The moment stretched out, the room seeming to shrink around her as Charlie's words lingered in the air. Mae's heart raced, pounding against her ribs like it was trying to escape her chest. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him, couldn't break free from the magnetic force that held her captive.

Her mind screamed at her to move, to run, but her body betrayed her. Every muscle was frozen, locked in place as Charlie's gaze bore into her, his dark eyes filled with a mixture of control and something more dangerous—possession. The heat of his touch still lingered on her cheek, a brand that seared her flesh and made it impossible to think clearly.

"You can't keep doing this," Mae whispered, her voice barely audible, her throat tight. She didn't know if she was trying to convince herself or him.

Charlie smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile—it was knowing, almost predatory. "Doing what?" His voice was smooth, laced with amusement, as if her resistance was something he found charming. "Reminding you of who you are? Of where you belong?"

Her pulse quickened. She wanted to lash out, to scream that she didn't belong to him, that no one could own her. But the truth settled heavy in her chest—he was right. Charlie had owned her from the moment she stepped foot into Hell's Angels, and she had been walking right into his trap, one slow step at a time.

He moved closer, the space between them shrinking until there was barely an inch left. Mae's breath hitched as his hand came up, fingers gently tracing the line of her jaw, his touch as soft as it was suffocating. Her body betrayed her once again, leaning into the warmth of his palm even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to pull away.

"I know you feel it," Charlie murmured, his voice sending a shiver down her spine. "That pull between us. You've tried to fight it, Mae, but you can't resist forever."

Mae's heart thudded loudly in her chest, her mind spinning. She hated that he was right, hated that he could read her so easily, could see through the walls she had tried to build. There was something between them, something dark and magnetic, something she couldn't shake no matter how hard she tried.

"Why me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes searching his face for answers. She didn't understand why he had chosen her, why he had latched onto her so completely.

Charlie's gaze softened, but it was no less intense. He stepped even closer, his breath warm against her skin as he leaned in. "Because you're mine."

The words sent a jolt of electricity through her, her body reacting in ways that made her stomach twist. She wanted to deny it, to push him away and tell him he was wrong, but the truth was she couldn't. Somewhere deep inside, she had known this from the beginning.

She was his.

And the worst part was, a part of her wanted to be.

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from her lungs. She had been fighting for so long, trying to hold on to her independence, her control. But now, standing here in Charlie's office, with his touch igniting a fire inside her, she realized just how much she had already given up.

Her resistance had been an illusion. A game. And Charlie had been playing it better than she ever could.

Charlie's hand slid to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair as he pulled her closer. Mae's breath caught in her throat, her pulse hammering as his lips hovered just inches from hers. She could feel the heat radiating off him, the overwhelming presence of his body pressed so close to hers.

"You can't run from this, Mae," he whispered, his voice dark and intoxicating. "You can't run from me."

Her body trembled, the weight of his words sinking into her skin. She should have been afraid, should have pushed him away, but instead, she found herself leaning in, closing the distance between them.

Their lips met in a slow, deliberate kiss, the tension between them snapping like a tightly drawn wire. Mae's hands found their way to his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she clung to him, the heat of the kiss consuming her. Charlie's grip tightened on her neck, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss until she was lost in it, lost in him.

Her mind screamed that this was wrong, that she shouldn't want this, shouldn't want him, but her body refused to listen. Every touch, every movement felt electric, igniting a fire inside her that she hadn't realized had been burning for so long. Charlie's lips moved against hers with a possessive hunger, as if he was claiming her, marking her as his.

And Mae let him.

When they finally pulled apart, both of them breathing heavily, Mae's mind was a mess of confusion and desire. She stared at Charlie, her heart pounding, her lips still tingling from the intensity of the kiss. She had never felt so out of control, so completely at someone's mercy.

Charlie's eyes darkened as he looked at her, a dangerous glint flickering in their depths. "You belong to me, Mae," he said again, his voice low and rough. "And I won't let anyone take you from me."

Mae's chest tightened at his words, the possessiveness in his tone sending a thrill down her spine. She should have been terrified. She was terrified. But underneath the fear was something else, something darker, something she couldn't deny.

She wanted to belong to him.

But at what cost?

Her phone buzzed again in her bag, breaking the spell between them. Mae blinked, stepping back from Charlie as reality crashed down around her. She had let herself get too close, too caught up in the moment, and now the weight of what had just happened pressed down on her like a suffocating blanket.

Charlie's gaze followed her as she reached for her phone, her fingers trembling as she pulled it out. Another message, this time from a different number.

Don't forget the rules. You've crossed a line.

Mae's heart dropped into her stomach. The message wasn't from Charlie—it was from someone else. Someone who was watching, someone who knew more than she realized.

Her eyes shot up to meet Charlie's, her pulse racing as fear gripped her chest. "What is this?"

Charlie's expression darkened, his jaw tightening as he stepped toward her. "Give me the phone."

Mae hesitated for a split second, but then handed the phone over, her mind racing with questions. Charlie's eyes scanned the message, his face unreadable, but she could see the tension building in his posture.

"We'll take care of it," he said, his voice cold and controlled, but there was an edge to it, a sharpness that made Mae's stomach twist.

"Who is it?" she asked, her voice shaky, fear creeping into her words. "Who's watching me?"

Charlie's eyes flicked up to meet hers, his expression hard. "You don't need to worry about that."

But Mae was worried. The fear that had been simmering under the surface now boiled over, and for the first time, she realized just how deep she was in. She wasn't just caught in Charlie's web—there were others, others who were pulling the strings in ways she hadn't even begun to understand.

She had thought Charlie was the one in control, the one who owned her.

But now, she wasn't so sure.

Charlie's grip tightened around the phone as his eyes bore into hers, a storm of emotions brewing beneath the surface. The air between them grew thick with tension, the weight of the unspoken truths hanging over them. Mae could feel the shift in his demeanor, his calm mask beginning to crack under the pressure of something darker.

"You don't need to worry about who's watching," he repeated, his voice even, but there was a sharpness there now, a warning hidden beneath the surface. "I'll handle it."

Mae's chest tightened, her mind spinning. Handle it? What did that mean? Who was this person threatening her, and how deep did Charlie's connections run?

She stepped back, her body trembling as the reality of her situation settled over her like a heavy blanket. She had been walking on the edge of a knife, teetering between submission and resistance, but now the line she had crossed felt irreversible. Whatever game was being played, Mae was the pawn, and Charlie was at the center of it all.

"I can't do this anymore," she whispered, her voice barely audible. The words slipped out before she could stop them, a confession that felt like a release and a plea for help all at once.

Charlie's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer, closing the space between them. "You don't have a choice," he said, his tone low, controlled, but carrying an undercurrent of finality. "You belong to me, Mae. There's no turning back."

Her heart hammered in her chest, her pulse quickening as his words wrapped around her like chains. She wanted to fight, to scream that she did have a choice, that she could walk away. But the truth was, she didn't know if that was even possible anymore. The web was too tightly woven around her, and every time she tried to pull away, it only tightened.

"I didn't ask for this," she whispered, her voice shaking with the weight of everything she had been holding inside. "I didn't ask to be part of this world."

Charlie's gaze softened slightly, though the intensity never left his eyes. He reached out, his hand cupping her cheek in a surprisingly gentle gesture. "None of us do," he said, his voice quieter now, almost tender. "But here we are."

Mae's breath hitched at the unexpected softness in his tone, her chest tightening as she searched his face for answers. For a brief moment, she saw something in him—something almost human beneath the layers of control and manipulation. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced by the cold, calculating man she had come to know.

"You're stronger than you think," Charlie said, his fingers brushing against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. "You've survived this long, haven't you?"

Mae swallowed hard, her throat dry as she struggled to find her voice. She had survived, yes, but at what cost? She was losing herself, piece by piece, every day that she stayed in this world. The woman she had once been—the one who had dreams, who had a future—felt like a distant memory, buried beneath the weight of the choices she had made.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Charlie's hand lingered on her cheek for a moment longer before he dropped it, stepping back slightly as he studied her. "You're not going anywhere," he said, his tone resolute. "Not until I say so."

The finality of his words sent a cold chill down Mae's spine. She knew now that there was no escape. Not unless Charlie let her go. And deep down, she knew he never would.

Her phone buzzed again, breaking the silence. The noise seemed to echo in the small room, and Mae's heart raced as she glanced down at the screen. Another message.

This time, her blood ran cold.

If you don't stop, you won't just lose everything—you'll lose yourself.

The words hit her like a punch to the gut, and her hands began to shake. Someone was watching, someone knew more than she realized. This wasn't just about Charlie anymore. There were others involved, pulling strings from the shadows, and they were getting closer.

Her mind raced, panic clawing at the edges of her thoughts. She looked up at Charlie, her pulse pounding in her ears. "What is this?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Charlie's eyes flicked to the phone, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he didn't say anything, the tension between them thick and suffocating. Then, slowly, he stepped closer, taking the phone from her hands once again.

"You let me worry about that," he said, his voice low and commanding. "I'll handle it."

But Mae couldn't shake the feeling that this was bigger than either of them. She was caught in the middle of something dangerous, something she didn't fully understand. And now, more than ever, she realized just how little control she had over her own life.

Charlie's fingers brushed against hers as he handed the phone back to her, his touch lingering for just a moment too long. His gaze locked onto hers, a silent reminder of the power he held over her.

"Tomorrow. Midnight," he said, his voice soft but firm. "Be ready."

Mae nodded, her throat too tight to speak. She felt trapped, bound by invisible chains that tightened with every word he spoke. There was no way out. Not now. Not with whoever was watching her, threatening her every move.

Charlie's hand lingered on her arm for a moment longer, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. Then, without another word, he turned and walked out of the office, leaving Mae standing alone in the heavy silence.

She stared down at her phone, her mind spinning. The message still glowed on the screen, a warning she couldn't ignore. But what could she do? She was trapped between Charlie's control and the unknown force that was closing in on her, and no matter which way she turned, the walls were closing in.

As she stood there in the darkened office, the weight of it all pressed down on her, and Mae realized something she hadn't fully admitted before.

She was losing herself.

Piece by piece, day by day, she was slipping away, and if she didn't find a way out soon, there would be nothing left of her.