Author’s pov –
Jay Jay woke up and got ready wore a simple jeans Top.
She went downstairs .
Jeane was already waiting for her to go for engagement shopping.
A car was Waiting for them outside.
They both left for the boutique choosen by Damien’s Mom .
As they Reached , Eleanore Reyes Damien’s Mom already waiting for them.
They greeted each other and then started shopping .
The boutique smelled expensive and beautiful, but to Jay Jay, it felt more like a room where she was being judged.
Jeane and Eleanor sat on comfortable chairs nearby, watching her carefully as she tried on another dress.
“Stand up straight, Jay Jay,” Eleanor said calmly.
She looked towards the dress and frowned slightly.
“The fabric doesn’t sit properly when you stand like that.”
Her eyes moved towards Jay’s hair.
“And fix your hair too.”
Jeane immediately nodded.
“She’s right, Jay.”
“You need to look perfect.”
Jay Jay stayed quiet.
Every choice—
The dress ,The heels,The jewellery.
Even the way she stood.Everything was being decided by someone else.
She wasn’t choosing anymore.She was simply agreeing.
For the first time…She felt less like a person and more like a doll being prepared for someone else’s life.
After what felt like hours, the suffocating shopping trip finally ended.
Jay Jay was utterly exhausted.
It wasn’t because of the endless walking or the heavy, restrictive dresses they had forced her to try on.
It was because of the feeling of being watched, judged, and violently shaped into someone she wasn’t.
By evening, Jeane and Jay finally reached the Reyes mansion.
The moment she stepped inside the mansion her eyes immediately searched the room, scanning for a threat.
No Damien.
For the first time that entire day, she let out a breath and relaxed slightly.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her hand.
It was a text from Keifer
From Keifer –
Alive?
A genuine smile immediately broke across her face.
To keifer –
Barely survived , Did you ate lunch?
From Keifer –
Yes .
Did The patient ate ?
To keifer –
Who patient?
From Keifer –
Ofcourse who fainted yesterday.
Her smile grew a little wider, the heavy weight on her chest lifting for just a fleeting second.
“Jay Jay”
She froze instantly.
Looking up, she saw Damien standing near the grand staircase, watching her.
Her fingers immediately tightened around her phone.
“You’re here” Damien said.
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes,” she managed to reply.
His eyes dropped toward the phone gripped tightly in her hand, then snapped back up to her face.
For a few seconds none of them spoke .
Thankfully, Jeane’s voice interrupted the suffocating silence.
“Jay, go freshen up first.”
Jay nodded.
Thanking Jeane in her mind for the first time
“Excuse me…
where’s the washroom?” she asked one of the passing maids.
“I’ll show you, ma’am” the maid replied politely, guiding her upstairs toward one of the guest rooms.
“The washroom is right inside.”
“Thank you.”
Jay entered quickly, shutting the door and locking it securely behind her.
Finally.
Silence.
She walked over to the mirror and stared at her reflection.
Her phone vibrated again, breaking her trance.
From Keifer –
What are You doing?
Jay stared at the glowing screen before typing back.
To keifer-
Imagine being trapped inside a luxury prison.
The reply came immediately
From Keifer –
Need rescue services?
A small, breathless laugh escaped her lips.
To keifer –
Immediately.
From Keifer –
CEO helicopter unavailable.
She shook her head, a faint smile returning.
Why was he always like this?
Then, another message popped up.
From Keifer-
You okay though?
Her fingers paused over the glass screen, the reality of her situation settling back in.
To keifer –
Trying to be
She locked the phone, slipped it securely into her purse and took a deep breath.
She stepped out of the washroom.
Damien was sitting right there on the edge of the bed.
Waiting.
“So again trying to run “he said in his controlling tone .
Jay Jay didn’t want to be alone with him.
She started going back to the hall.
“I should go downstairs.”
But before she could even take a step, his hand came out catching her wrist.
“Going somewhere?”
His expression remained calm.
“You ran to Watson Mansion yesterday.”
Her heart stopped dead in her chest.He knew.The messages started replying in her mind .
Jay Jay tried pulling her hand free from his grip ,but his grip only tightened, his fingers digging into her flesh.
“You seem very comfortable around him” Damien said angrily.
“He’s my friend.”
“Friend?” He laughed .
“The CEO of Watson Group?
The son of my father’s biggest business rival?”
Her breathing became uneven again.
“You don’t get to decide who I talk to” she said.
“Actually, Jay…” He stood up slowly, covering the gap between them , his physical presence completely overwhelming her.
“I do.”
Before jay jay could even think to react, he came forward, catching both of her wrists in a grip and violently wrenching them behind her back, pinning them there against her spine.
Jay Jay let out a sharp, ragged gasp of shock and pain.
“Damien—”
His fingers trying to hold her more tightly.
“You keep choosing Watson,” he whispered darkly against her ear.
“That mistake shouldn’t happen twice.
Every second of your day belongs to me now, Jay Jay.
You don’t take a single step, and you don’t talk to anyone, unless I tell you to.
You will learn to obey me.”
The pressure was unbearable for jay jay.
He squeezed her wrists together so tightly that the metal bracelet she wore beneath her sleeve was crushed directly into her skin
The metal piece gets deep into her wrist.
Another breathless gasp escaped
“You’re hurting me!” she choked out, biting her lip to stop herself from crying out entirely.
For a cruel moment, his eyes landed on her wrists, seeing the blood coming out .
Yet, his hold, controlling grip didn’t loosen for a second.
“You need to understand something” he whispered as the blood coming against her skin.
“You don’t run to Watson.
You don’t choose Watson.
And you definitely don’t choose him over me.”
Only when he was certain the lesson is understood by her did he finally release her.
Jay Jay moved forward, immediately pulling her hands to her chest.
Damien glanced down at his own stained fingers.His expression shifted .
He wasn’t sorry he had hurt her; he was just bothered by the mess.
Without a single word of apology, he stepped forward, grabbed her uninjured arm, and roughly dragged her back into the washroom.
He turned on the tap, forcing her bleeding wrist under the freezing cold water while he grabbed a hand towel with his free hand.
“Clean yourself up,” he commanded smoothly, casually wiping the blood off his own skin.
He tossed the towel onto the counter, his eyes were on jay jay again .
“If my mother or yours sees this, you will tell them you were clumsy with a hair clip.
And Jay…”
He stepped a little closer to her
“If I hear Watson’s name cross your lips downstairs, the next cut won’t be an accident.”
For the first time that evening…
Jay Jay wasn’t scared for herself.
She was scared for Keifer.
Because Damien Reyes wasn’t threatening her anymore.
He was threatening the one person who had made her feel safe.