Chapter 4 She's mine

The sunlight streamed in through the cracks of the window blinds, casting faint streaks of gold across the dim karaoke room. Emelia stirred beneath the sheets, her body heavy and sore. The dull ache between her legs brought a hazy, disorienting sensation as she groggily blinked her eyes open. Her head throbbed, a cloud of confusion swirling in her mind as fragmented memories from the night before danced just out of reach.

As her vision adjusted to the morning light, she glanced down at her body and gasped. Her once-clear skin was now covered in dark, unmistakable hickeys. Trails of passion dotted her neck, her chest, and the curves of her torso-evidence of what had transpired, even if her mind couldn't fully recall it. A blush of embarrassment and shame crept up her cheeks as she quickly wrapped the sheet tighter around her body, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Oh my, no... no, no, no..." she muttered under her breath, refusing to let her mind linger on what had happened. She didn't want to think about it, didn't want to process the consequences. Not now. Not with so much at stake.

Scrambling out of bed, Emelia frantically looked around the room. The man was gone-no sign of him, no trace he had ever been there at all. For a moment, she wondered if she had imagined the whole thing. But the marks on her skin and the soreness in her body told a different story.

Her gaze drifted to the table beside the bed, where her necklace lay innocently. It looked perfectly normal, but something about it felt... off. She hesitated, her fingers hovering over it, as an unsettling chill ran down her spine. But there was no time to wonder. No time to question how it had ended up on the table.

"Later," she mumbled to herself, snatching the necklace and fastening it around her neck once more. It rested heavily against her skin, a familiar weight, though she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something had changed.

She dressed hurriedly, her hands shaking as she tugged her clothes on. She grabbed her phone and checked the time-7:15 a.m. Her eyes widened in panic. "Shit!" she cursed aloud. Her flight to France was scheduled to leave in less than half an hour. She had no time!

With her heart racing and panic surging through her veins, she bolted out of the room, her appearance dishevelled and haphazard. Her mind was too consumed by thoughts of missing her flight to care about how she looked. As she made her way past the bar, she pointedly avoided the bartender's knowing gaze, the memory of last night's drunken collapse at the counter flashing in her mind.

The bartender raised an eyebrow but said nothing, watching her dart out of the door like a wild woman on the run.

Emelia hit the street, her eyes darting around frantically. She waved her arms, desperately trying to flag down a taxi. "Come on, come on!" she muttered, bouncing anxiously on the balls of her feet as the seconds ticked by.

Just when she was about to give up hope, a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. Without a second thought, Emelia yanked open the door and jumped inside. The driver, an older man with a flat cap, glanced at her curiously.

"Airport. Now!" Emelia barked, her voice frantic. She slammed the door shut behind her, and before she could even settle in her seat, the car was already speeding off, weaving through the morning traffic with impressive skill.

As the city streets blurred outside her window, Emelia exhaled, resting her head against the back of the seat. Her body ached, her mind was a mess, and yet, all she could focus on was getting away. France was her escape. It had to be. She didn't care about the madness of last night, didn't care about the mystery man. She just needed to leave. Now.

---

Meanwhile, across the street from the karaoke bar, the bulky man from the night before stood watching the black car disappear into the chaos of the morning traffic. His arms were crossed over his chest, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips as he leaned against the wall, his eyes narrowing with contentment.

Next to him, a shorter man-still tall in his own right, though a full inch shorter than the giant beside him-shifted nervously, glancing at the bulky man out of the corner of his eye.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" the shorter man asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. "Helping her escape like this... What if she doesn't come back?"

The bulky man's smirk only deepened. "She'll come back," he said, his voice low and assured. His eyes gleamed with something dark, something possessive. "She just doesn't know it yet."

The shorter man hesitated, scratching his head. "I still don't get it. Why are you helping her? You've been keeping tabs on her for months now. What's so special about her? I mean, she's... ordinary, right?"

The bulky man chuckled, his deep voice rumbling in his chest. "Ordinary?" He shook his head slowly, his gaze never leaving the direction where the car had gone. "She's far from ordinary."

The shorter man frowned, his confusion deepening. "Then... what is she to you?"

The bulky man's smirk turned into a full grin, his eyes flashing with amusement. "She's mine."

The shorter man's jaw dropped. He stared at the bulky man, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Wait... what? Yours? You mean to tell me that-"

"Yes," the bulky man interrupted, his voice firm and filled with conviction. "She's my betrothed."

The shorter man's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Your betrothed? As in-"

"Yes," the bulky man cut him off again, clearly enjoying the reaction. His grin widened as he stood up straight, stretching his arms above his head. "Finally, the young master has found his bride."

The shorter man was frozen in shock, his mouth hanging open as he tried to process the revelation. "This is insane," he muttered. "How long have you known? How long have you been planning this?"

The bulky man glanced at him with a smirk. "Long enough."

As the black car turned a corner and disappeared completely from sight, the bulky man turned on his heel and walked back toward the karaoke bar, his footsteps heavy but confident.

"Now," he muttered under his breath, "let's see how far she gets before she realizes she can't run from me..."