The man stepped toward the boy and began to stare at him from head to toe with hawk-like eyes.
The way he was staring made the boy feel uncomfortable—he didn't feel good at all, and his heartbeat quickened.
"Wow… looking good," the man said with a slight smile and touched the boy's cheek with his firm hand. His fingers softly slid over the boy's tender skin.
The boy tried to jerk back, but the man didn't let him. His breath became uneven.
"Let go of me!" he growled in anger and shoved the man's hand away with all his strength.
The man's eyes once again turned red with rage. His face was expressionless. And the very next moment, he grabbed the boy by the neck and swiftly pulled him closer.
"You think you can take anything away from me?" his voice was as cold as death.
The boy's eyes widened with a mix of fear and anxiety. He struggled to break free from the man's strong grip, but it was useless. The man's face was now dangerously close to his.
"You should've realized it by now, baby boy… I always get what I want."
The man's lips were just about to reach the boy's when suddenly, a loud ringtone echoed through the room.
Snapping back to reality, the man released the boy. The boy quickly stepped back, breathing heavily, gasping for air.
The man looked at him intensely, then pulled the phone from his pocket and walked to the other corner of the room while answering the call.
The boy stood there, trembling—his eyes a storm of fear, anger, and panic.
While speaking on the phone, lines of anger formed on the man's face. His eyes now held a cold, dangerous expression. Something must have happened—something he never wanted.
He listened silently to the person on the other end. "I'm coming… handle everything until then," he said with a cold sigh and cut the call without waiting.
Then, without delay, he turned and looked at the boy—who was still staring at him with hate and rage in his eyes.
The man strode quickly toward him. Seeing this, the boy became alert, but before he could react, the man grabbed his wrist tightly and dragged him out of the room.
"Let go of me!" the boy struggled hard, but escaping the man's grip was impossible. The man was far stronger than him.
The man shoved him into a small room. The boy nearly tripped but managed to stay on his feet, turning back to glare angrily at him.
"I'm leaving for an important matter for a while," the man said in a stern tone—his voice felt like a warning. "Don't even think about running. It's useless. You'll never be able to escape this place. So don't waste your energy."
The boy's eyes burned with anger and frustration, but it had no effect on the man. He stepped forward with a faint smirk and paused at the door.
"But still… if you *want* to waste your energy, go ahead and try," he said with a crooked smile, as if challenging him.
With that, he locked the door from the outside and walked away.
The boy rushed to the door and turned the handle, but it was tightly shut. He banged his fist on it in anger, but it only hurt him more.
"What does this man even want from me?" he muttered to himself, his breaths growing heavy.
The room was small, but it felt like the walls were closing in on him. He looked toward the window, but thick bars covered it.
The boy started pounding on the door in frustration and desperation, hoping someone might open it. "Open the door!" he screamed, but there was no reply from outside.
He kept banging on it with all his strength, but it didn't budge.
Time passed, and his breath became heavier. Eventually, when his strength gave out, he slumped to the floor near the door. Tears welled up in his eyes. Slowly, drops began to roll down his cheeks. He was exhausted—he had no more strength left to fight.
With trembling hands, he touched his face. "I tried so hard… to escape this marriage…" he whispered to himself, his voice shaking. He had explored every possible way to free himself from this bondage, but it had all been in vain.
Now, he was the 'husband' of the one person he hated most in the world. Even though he never wanted it, he was now trapped in this relationship.
He buried his face in his knees. His shoulders trembled lightly, and his sobs echoed through the silence of the room.
"What should I do now? How do I get myself out of this mess?" his voice sounded faint and broken.
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