(Elira's POV)
How cruel was it for someone to crave love, and when it knocked on the door, you'd have to run away from it because it took away your freedom?
I was stuck in the same situation. Mr. Wolfe's love was restraining, infuriating, and suffocating, but at the same time, it was everything that I needed. Passionate, wild, and crazy. If the situations were different and not so complicated, I would've run into his arms instead of thinking to run away from him.
"Eat more. You'd need more strength if you're planning to survive with all those infinite thoughts in your head."
Mr. Wolfe snapped me back to reality. The food on my plate was running cold, but I didn't take even a bite from it. I was consumed by a million thoughts, making me restless, confused, and irritated from the moment he confessed his love.
Even though he kept trying to pretend nothing changed, things between us didn't feel the same anymore. Suddenly the game of minds turned into a game of hearts, which started to make me uncomfortable, and the fact that he ordered to prepare only my favorites for the dishes every day, took garden strolls with me, and had been doing things people in love would actually do as if he had been trying to show his love didn't help me either.
I couldn't deny the impact of those gestures on me, but I couldn't accept it. If it was love, I wanted it to be normal, like something others would do without any contracts between them.
"Mr. Wolfe!" I looked at him. "About the thing that you said… is it true?"
"Are you questioning my love, Elira?" A tint of sadness appeared in his eyes for a second before it faded. "What do you think?" He questioned.
"I think you are confusing your control with love. You don't love me. You only want to control me. You want to have authority over me."
"If that's the only thing I want, then we won't be having this conversation right now, so you better think before you speak."
His tone, so angry and authoritative, made me realize I was not totally wrong.
"Even now, you are trying to control me and my thoughts, Mr. Wolfe."
He clenched his jaw and looked at me with his tired eyes. I stood straight to leave, but his loud voice halted my steps.
"I am trying, okay?"
I turned around to meet his anger-filled eyes. He grabbed my arm, saying, "I am trying, Elira. Why can't you understand?"
"You don't have to try, Mr. Wolfe."
Even though I didn't say it out loud, deep down I had always known that if he continued trying, I'd definitely fall for him more and would be willing to be trapped in his control all my life.
"You don't have to try to do anything. You've already done enough. The contract, the control, and now this thing called 'love'… you've already done enough."
"You don't even want to give me the chance to try." He scoffed. "You are giving me more reasons why we need a contract between us."
He left me and walked away angrily. It was not me who had been giving the reasons. It was him. He had been giving me more reasons why I needed to run away from him.
The week passed with me stuck with the thoughts of receiving his love and running away from the contract. The only time I could rest my head from Mr. Wolfe's thoughts was when talking to Mira, but even so, I couldn't completely rest my mind, as the thoughts of Mira's future started to haunt me.
"This is the list I prepared." Mira showed me the list of the multiplayer games that she wanted to play with me once she got discharged. "I hope you'll be out of the evil Wolfe's contract so soon. I don't want you to be a servant to him. I hate it."
I simply smiled at her. For Matthew's truth, I had to again come up with a lie of ending the contract soon when in fact I was nowhere near to it.
"I really want to play duo games with you all day again." She said excitedly.
"We will." I nodded.
"Do you remember how I was so bad at these games, but instead of kicking me out, you patiently taught me?" She hugged me. "Thanks for that and for every single thing you've done for me."
"That's because I love you so much, and I couldn't replace you with anyone. Winning or losing, with you, Mira."
She kissed my cheek and said, "Now, trust me, I am going to play better than you."
"Oh!" I hit her hand. "We'll see then."
We laughed together, reminiscing about our little moments.
"Elira!" Her laughter faded and she looked at me seriously. "It will happen, right?"
"Hey! Why are you worried?" I pulled her closer.
"Matt said the person you signed the contract with is a very bad guy. An evil monster. He said it's not possible for you to get out of that contract."
"No, Mira. It's not like that." I assured her. "He is not that bad. He's the one who paid for your treatment and moved you to the VIP ward…"
"That's because you sacrificed yourself for me." She let out a frustrated sigh. "Elira! What if what Matt said is true? What if he doesn't let you go? I am scared."
"Mira! Trust me. I will handle it."
She smiled only after she got convinced by my words. A hundred questions with no answers hit my head, making me decide on one final thing for the sake of everyone. It had always been in my head, but I was scared. It was time to finally choose. For me. For Mira. For us.
Standing in front of the mirror, I applied my makeup, getting ready to go out with Mr. Wolfe, while thinking about the decision I took a few days back. My heart wouldn't stop pounding as I thought about the change that was going to come in a few hours. I didn't know if it'd push me into a pool of joy or drown me in a sea of sadness.
Matthew: Everything is ready. We are escaping tonight.