Felix rose from the couch the moment I entered the living room. His eyes immediately searched my face. I was a wreck—shaken to my core, overwhelmed by everything that had happened. The weight of the truth pressed against my chest like a stone, and I didn't know what to do anymore.
Lucas had blackmailed me. He demanded that I end my relationship with Felix that very night. But I couldn't. Not after everything. Not after finding him again.
Despite the shadows of the past—despite his fragile mind and the terrible truth that he'd accidentally killed his parents—I didn't care. None of that mattered to me. All I could think about was him.
After all these years, we'd found each other again. My first love. My heart still beat wildly for him, and I could feel—undeniably—that I loved him just as much as I had before. Maybe even more. They say old love never rusts, and I finally understood what that meant.
Fate. That's what it felt like. As if destiny had deliberately led him back into my life. And I couldn't run from that. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else—because how could I, when I knew he was my soulmate?
I wanted to tell him the truth. Everything. I wanted to confess the secret I'd kept locked away for so long—the thing that had scarred me the most. But now? Now I was even more afraid. Years had passed, and I'd never told him. And suddenly Lucas knew... and Felix didn't.
He would never forgive me.
"Selena, are you okay?" Felix asked gently, stepping closer. He placed his hands on my shoulders and searched my face with worry etched in every line. "Did Lucas do something to you?"
"He didn't hurt me," I said quietly. "Everything's fine."
"Then why are you so pale? So shaken? I can tell something's wrong…"
"I just…" I faltered, then forced myself to look into his eyes. "We're both afraid of him, Felix. But I… I'm especially afraid. He's not giving me a choice."
Felix closed his eyes for a moment, as if bracing himself.
"He wants you to leave me," he said softly. "He's making you do it."
"He said I had to do it tonight." My voice trembled as I spoke. "And… he told me something else. That he went to our elementary school. That he noticed me at the same time you did. He told me he'd never let us be together."
Felix didn't even flinch. His expression didn't twist with anger or shock—just a deep, quiet pain.
"Selena," he said, "he only wants you because I love you. That's always how it's been. He's obsessed with my life. He envies everything about me. He always has."
He paused, and something dark flickered in his eyes.
"Sometimes, I wondered if he was really my mother's biological son… and I wasn't. That's how cruel they both were. It always felt like I didn't belong. Like I was just a mistake they were forced to tolerate. She and Lucas—same cold blood, same need to control."
"So he won't let us be together? He won't let us have peace?" I asked, voice tight with fear.
Felix shook his head and gently brushed his fingers against my cheek.
"He claims he's doing it for my good. That I'm too weak to manage my life alone. But it's not about love. It's about control. It always has been."
My heart ached as I watched him. Felix had lived in hell his entire life. No wonder his mind had suffered. No wonder he broke. There is nothing more cruel than being controlled by the people who are supposed to love you most.
"I don't want to leave you. Not like this. Not with him. I'm scared for you," I whispered, feeling the tears rise in my throat. "I want to stay. I want to be the one who protects you."
"You are my light in this dark life," he said softly, a faint smile touching his lips—but his eyes stayed sad, hollowed by years of pain.
"Is there… any way he might give us a chance?" I asked, hoping against hope that he'd offer a solution, any solution.
His gaze shifted, growing distant.
"There's one way. A very risky one," he said quietly. "The only way that might give us a real shot."
He didn't have to say it aloud.
I already knew what he meant.
Escape.Run from Lucas. Disappear to a place he could never find us.
And hope, with everything we had left, that we wouldn't be hunted.
*
Think it over, Selena.Are you willing to risk everything just to spend your life with me?To give me a second chance—knowing exactly who I am, and what you're signing up for?
I stumbled along the sidewalk under the heavy night sky. No alcohol touched my lips, but the swirling storm inside my mind made me dizzy as if I'd been drinking.
I didn't know what to do.
Felix had thrown my peaceful, ordered life into chaos once again. Now I had a choice to make: to give him that second chance, to hide from his dangerous cousin and risk everything for love… or to let him go forever and live with the aching thought that I lost my soulmate. That I'd never find happiness like that again.
Why was deciding so hard? Why couldn't I just be brave enough to say what I wanted, here and now?
My heart jumped sharply when a dark blue luxury car eased to a stop beside me, its polished body gleaming under the streetlights.
The worst scenarios played out in my mind.
"Selena."
I exhaled sharply. It was Sebastian—my former classmate. He stepped out of the car, calm but concerned.
"Sorry if I scared you."
"What are you doing here?"
"I came back to Los Angeles with Hero." His voice lowered. "I was at home and saw what's happening. Hero told me to find you and bring you back. He won't let you be with Felix."
I swallowed hard, the knot in my stomach tightening.
"He's a great boss," Sebastian said, "but very dangerous. If someone defies him, he can be ruthless."
Felix suffers beside him. He deserves freedom.
Sebastian looked at me with genuine sympathy.
"I heard what you said to Felix…" He noticed the fear in my eyes and quickly added, "Don't worry—I won't tell Hero anything. I won't put you in danger."
"What should I do, Sebastian? I'm terrified for Felix. But the thought of leaving him there, miserable and trapped—it makes me want to risk everything and face the danger myself."
He sighed softly.
"I won't tell you what to do, Selena. It's your choice." He looked me squarely in the eyes. "But know this—if you run away together, Hero will never let you go. He hates losing control, and he despises rebellion more than anything."
"I've seen that first hand. When Felix and I told him we wouldn't meet anymore, I thought he'd never let me leave the house. From the start, that man scared me. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't been there in New York to help me that day."
Sebastian's hand gently touched my shoulder. His eyes were kind, steady.
"Listen to your heart," he said quietly. "Whatever you decide, make sure it's a choice you won't regret."
"Thank you," I whispered.
He smiled faintly, opening the car door. "Come on. I'll drive you home."
I stepped in, my mind still racing—but for the first time in days, a flicker of clarity pierced the fog.
*
In the morning, looking at myself in the mirror, I looked like a zombie. I hadn't closed my eyes for even a minute. I felt awful, could barely walk, and yet sleep didn't come.
I picked up my phone when I saw a new message.
It was from Sebastian.
"When I drove you home, apparently there was an argument between Hero and Felix. Your ex has a busted lip. He must have been hit in the face by him."
A feeling of unease gripped me, and I quickly replied:
"I want to get him out of there. As soon as possible."
"So you've already made up your mind?"
"Yes, if I hadn't, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life."
I put the phone down in the closet and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I knew this decision would change my entire life. I would have to sell my apartment and give up my job so Lucas wouldn't find us.
"I have savings set aside that will last for a while... we'll manage," I repeated to myself.
Could I really believe that?
Thoughts about what I'd been through with Felix — how much I'd suffered — caused confusion in my head. Should I really abandon my current life and start over, waking up every day in fear?
I stood up from the chair, crossed my arms over my chest, and walked over to the window. I watched the passing cars, still wondering if I had made the right choice.
Yes, I had to protect him. He had suffered enough in the past. I could improve his future.
I went back to the closet where the phone lay. I picked it up and without thinking, dialed Mike's number.
"Dude, what's going on that you're calling me instead of Eve?" he asked at first, but anxiety showed in his voice.
"I have to tell you something... please don't interrupt me until I finish, okay?"
His voice tensed.
"Is something wrong, Selena? You sound serious."
"Just listen."
"Okay..."
"It's about Felix." My voice trembled. "I met him a few times. He's doing better. Lucas got him out of the psychiatric hospital, but..." I paused and took a deep breath. "Lucas controls him every step of the way. He's really dangerous — I've dealt with him several times. He was the man who took me as his passenger in that race."
"Selena..." Mike started, but I stopped him.
"Don't interrupt. Just listen. I want to help Felix get away from that demonic family. Lucas won't let us keep in touch. He hates that I came back into Felix's life."
There was silence, then Mike said:
"I want to meet him."
I gasped. I thought he'd be angry, but he just wanted to see how Felix was.
"I've been thinking about him for years and wondering if he's okay."
"There's only one problem — his cousin. He doesn't let anyone near him."
"I knew there was something off about that man. I thought we knew each other."
"I want to help Felix escape."
"Should I help you?"
I hesitated. I didn't want to drag Mike into danger, especially since he had a child.
"You have a family, so no. But could you lend me your motorcycle? I'll take Felix from there."
"Selena, this could be dangerous. You have a license, but you've only ridden a few times. What if they start chasing you?"
"I can handle it. Just believe in me, and don't tell Eve. She acts without thinking and might ruin my plans."
"I don't like it, but okay. I'll help you."