She is trying to run as fast as she possibly can, pushing herself to the limit with every step, but she is well aware—painfully aware—that he hasn’t stopped chasing her, not even for a moment. He is right behind her, pursuing her relentlessly. Her only goal now is to somehow escape and reach the edge of the premises, to find any possible way out, because today, after so long, she has finally gotten the chance to run away—and she wants to make the most of it. But he is constantly on her heels, not letting her get even the slightest chance to succeed. Every effort she makes, he crushes it by closing in on her. She quickly slips into a hiding spot, crouching behind a stack of old crates, trying to vanish into the shadows.

The sound of his approaching footsteps suddenly halts. Her heart is pounding in her chest like a war drum. She presses one trembling hand against her chest in an attempt to calm her frantic heartbeat, while the other hand is tightly clamped over her mouth to stifle any accidental sound that might escape. She doesn’t even want the sound of her breath to give her away. She is trying to make herself so quiet, so invisible, that even the faintest rustle of air wouldn’t betray her hiding spot. Every second feels like an eternity. Slowly, cautiously, she starts to inch away from the spot, hoping to escape before he finds her.

But before she can even move more than a few inches, a strong hand grabs her arm and pulls her out from her hiding place with such force that she stumbles. In the very next moment, he pins her down beneath him, his grip tightening around both of her wrists, locking them above her head. His body cages her in as he stares into her wide, panicked eyes, his own eyes blazing with an intensity that is impossible to ignore.

With a voice that is both a warning and a vow, he whispers against her trembling lips.

“I will never, under any circumstances, let you go away from me.”