Once, my paranoid love

“What are you guys waiting for? Take that jerk to the basement!” Derek’s abrupt command sliced through the tension in the room like a blade. He seized my hand and led me away, up the stairs, as if to distance himself from the turmoil that had just unfolded.

Derek’s grip was firm, his fingers intertwined with mine, and I could feel the turmoil that churned within him. His actions spoke of a man who couldn’t bear to dwell on Paul’s unsettling declaration, and I couldn’t blame him. The emotions that had been stirred by Paul’s words were overwhelming, and the weight of the situation pressed heavily on us both.

As we ascended the stairs, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of numbness wash over me. The reality of the events that had transpired was settling in, and I knew that the choices I had made had irreversibly altered the course of our lives.

“Derek, wait!” Lucy’s voice pierced the air, and I turned to see her rushing toward us. Tears welled up in my eyes as I anticipated what she was about to say. I had known that this moment would come, but I couldn’t predict my own reaction.

“Listen to me, Derek,” Lucy implored, her voice filled with urgency and concern.

But Derek’s emotions were running high, and he appeared unwilling to entertain any further discussions or revelations. Without a word, he slammed the door on Lucy’s face, shutting her out and sealing us inside the cocoon of our own turmoil.

In the solitude of that moment, I couldn’t help but wonder about the path we had chosen. The events of the evening had left us emotionally raw and uncertain about the future.

**

“Do you think you can lock me up here?” Paul’s calm demeanor, despite the circumstances, seemed almost challenging as he addressed Obin from the basement. His smile held an air of defiance, and it was evident that he believed himself to be a formidable adversary.

Obin arched his brows, walked out from there, and then spotted Anne still standing in the hall.

Anne, Paul’s mother, attempted to interject, her voice trembling with concern as she sought to protect her son. She had been through a tumultuous evening, and her maternal instincts were in full force.Têxt © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Mr. Obin, my son has a soft spot for his sister. Pl…” Anne began to say, her words laced with desperation.

However, Obin, who had been entrusted with maintaining order and security, swiftly interrupted Anne. His tone was unwavering as he made it clear that their intentions were crystal clear.

“Do you think we can’t understand anything, Mrs. D’souza?” Obin retorted, his voice steady and firm. “Now that Ma’am is the boss’s wife, anyone who tries to harm her will be punished.”

Anne, undeterred, continued to plead with Obin, her maternal instincts driving her to protect her son at all costs. She implored, “Mr. Obin, please listen to me.”

But Obin was resolute in his duty. He issued a final decree, a stark reminder of the new dynamics that had taken hold in the household. “Throw her outside,” he ordered.

Anne’s desperation gave way to anger, and she erupted with a threat of her own. Her true nature, fueled by jealousy and viciousness, emerged as she shouted, “You’re not going to be able to do this with us. You don’t know who I am, Mr. Houston! If you hurt my son, I will kill Elena.”

Anne’s words hung in the air, and the room crackled with tension. The atmosphere had become charged with hostility and resentment, revealing the depths of Anne’s jealousy and her determination to protect her son, Paul, at any cost.

**

From the room’s window, Derek kept a watchful eye on Anne.

I sat quietly on the bed, my fingers gripping the duvet tightly. The room was steeped in an eerie silence, with an unspoken tension hanging heavily in the air.

I couldn’t predict Derek’s next move, and the uncertainty left me feeling restless. I contemplated whether I should approach him first, but I was at a loss for words. There was no easy way to explain the complexities of our situation.

My mind drifted back to that unexpected kiss, and a pang of guilt washed over me. I felt like a hypocrite, and in some ways, I knew I was. We had entered into our arrangement with certain expectations and boundaries, and now those lines had blurred beyond recognition.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Derek saw me as a hypocrite as well. I had never anticipated that he would fall in love with me. In my eyes, he had always been a stoic businessman, committed to our contract. The idea of him being a young man with feelings and desires was something I had never considered.

Our contract, which had started as a pragmatic arrangement, had evolved into something far more complex. I was left grappling with my own emotions and the realization that I had unwittingly become a key player in this intricate dance of love and desire.

“What’s the relationship between you and Paul?” Derek’s calm voice caught me off guard. I bit my lower lip nervously and remained painfully silent. His question seemed to agitate him, and the tension in the room grew palpable. I wrestled with whether it was necessary for me to divulge everything.

Derek moved closer to me with deliberate steps, his presence casting a shadow over the room. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of fear, and in my panic, I took a step back, finding refuge on the edge of the bed.

His question hung in the air, demanding an answer. “Do you love him?” Derek asked abruptly, his voice laced with intensity.

My heart pounded in my chest as I grappled with how to respond. The truth was a tangled web of emotions and history. Paul had been a part of my life for so long, and our relationship had been anything but straightforward. It was a whirlwind of passion, obsession, and manipulation. I had been entangled in his web, unable to break free until recently.