Chapter 4: Anger and Danger
A.N
What's your biggest red flag in a man or woman? đ€
Answer in the comment section!
Now⊠ENJOY!
BELLA POV
I woke up with my cheeks still burning. I couldn't believe it Crystal. Crystal had slapped me. My body trembled as I remembered the sharp sting and the rage in his eyes. I had always thought my uncle was cruel⊠but this? This was different. Darker. Terrifying.
I hated crying. I hated feeling weak. But today, tears came whether I wanted them or not. My chest tightened, my hands shook, and I couldn't stop thinking about what had happened.
And yet⊠there was another feeling I couldn't name. Something in the pit of my stomach that twisted between fear and something else â fascination, maybe even confusion.
Then I heard him.
"Bella, can we talk?" Crystal's voice was low, almost hesitant.
I didn't look at him. "Get out!" I snapped, my voice shaking.
"Let's settle this," he tried.
"No! There's nothing to settle, Crystal! Just go!"
I hated that I sounded pathetic. I hated that my voice trembled. I refused to forgive him⊠not yet.
He paused, breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I know I lost control. I shouldn't have raised my hand. I⊠I regret it."
Almost⊠almost, I wanted to believe him. But I didn't. Not yet.
Finally, he left, muttering something about Christian taking me shopping.
SHOPPING MALL
Christian's calm presence was comforting. He was steady, reliable â the opposite of Crystal, whose very existence made me nervous. With Christian, I felt safe⊠almost.
"Hold on a minute," Christian said, walking toward the restroom. "I'll be right back."
I nodded, trying to focus on the mundane task of shopping. Clothes, shoes, accessories⊠things that should have felt normal. But I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
I turned quickly, heart thudding. A man in black stood behind me, expression unreadable.
"You're Bella, right?" he asked, voice calm but with an edge that made my blood freeze.
"Yes⊠how can I help you?" I asked, trying to stay composed.
The next second, pain hit the back of my neck â a sharp sting â and my vision blurred. My legs gave way.
"Bella!" Christian's voice called from somewhere far away, distorted, like I was underwater.
Then⊠a gunshot.
A sudden, terrifying crack that echoed in my ears.
Everything went black.
CRYSTAL POV
When I saw the figure approaching Bella, my blood ran cold. That hesitation â the brief moment I paused â was all it took. The shot rang out, and my world stopped.
"No!" I screamed. But it was too late. She was taken⊠or worse. Whoever had done this would pay, and I would make them regret ever crossing us.
BELLA POV
Darkness. Silence. Cold.
I tried to move. Tried to open my eyes. But my body felt heavy, unresponsive. Muffled voices reached me, urgent but distant. A heartbeat â not mine â pounded somewhere close.
Panic flared, but so did something else: determination.
I wasn't going to die. Not now. Not like this.
Somewhere deep inside, I felt a spark of strength. Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was survival. But it was enough to keep me tethered to reality.
I knew one thing for certain.
This wasn't over.
Not by a long shot.
TIME PASSES â HOSPITAL / SAFE HOUSE (OPTIONAL)
Hours later, I woke again. My body ached from the fall. My head pounded. I remembered the man in black, the syringe, the gunshot⊠and the chaos that followed.
I blinked. I was alive. Somehow alive.
Christian was there, sitting beside me, his eyes dark with worry and frustration. "Bella⊠you're okay," he said softly. "That's what matters."
I tried to speak, but my voice failed me. My mind was spinning.
"You need to stay calm," he whispered, gently holding my hand. "No one is going to hurt you again. Not while I'm here."
And I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust him.
But my heart kept whispering the other name⊠Crystal.
The man who had terrified me, hurt me, and yet⊠haunted my thoughts.
INNER THOUGHTS / FORESHADOWING
I don't know who will win my heart, or if I even have a say in it.
One is danger, fire, and obsession.
One is calm, protection, and steady patience.
And somehow⊠I am stuck in the middle of it all.
The only thing I know for sure: my life is changing. And it will never be the same again.