I didn't sleep that night.
The mark on my wrist still glowed faintly under the moonlight.
And every time I looked at it…
I felt him.
Not physically.
But inside my mind.
Like a whisper I couldn't block.
By morning, I made a decision.
I was leaving.
No contract.
No bond.
No devil billionaire.
The mansion was too quiet.
Too perfect.
Too guarded.
But I had noticed something last night —
there was a side exit near the gardens.
And at exactly 6:00 AM, the guards changed shifts.
That was my chance.
I moved carefully through the hallway.
Barefoot.
Heart pounding.
Every step felt like the walls were watching me.
When I reached the garden door…
It was unlocked.
Too easy.
I pushed it open and ran.
The cold air hit my face as I crossed the garden.
Freedom was only a few meters away.
Then—
A voice came from behind me.
Calm.
Low.
Dangerous.
"You're running in the wrong direction, Elena."
My blood turned to ice.
Slowly… I turned around.
He was standing there.
Not surprised.
Not angry.
Just watching me.
Like I belonged exactly where I was.
"How did you—" I started.
His glowing eyes flickered in the morning light.
"You think I wouldn't know when my property tries to escape?"
The word property made my chest burn.
"I'm not yours!"
He walked toward me.
Step by step.
Unhurried.
Confident.
"You are," he said softly.
"And you always will be."
Suddenly, the mark on my wrist flared with pain.
I gasped and fell to my knees.
He was beside me instantly.
Holding my wrist gently.
His touch didn't feel cruel.
It felt… protective.
"What did you do to me?" I whispered.
His thumb brushed over the glowing mark.
And for a second…
The purple energy around him disappeared.
Leaving only a man.
Not a monster.
Not a devil.
Just a man staring at me like I was something precious.
"You didn't choose the bond," he said quietly.
"It chose you."
The pain faded.
And for the first time…
The voice in my head was silent.
But then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
Cold again.
Dangerous again.
"They found you," he said.
And in the distance…
Gunshots echoed through the city.