Page 7 of Obsession (Dark Revenge)
“She’d never sink so low as to even like me. I’m beneath her in her eyes,” I reminded him.
“You are,” he confirmed. “But sometimes we yearn for the things we can’t have, and you were always off the menu.”
“I’m growing tired of this conversation. Do you know where she is or not?” I snarled.
“If I tell you, will you go after her?” he asked.
“Of course, I will. I should bruise every inch of her for leaving.”
“You should expose every secret you have on her and tear her apart. Isn’t that in your contract? If she runs, you obliterate her,” he suggested.
I didn’t respond. We both knew what I had threatened Alison with to compel her to surrender to me. I should divulge everything I held against her, then drag her back and subject her to torment for the remainder of our time together before ultimately reducing her to ashes. But if I destroyed her so hastily, there would be nothing left to fight for. I’d extinguish the fire burning inside Alison, and without that spark, there’d be no reason for me to keep her.
“She’s mine to do with as I please,” I declared.
Vince shook his head. “And what if you decide you want to keep her?”
“I DON’T!” I yelled. “I want to savor what she owes me, and then I’ll let her go. I won’t jeopardize your plans because of Alison fucking Brown. But I’ve waited years for this, Vince. I’ve waited, I’ve worked hard for it, and I’ve endured. Now I want to collect, and two weeks of torment isn’t enough.”
“A month isn’t enough, Jared, and you know it.”
“Do you know where she is?”
Vince sighed, his entire demeanor reflecting his exhaustion from this conversation. I was aware that I wasn’t paying much attention to what he was saying, but it felt like I’d been cheated out of something by letting Alison go too quickly. I was entitled to the remaining time we had together, and allowing her to escape the real torment I had in store for her—turning her into an obsessed mess who only wanted to please me—felt wrong.
“I know where she is,” he informed me.
“Then—”
“But I want you to consider letting her go. Don’t claim her immediately.”
“Why not?” I asked. “She’s in for it once I get my hands on her.”
“And she knows that too. Let her stew for a while, and in the meantime, genuinely think about what I’ve told you. I know you believe you’re changing her. I know you think you’re imprinting yourself so deeply into her mind that she won’t be able to escape you even if she returns to her old life. But you’re not changing her. You’re merely taking what she’s already willing to give you. That’s why you refuse to listen to me, because this entire arrangement is ultimately for nothing. Once again, Alison comes out on top.”
“Vince!” I shouted, truly fed up with this conversation now.
“Think about it. Don’t chase her the moment you can, because that means she’s gotten under your skin.”
While Vince had taught me a lot, he demonstrated that maintaining a clear mind was a skill he had mastered long before I did. He was right. I shouldn’t immediately pursue her. I shouldn’t allow her to so easily disrupt my composure. I needed to regain my patience. I needed to find my calm. Therefore, I took a deep breath and nodded.
“I won’t chase her right away,” I confirmed.
Vince eyed me skeptically for a moment before reaching for a phone on his desk. He handed it to me, and I approached to take it. I turned it on, accessing the security footage to see which car she had taken. As I watched her drive through the gate and into the night, I turned back to Vince. He regarded me with a neutral expression, but we both knew that Alison had escaped because he had allowed it. This wasn’t a lesson for Alison. It was for me, and it further transformed my night into a frustrating mess.
“All your cars have trackers, right?” I asked him.
“They do.”
“Send me the information. I’ll be in my room,” I informed him. “Also, I’m keeping this phone. I need a replacement.”
“For how long will you be in your room?” Vince inquired.
“Long enough to make a decision,” I replied.
“A decision? Does this mean you’ll consider letting her go?”
“I will.”
