Chapter 21 The Edge Of Madness

• The days blurred together for Noah. He felt as if he were walking in a haze, every step a battle between the part of him that longed to break free and the part that had already surrendered. Elias’s presence loomed over him like a shadow, always there, always watching. It wasn’t just physical anymore—it was mental, emotional. Noah had tried to resist, tried to pull away, but with each passing day, he found himself slipping further under Elias’s control.
• Noah sat by the large window in Elias’s penthouse, staring out at the city below. The lights glittered in the distance, a stark contrast to the emptiness that had settled inside him. He should’ve been angry, should’ve been fighting harder to regain control of his life, but instead, he felt numb. Like a puppet on strings, every movement dictated by Elias’s will.
• He ran a hand through his hair, frustration building within him. He wanted to scream, to demand answers, to know why Elias had such power over him. But every time he tried to question it, to confront him, Elias was always one step ahead.
• “You’re not thinking clearly, Noah,” Elias’s voice cut through his thoughts, low and dangerous.
• Noah’s heart skipped a beat as he turned to face him. Elias stood in the doorway, watching him with that same calculating look in his eyes. It was a look Noah had come to hate, yet, at the same time, it drew him in like a magnet. There was something about Elias’s control, his certainty, that made Noah feel small, insignificant.
• “Why do you always do that?” Noah asked, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and frustration. “Why do you always show up when I’m at my breaking point?”
• Elias didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he crossed the room with slow, deliberate steps, his presence filling the space. There was something about the way he moved that made Noah feel like prey, trapped in a hunter’s gaze.
• “I can’t help it if you’re always on the edge,” Elias said, his tone teasing. “You make it so easy, Noah.”
• Noah clenched his fists at his sides. He hated how Elias always had the power to twist his emotions, to turn them into something he couldn’t control. It infuriated him, and yet, he found himself wanting more of it.
• “What do you want from me?” Noah spat out, his frustration finally boiling over. “Why do you keep doing this to me? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”
• Elias stopped just in front of him, his eyes dark and unreadable. There was a brief pause before he finally spoke, his voice low and laced with something dangerous.
• “Because you’re mine,” he said simply, as though it was the only explanation that mattered. “And I won’t let you go.”
• Noah’s breath hitched in his throat, the weight of Elias’s words sinking in. He opened his mouth to protest, but no words came out. Instead, he was frozen in place, caught in Elias’s gaze like a deer trapped in headlights.
• Elias stepped closer, his breath warm against Noah’s skin. “You’ve been trying to resist, haven’t you?” he murmured, his fingers brushing lightly against Noah’s cheek. “But I know you, Noah. I know you want this. You crave it. You crave me.”
• Noah flinched, his heart pounding in his chest. The words should’ve hurt, should’ve made him want to lash out. But instead, they stirred something deep within him—a twisted desire he couldn’t deny.
• “I don’t want this,” Noah said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t want to be yours.”
• Elias’s lips curled into a knowing smile, his hand sliding down Noah’s neck with deliberate slowness. “Lying never becomes you, Noah,” he said softly. “You may not want to admit it, but you’ve already fallen. You’re mine, whether you like it or not.”
• A shiver ran down Noah’s spine at the words, his body betraying him in ways he couldn’t understand. He hated how Elias knew him so well, how he could see right through Noah’s facade.
• “Stop…” Noah whispered, but it sounded weak even to his own ears.
• Elias’s fingers tightened around Noah’s neck, just enough to send a shock of fear through him. “Noah,” Elias murmured, his voice dangerously low. “You need to understand something. You don’t get to decide when this ends. I do. And I will never let you go.”
• Noah’s pulse quickened, his throat tight under Elias’s grip. There was a mixture of fear and something darker, something more primal, that surged within him. He didn’t know how to fight it anymore. The longer Elias held him like this, the more Noah wanted to give in.
• “You’re mine, Noah,” Elias repeated, his voice cold and commanding. “And you’ll always be mine.”
• Noah felt himself trembling under the weight of those words. He wanted to resist, wanted to fight against the hold Elias had over him, but the more he struggled, the more Elias’s grip tightened. It was suffocating, overwhelming, and yet… it felt like home.
• For the first time, Noah wasn’t sure if he could break free. Not because Elias was physically holding him, but because Noah didn’t know if he even wanted to escape anymore.
• Elias’s hand left his neck, and Noah exhaled sharply, his body still trembling from the intensity of the moment. But Elias wasn’t done. He stepped back, his eyes dark with a dangerous gleam.
• “I’ll give you some time to think about this, Noah,” Elias said, his voice smooth, like velvet wrapped in steel. “But remember, you’re mine. And that’s not changing. Not now. Not ever.”
• As Elias turned and walked away, Noah was left standing there, breathless, shaken, and on the edge of something he couldn’t name. His mind was a mess of conflicting emotions, the pull of Elias’s control stronger than ever.
• The line between hatred and desire was becoming too thin to discern, and Noah couldn’t decide whether he was fighting to escape or fighting to stay.
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