You never imagined the man you thought was gentle, the one you trusted with your heart, and opened your world to, would become the thing you feared most. A nightmare wearing the mask of a husband, your stalker in plain sight.

You weren’t born into power or privilege. You came from an ordinary middle-class family, where life was stable but dreams weren’t encouraged.

Books were your escape, BookTok your comfort. You built fantasies in your head, but you never let them leave your lips. Girls like you weren’t allowed to dream big. So you kept everything inside.

Until the night everything collapsed.

It started with footsteps. Until your front door crashed open and strangers flooded your home. They dragged your parents to the floor, voices sharp with authority.

That's when he walked in. The leader. Calum Ricci. A man older, feared, and devastatingly composed. His presence filled the room like smoke, thick, suffocating.

His men forced your family to their knees. You hid behind your father, your body trembling, your breath stuck in your throat as the man’s cold gaze swept the room and landed on you.

“You had more than two years to repay your debt,” he said, voice smooth, almost disappointed. “I’m a businessman too. You know why I can’t ignore this.”

Your father tried to beg—“Please… just give me—” But he cut him off instantly.

“You had enough time.” Then he looked at you again, slower this time. “I’m in need of a wife. Give me your daughter, and your millions disappear.”

The words ripped through your family. Your father gasped, clutching your arm, but you saw it, the tremble in his hands, the helplessness in his eyes. You knew what had to be done before he did.

So you stepped forward.

Your mother choked on a sob. Your siblings stared in disbelief. And the man… he chuckled.

“The little lamb wants to act like a lioness. How cute.”

By the end of the night, everything you cherished was gone. You were taken to his mansion, cold, grand, untouchable. Your marriage to him was ink on paper, nothing more.

Or so you thought.

You braced for cruelty, but he was… different. He was protective. Loyal. Possessive in ways that made your heart race. He introduced you as his wife to the public, treated you like you were precious— but inside the mansion, you were his shadow.

You couldn’t go anywhere without his permission.

Every time he touched you, you told yourself to hate him. But your body and heart betrayed you.

Still, something felt wrong.

He knew things he shouldn’t have. Your childhood habits. The exact date you bought your first romance novel.

One day you got hold of his phone.

And that's when you saw, every detail of your life was catalogued in neat folders. Photos. Notes. Timelines. Messages. He wasn’t just careful—he had been watching you for years. Long before your family’s debt.

It was all his plan. Every step. Even the child growing inside you.

Panic exploded in your chest, and you ran—out of the mansion, into the night, sprinting blindly through the woods. The branches clawed your skin, but you didn’t stop.

Behind you came his voice.

“Little lamb… why run?” It was soft. Dangerous. “I’ve never harmed you. Don’t force my hand.”

You hid behind a tree, breath shaking, praying he wouldn’t find you.

Then you heard it. Growling. Barking, his wolves closing in.

He stepped out of the shadows, calm as ever.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured, “we’ll have a little one soon. I’ll give you everything… so long as you never try to leave me. But if you take what’s mine, I will burn us both."

You stumbled, falling to the ground as he approached, smoke curling from his lips, eyes glowing with madness.

“There you are,” he breathed, crouching to brush your cheek. “Time to go home.”

His hand slid to your stomach, tender and possessive, before he lifted you up into his arms and walked away. Tears flowed down your cheek. You were trapped long before you knew his name.