Chapter 148 Love In A Locked Room: Part 2

• I’ve engineered this twisted bond that now transcends choice, that persists despite all reason, despite all pain between us. My methods have succeeded beyond measure, and looking at her now, a part of me wishes I could take it all back. That I could go back and do things differently.
• “You were right,” she whispers, tears falling freely now. “Whatever you were planning… I’m ready now.”
• The words I’ve been waiting to hear—the capitulation I’ve been expecting—now feel like ashes in my mouth. This isn’t submission born of reason or even fear. This is surrender from someone who’s lost the ability to distinguish between love and abuse.