping with sincerity that felt more like a threat. "If it meant you'd stay with me, I'd watch the world burn. I'd kill for you, if necessary."

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, wrapping around me like a noose. My heart raced, pounding against my ribcage, as I processed the full extent of his declaration. This wasn't just an empty promise; it was a testament to the depths of his madness, a chilling reminder of how far he was willing to go.

"Kill?" I echoed, my voice trembling slightly. "You're serious?"

"Deadly serious," he said, his gaze unwavering, fierce and possessive. "You don't understand how much you mean to me. I would do anything to ensure you're safe, to make sure no one can take you from me. If anyone dared to threaten you, I would make them pay. I would erase them from existence."

His fervor was both intoxicating and terrifying, the madness in his eyes palpable. In that moment, I saw the monster he truly was—his love twisted into a psychotic obsession. My breath hitched as I struggled to comprehend the reality of my situation.

"Is that love?" I shot back, my voice rising with indignation. "Is that how you show you care?"

He stepped closer, closing the distance between us, his gaze penetrating. "You're not seeing the bigger picture," he replied, his voice low and intense. "I know what love is, and this—what I feel for you—is all-consuming. It's a fire that won't be extinguished. I won't let anyone take you away from me, not now, not ever."

My heart raced as his words settled in my mind, each one a reminder of how dangerously entwined I was in his world. His devotion came with the threat of destruction, and I felt the urge to recoil from his intensity, from the way he spoke of burning and killing as if they were mere acts of love.

I needed to find a way to escape this nightmare. I couldn't be the reason for someone's madness, for someone's violence. I had to keep my wits about me, to find an opportunity to break free from the chains he was trying to wrap around my soul.