Jason noticed it in the smallest ways.
Loraine stopped humming while she brushed her hair.
Stopped asking him how his day went.
Stopped leaning into his touch.
She still smiled.
That terrified him.
He Feels Her Pulling Away
At dinner, he watched her carefully.
She ate slowly.
Too slowly.
Her eyes drifted to the windows, to the doors, to anywhere but him.
"Are you unhappy?" he asked gently.
She flinched—just slightly.
"No," she said. "Why would you ask?"
Because you're leaving me without moving, he thought.
Love, Turned Up Too High
Jason became overwhelming.
Flowers every morning.
Unannounced gifts.
His presence everywhere.
When she went to the garden, he followed.
When she read, he sat close.
When she slept, his arm wrapped around her like a restraint disguised as warmth.
"You don't need anyone else," he murmured one night.
"You have me."
She didn't answer.
The First Crack in His Mask
He raised his voice for the first time in days.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you."
The room went still.
Loraine's breath caught. Slowly, she lifted her eyes.
Jason froze.
Fear stared back at him.
Not love.
Not trust.
Fear.
His chest tightened violently.
"No," he whispered. "No, no… don't look at me like that."
When Begging Replaces Control
He dropped to his knees in front of her.
"I feel you slipping," he said, voice breaking. "Do you know what that does to me?"
She backed away.
Jason reached for her hands, gripping too tightly.
"I've given you everything," he said. "I am everything."
Her voice shook.
"I just want space."
Something snapped.
The Dark Side Resurfaces
Jason stood slowly.
The air changed.
"You don't need space," he said coldly. "You need reminding."
Her heart pounded.
He didn't touch her—
But his presence crushed the room.
"I saved your mother. I gave you a life. I protected you."
He stepped closer.
"You belong here."
She shook her head.
"I belong to myself."
Control Without Chains
That night, the house changed.
Doors clicked softly—locked.
Phones stopped working again.
The guards returned—closer this time.
Jason didn't shout anymore.
He didn't have to.
Silence did the work.
His Confession
Later, he sat beside her on the bed.
"I don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "But I will destroy anything that takes you from me."
She stared at the wall.
"You're hurting me now."
His jaw clenched.
"I'm hurting," he corrected. "Because you are."
Jason's Fear
After she fell asleep, he stood alone in the dark.
She's waking up, he thought.
And if she wakes up completely—
I'll lose her.
And if I lose her…
His eyes darkened.
I won't survive it.
End of Chapter Questions
If love becomes control, is it still love?
When fear replaces affection, can it ever be undone?
And when Jason realizes love no longer binds her—
What will he do next?