Chapter 52: You can't leave me

Michael’s POV

When Jess told me she was going to see her mom, something inside me didn’t feel right. The way she said it… it didn’t sound honest. Still, I smiled at her, pretending to be the loving boyfriend she wanted me to be. I touched her chin and said softly, “Of course, baby. Go see your mom.” She smiled a little and walked away, but as soon as she left, I stopped smiling. I sat down on the couch, watching the door she had just walked out of. My gut told me something was wrong. It is like she's in a play. When I touched her hand, she didn’t hold mine back like someone who is inlove. When I kissed her, she didn’t kiss me like passionately. It was small things, but I noticed them all. She thinks I’m stupid.

I took my phone and opened the app that connected to the hidden cameras I had placed in her house. I wasn’t crazy, I just liked to know things. People lie, Cameras don’t.

The screen showed her living room. Ten minutes later, she walked in.

She looked… happy, Too happy.

She kicked off her shoes, dropped her bag, and jumped on the couch like a child. I watched her laugh quietly to herself. She then went to the fridge, grabbed ice, and started eating it, closing her eyes with a smile. My jaw tightened.

So this is where she feels at home, Not with me.

I stared at the screen, feeling that familiar heat build inside my chest, the anger that never really goes away. Then she looked up at her CCTV feed. I saw her face change and er smile dropped. She had seen my security's car. I could see her thinking, and her eyes darting around the house. Then, she disappeared from the camera’s view. She wasn’t using her car anymore. I switched to the camera outside, nothing, She had gone out the back.

My phone buzzed.

“Boss,” one of my men said through the speaker. “We lost her. She got into a car, but we couldn’t follow. It was too fast.”

I stood up slowly, trying to keep calm.

“What did you just say?”

“Sir, we lost her.”

I threw the phone at the wall. It broke into pieces, but that didn’t help.

My blood was boiling now.

“She thinks she can play games with me?” I shouted, pacing the floor. “She thinks she can run away?”

I stopped and looked at the blank TV screen, my reflection staring back at me. I whispered to it, “You can’t get away from me, Jess. You’ll never leave me.”

I needed to calm down.

No, I needed to remind myself who I am.

I left the living room and found Zack, my personal guard . “Come with me,” I said. He followed without asking questions. He knew better than to talk when I was angry. We walked into my study. I closed the door and pressed the hidden switch behind one of the bookshelves. A small part of the wall opened, revealing the secret passage. The air inside was cold, damp, and smelled like rust.

We walked down the narrow hallway. The only sound was our footsteps and the faint buzzing of the old lights. When I reached the bottom, a few of my old workers were there.

They looked up when they saw me. I could smell the fear coming off them.

“Mr. Halloran, please,” one man said, shaking. “We didn’t do anything.”

I looked at him, tilting my head. “That’s the problem,” I said quietly. “You didn’t do anything.”

The man’s eyes widened. “Please, sir, I... ”

The anger in me snapped and I reached for the nearest thing and let my fury manifest, what followed was the sound of chaos echoing through the room.

“Does anyone else want to forget their place?” I asked.

They all shook their heads, crying silently.

“Good,” I said softly, throwing the rag to the ground. “Now clean this up.”

Zack followed me as I walked out, silent as a shadow.

When I got upstairs, I took a long, hot shower. The water washed the blood off, turning pink as it ran down the drain. I stared at my reflection in the mirror afterward, my clean face, my calm eyes. I looked like a man in control. And that made me smile.

“See?” I whispered to myself. “Everything’s fine. Everything’s under control.”

I put on a clean white shirt, black pants, and my favorite watch. Then I grabbed my car keys and drove off. The moment the engine roared, the laughter came, wild, andunstoppable. The road flew under me as I sped to Jessica’s house.

When I reached it, I didn’t knock gently. I slammed on the door. She opened it, her face pale and eyes wide.

“Surprised?” I said with a small smile.

“Michael,” she stuttered, “what are you doing here?”

I stepped inside, brushing past her. “What kind of question is that? Can’t I visit my girlfriend?”

She stood there, frozen.

“I didn’t know you were coming,” she said softly.

“Clearly,” I said, looking around. “You look very… relaxed here. Almost like you never left.”

She bit her lip nervously. “I told you, I wanted to see my mom.”“Your mom?” I repeated, laughing quietly. “Jess, your mom doesn’t even live near here.”

She looked down at the floor, saying nothing.

I took a slow step toward her. “Are you lying to me?”

Her voice trembled. “No, Michael. I promise, I’m not.”

I stared at her for a long time. Then I smiled, a slow, fake smile. “Alright then. Go change. I hate that outfit.” She blinked in confusion. “What’s wrong with it?” “I said I hate it,” I repeated coldly.

She nodded quickly. “Okay… okay, I’ll change.”

When she came back, she wore a plain dress.

“Better,” I said, brushing my hand against her cheek. “Let’s go.” We got into my car and the ride home was silent, I kept my eyes on the road, but I could feel her watching the passing trees, trying not to look at me. She was scared, and I liked that. Fear keeps people loyal. When we reached the house, one of the guards, Zero, was standing near the door. I caught him looking at Jessica, and she looked back. Just for a second, but I saw it. I turned my head toward her, she looked away fast.

That was enough.

I slammed the car door so hard the sound echoed. Jessica jumped. She followed behind me quietly, almost walking on her toes. Inside, the air felt heavy. The staff avoided eye contact. They knew when I was angry.

I went to the kitchen and poured water into a glass, drank it slowly, staring at everyone who passed by. They pretended to be busy. I could almost smell their fear and it calmed me.

Jessica stood near the hallway, unsure what to do.

“Come upstairs,” I said finally. “It’s late.”

She nodded quickly. “Okay.”

We went to our room, changed into a T-shirt and lay on the bed. She got in beside me, turning her back like she didn’t want me to see her face.

I watched her for a while. Her breathing was steady and She was pretending to sleep.

I turned to look at the ceiling, My mind wouldn’t stop running.

I thought about my father, his angry face, the sound of glass breaking, and my mother’s screams. The memories came back like fire. I closed my eyes, trying to block them out, but they wouldn’t go away, until I dozed off.

I woke up suddenly, my heart pounding, with sweat rollinb down my face. The clock on the wall said 12:47 p.m

The nightmare again. Always the same one.

I sat up, breathing heavily. I just wanted to go downstairs, back to my secret room, to let the anger out again. My hand was already on the doorknob when I heard her voice.

“Michael?”

I froze.

Her voice was soft, sort of sleepy. “Are you okay? Come back to bed.”

I turned my head slightly and looked at her. Her hair was messy, her face half hidden by the blanket, She looked peaceful and for a second, I almost believed she cared.

I walked back to the bed and sat down. “Yeah,” I said quietly. “I’m fine.”

She smiled faintly and turned back around.

I lay down beside her, staring at her back. The moonlight from the window touched her skin, and I reached out, gently brushing her hair away from her face. She didn’t move.

“You’ll never leave me, Jess,” I whispered, my voice low and calm. “No one leaves me.”

Her breathing stayed steady, and I smiled, a slow, satisfied smile.

Everything was quiet again, yes everything was under my control.