Gabriel's Obsession

Prologue

A sharp, relentless throbbing pulsed through my skull as I drifted toward consciousness. My body felt heavy, sluggish, as though submerged in an inescapable fog. The first sensation I registered was the soft, unfamiliar fabric beneath me, plush, almost luxurious. It was a stark contrast to the terror clawing at my insides.

With effort, my eyelids fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light filtering through the towering windows. The room stretched out around me, vast and intimidating, its sheer size and extravagance unlike anything I had ever known. The walls, painted a muted shade of grey with textured patterns, exuded a quiet opulence. This wasn't a hotel, nor a place I had willingly entered.

Panic jolted through me like an electric current.

I had been kidnapped.

A wave of nausea rolled over me as the full weight of my reality settled in. My breathing quickened, shallow gasps filling the silence. I tried to move, but my limbs felt weak, drained from whatever had rendered me unconscious.

Then, the door creaked open.

My body went rigid as footsteps echoed against the marble floor. A man in a tailored blue suit stepped inside, his presence commanding, his stride deliberate. My breath caught in my throat as recognition struck like a blade to the chest.

It was him.

The man from the school hall. The same man I had collided with. The stranger whose eyes had lingered on me just a moment too long.

A slow, unsettling smile stretched across his lips as he regarded me, his gaze sharp and predatory. "Angel, you're awake," he mused, his voice smoother than I expected—deceptively calm. "You were out for over ten hours."

My attempt to form words was stifled by the intensity of my fear. This man, who referred to me as "angel," was holding me captive. The mere thought of being ensnared in this situation was overwhelming. I couldn't quell my panic; my heart pounded as though trying to escape my chest.

The weight of his words sent my heart into a frenzied gallop. I opened my mouth, but no words came. Terror lodged itself in my throat, thick and suffocating.

"Don't be scared of me, angel," he continued, tilting his head as if studying me. "I won't hurt you."

Lies.

I could see it in his eyes—the dark amusement, the satisfaction of having me exactly where he wanted. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but where would I go? I didn't even know where I was.

"Why... am... I... here?" I managed to stammer, my voice barely above a whisper. My hands trembled as I gripped the silk sheets beneath me, trying to ground myself in a reality that felt unreal.

His expression darkened ever so slightly, a dangerous glint flashing through his sea-blue eyes. Then, as if indulging in some cruel joke, he smirked.

"I brought you to my house," he stated matter-of-factly. "And now... I'm never letting you go."

A cold dread settled deep in my bones.

He took a step closer, his movements slow, deliberate. "That jerk—Mark, was it?—is probably out there searching for you right now. But you know what?" His voice dipped lower, sinister and possessive. "I don't care. Because now you are mine."

My heart pounded against my ribs, each beat echoing the terror gripping me. The weight of his words settled over me like a suffocating shroud. Gabriel Hamilton wasn't just obsessed. He was unhinged. A man with too much power and no regard for boundaries.

Summoning the last scraps of my courage, I lifted my chin, forcing myself to meet his piercing gaze. "You don't have the right to do this," I spat, voice trembling but determined. "Being a billionaire doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. You're a psychopath, and I will report you to the police."

For a moment, silence stretched between us. Then, his jaw clenched, his once-calm demeanor cracking as something far more sinister surfaced. His blue eyes burned into mine, dark with fury.

"Listen, you little one," he growled, his voice a thunderous warning. "Don't fucking raise your voice at me, or I will hurt you."

I flinched, my body betraying me as terror stole the breath from my lungs. I needed to escape. I had to get out of here. The thought barely formed before I lunged toward the door, driven by sheer desperation.