The air grew thick, pressing against me like an invisible force.My hands trembled, but I held my ground, bracing for the truth that could shatter everything I thought I knew about him.
I sucked in a sharp breath, forcing the words past the knot in my throat.
“I was in your dungeon, Amir.It’s the exact same place you took me.”
His expression remained unreadable, but something flickered behind his eyes—a storm.
I pressed forward.“And the mask I found in your dungeon… it’s yours, not the mask maker’s.Stop hiding.Tell me the truth.”
I took another step toward him, my heartbeat thundering against my ribs.His eyes blazed, dark irises smoldering like embers fanned by an obstinate wind.
Then—
“The truth?”
His voice was low and dangerous, resonating with a slow-burning intensity that sent a chill down my spine.
“You want the truth?”
A step closer.
“The truth is dangerous.”
The air between us crackled, heavy with unspoken things.
“Tell me,” my voice was a plea wrapped in steel.“Tell me who you really are.”
I stood before him, my emotions a volatile storm, simmering beneath the surface, threatening to spill over.Confusion.Frustration.A tangled mess of feelings I could no longer ignore.
“Why do I feel this way when I’m around you?”The words tumbled out before I could stop them, desperate.“Despite your rejection and distance, I cannot stay away from you.This pull between us, dragging me toward you even as you push me away.”
My breath hitched, my chest tightening.Tears threatened, but I refused to let them fall.
I just needed him to say something.
Amir’s shoulders tensed, his entire body rigid, as if bracing for impact.
“You won’t understand what I am.”His voice was steel wrapped in gravel, rough, restrained.
“Make me understand,” I pushed, my voice softer now but no less determined.“I care for you, Amir.”
Something in him snapped.
A growl rumbled deep within his chest—low, visceral, tormented.
“You don’t know what I am.”His voice was harsh, breaking at the edges.“You don’t know the things I’ve done, Elizabeth.I am no hero.I am a monster.”
“No.”My voice didn’t waver.“You are not the monster.The real monsters are Lord Winston and my father.”
His jaw tightened, his fists clenched at his sides.
“I am darkness, Elizabeth,” Amir said, his voice thick with barely restrained emotion.“Stay away, or it will consume you too.I kill to survive.I destroy everything I touch.You… you’re light.And you don’t belong in my world.”
He meant to scare me.To drive me away.
But instead of fear—fire ignited within me.
I stepped closer, bridging the space between us until only inches remained.My heart pounded against my ribs, but I didn’t retreat.
