Page 128 of Made for Wilde

“You heard me.” The words come out stronger than I feel. “You’re sick, Adrian. This isn’t love. This is obsession. This is stalking and kidnapping and assault.”

“I’m trying to save you?—”

“From what? From being happy?” I lean forward as much as the restraints allow. “From being with a man who actually loves me instead of some fantasy version of me you created in your head?”

Adrian’s hands clench into fists.

“He doesn’t love you. He’s using you.”

“Koda loves me more than you ever could.” The truth of it burns bright in my chest and gives me strength even in this nightmare situation. “He sees me for who I really am, not some innocent little girl who needs saving.”

“Stop.” Adrian’s voice is shaking now.

“He makes me feel beautiful and strong and alive.” I pour every ounce of conviction I have into the words. “When I’m with him, I’m not some prize to be won or some broken thing to be fixed. I’m just me, and that’s enough for him.”

Adrian’s control finally snaps. “Stop talking about him!”

His hand comes up fast and connects with my cheek in a sharp crack that echoes off the small walls.

The slap is so hard it makes my ears ring. Pain explodes across my face and my head snaps to the side from the force of it.

For a moment, we both freeze.

Adrian stares at his own hand like it betrayed him and his eyes are wide with shock. I can taste blood where my teeth cut the inside of my cheek.

“Oh, fuck.” Adrian’s voice comes out in a whisper. “Charlotte, I?—”

I turn my head back to look at him and he flinches at whatever he sees in my expression.

“Look what you made me do!” He shouts. “I didn’t want to, you made me. Why couldn’t you just listen?”

This loser.

Even now, even after hitting me, he can’t take responsibility for his own actions. It’s my fault for provoking him. My fault for not being grateful enough for his attention.

“I would never hurt you,” he says again, but now the words sound hollow. “I love you too much to hurt you.”

The taste of blood in my mouth says otherwise.

Adrian runs his hands through his hair.

“We can fix this. You just need time. Time to think about everything I’ve said. Time to realize that I’m right.”

He moves toward the door. His movements are jerky and agitated.

“I’ll be back tomorrow morning. That should be long enough for you to come to your senses.”

The tape goes back over my mouth before I can respond, but this time Adrian’s hands are shaking as he applies it.

“This is what’s best for both of us,” he says, but he won’t meet my eyes. “You’ll see. Tomorrow, you’ll understand.”

The door closes behind him with a soft click. I hear the scratch of a key in the lock, then his footsteps moving away down the hallway and fading until there’s only silence.

I’m alone.

My cheek throbs where he hit me. My wrists burn where the zip ties cut into them. The tape pulls at my skin every time I try to breathe through my mouth.

The baby shifts restlessly inside me and responds to my elevated heart rate.