Leaning against the door, Aoife felt the footsteps getting closer, each heavy step pressing on her heart.
The sound was different from what she usually heard, strangely familiar, just like…
There was a peephole on the door, and as Aoife leaned in, her eyes met Finn’s, whose face appeared on the other side.
Sensing her gaze, Finn met her eyes through the peephole, his icy stare sending chills down her spine.
Trembling, Aoife took two steps back in fear.
“Knock, knock, knock…” the sound of knocking echoed, but with no response, Finn’s voice grew stern, “Aoife, open the door so we can talk.”
He tried to sound gentle, but his cold, dark eyes slowly filled with anger, like a wild wolf eyeing its prey.
Knocking on the door, Finn wished he could break it down with his brute force.
Aoife didn’t expect Finn to follow her here secretly, and she wondered what he wanted. He was the one who left her, so why was he back?
Shaking her head, Aoife said, “There’s nothing to talk about between us, Mr. Snearl, please leave.”
She dared not open the door for Finn, instinctively fearing him. She had seen and felt his methods before. She used to tolerate them out of love, but now that she had left him, she just wanted to stay far away.
Finn chuckled, as if expecting this outcome. He kicked the door, which was no match for the ones at home, and the lock loosened with a few kicks. “Aoife, I’m trying to talk nicely to you. Do you think this door can withstand a few kicks from me?”
Finn had ways to get in, but hesitated. In the end, Aoife reluctantly opened the door, keeping her head down and only seeing the man’s long, straight legs.
Finn glanced around the tiny room, as small as a “palm-sized” space, with nothing inside. A bed, a table, and a tiny kitchenette made him feel impatient at a glance.
Aoife had been living in this dog hole since she left him?
“Come back with me.”
Aoife shook her head, “I’m not going back. This is my home.”
“In this place, you call it home?”
The mocking look in Finn’s eyes pierced her heart. Aoife trembled, unable to argue with Finn. Instead, she chose to remain silent. She knew she couldn’t outwit Finn, so she showed with actions that she wouldn’t go back.
Seeing her reluctant expression, Finn flew into a rage, flipping over a chair that toppled over, scattering the groceries Aoife had just bought on the ground like trash.
Finn had considered persuading Aoife to return with kindness, but faced with her ungratefulness, he now only wanted to break her legs and drag her back.
“I’ll give you two choices – behave and come with me, or I’ll break your legs and drag you back. Your choice.”
Aoife continued to shake her head, “We’re over. Don’t force me.”
“Force you? Our contract is still in effect. As long as it exists, you belong to me, Aoife. If you want to leave, you’ll have to repay me tenfold for all I’ve spent on you. Can you afford that?”
Aoife looked at him in disbelief. She had known that contract was unfair when she signed it, tricked by Finn into signing it.
Finn claimed that spending on her education, jewelry, clothes, and violin lessons were all voluntary acts of kindness. She had believed him, unaware that it would lead her down this path.
Exuding an intimidating aura, Finn made it clear that he wasn’t interested in Aoife’s feelings. He grabbed her and held her waist tightly.
“Come with me.”
Aoife struggled, “I won’t. You already sent me away. Why do you want me back?”
“Because I regret it. As long as that contract stands, you’re mine. And also, there’s something bothering me in my mind. If I let you go this time, I might not see you again.”
And there were the dreams he had that lingered in his mind, driving him almost to madness. He couldn’t shake them off.
Acting on instinct, Finn paid no heed to Aoife’s feelings. He lifted her effortlessly, intending to carry her away.
“Let go of me, Finn! I won’t go back with you. That contract isn’t legally binding, and I didn’t ask for anything you gave me.”
Fearful and trembling, Aoife tried to calm down and reason with Finn.
Finn’s temper escalated as she spoke. “Shut up, or I’ll make you regret it.”
With ease, he restrained the seemingly fragile Aoife, and as they were about to leave, her phone fell out of her shirt pocket without warning, prompting a notification for a text message.
Initially indifferent, Finn glanced at the sender – Ethan.
Aoife reached out instinctively to grab it, but Finn snatched it first, knowing her phone’s password. He unlocked it effortlessly and read the message.
“Aoife, have you reached home? You didn’t answer my question earlier. Now that you’re single, have you thought about finding a boyfriend? Like someone, say, like me?”
Finn’s hand trembled slightly as he read the message, gripping the phone tightly until his knuckles turned white. A rush of adrenaline and emotions flooded him, stifling his breath.
His teeth ground together anxiously, his emotions far more complicated than just anger. There were many emotions hidden beneath the surface.
Aoife shuddered, sensing the danger. She felt like a prey cornered, her limbs frozen as Finn’s grip tightened around her waist, almost crushing it.
Raising the phone to show Aoife, his eyes bore into her, “You’re single? You want love?”
This text from Ethan reminded him of their encounter at the restaurant. Walking hand in hand, leaving together, their faces near each other. At the time, he didn’t know what they were talking about, but now he understood.
“I didn’t…”
Before Aoife could finish her sentence, a furious Finn smashed the phone to the ground, shattering it.
This level of rage was new to Aoife. Finn usually smiled when he was mad, now he was beyond furious. Simply put, he was so angry he wanted to kill.
Finn had initially planned on taking Aoife away immediately, but now he had more pressing matters to attend to.
He kicked the door shut, then tightly grabbed Aoife’s waist with one hand and caressed her slender neck with the other.
His eyes were deeper than ever, exuding an unsettling intensity that left Aoife feeling uneasy.
“Aoife, I never knew you were capable of hiding in this hole and still seducing people. I thought Ethan was keeping you, but it turns out you’ve stolen someone’s heart. Now he wants to be your boyfriend. Will it lead to marriage? But Aoife, with your kind of character, are you even worthy of it?”
Aoife had never considered being with Ethan; she had only loved Finn. She wanted to explain, but fear had rendered her limbs useless, the air sucked out of her chest.
Feeling Finn’s grip loosen slightly around her waist, Aoife, in a moment of crisis, attempted to escape, pressing her body against the door. But before she could move, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head.
Finn had grabbed her hair firmly, pulling her back as if she were a sack of flour, and threw her onto the crude bed.
Aoife’s head hit the wall hard, causing a sharp pain. Dazed, she slowly realized what was happening; Finn had pounced on her, untying his tie to quickly bind her hands together.
Fear and confusion gripped Aoife; tears streamed down her face. “Finn, let go of me. This is illegal…”
“Illegal? Since you say it’s illegal, I might as well commit a couple more offenses to justify your words.”
“Finn, please…” Her hands were bound, rendering her powerless. She tried to scream, but Finn silenced her by forcefully tearing her clothes and muffling her cries.
Driven by a wild desire to possess Aoife, Finn’s actions were frenzied, leaving searing marks on her skin.
Pain shot through Aoife’s body, leaving her weak and defenseless, like a puppet being controlled, subjected to humiliating positions that made her wish for escape, even death.