She instinctively turned her head, more to escape the putrid stench of his breath than out of curiosity for whatever was playing on the screen.But movement on the small display caught her eye, and she froze, the color draining from her face as the images unfolded.
It was her.
Stepping out of the bathroom shower, completely naked, water dripping down her skin.On the screen, she casually reached for a towel, patting herself dry, blissfully unaware of the camera that was capturing every intimate moment.
Lexie’s stomach twisted violently.It felt like her lungs had stopped working, and for a brief moment, she couldn’t even summon the strength to speak.
“Not bad, huh?”Enzo sneered, his tone oily and smug.
She snapped her gaze back to the phone as the video shifted to another scene.This time, she was lying on her bed, her hands...oh, God!Heat flared in her cheeks, her shame and fury boiling over in equal measure.
“How…!”Her voice broke, and she choked.She stumbled back a step, clutching her bag as though it could somehow shield her.
Enzo’s smirk grew wider as a third clip played.This one was of her sleeping, the angle so invasive it made her stomach churn.Then another: her stepping out of the shower again, but from a different angle.And another: her in her closet, rifling through her clothes, completely unaware of the hidden eyes watching her every move.
Lexie’s knees nearly buckled.She gripped the car door for support as bile rose in her throat.Her voice trembled with a mixture of rage and disbelief.“How many cameras…?”She couldn’t finish the question, couldn’t even fathom the level of depravity it would take to do something so vile.
Enzo chuckled darkly, the sound as grating as nails on a chalkboard.“Enough to keep things… interesting,” he said, his voice dripping with malice.“You’re a difficult woman to get close to, Lexie.I had to get creative.”
She forced herself to look away, though the images had already burned themselves into her mind.Her home—her sanctuary—violated in ways she couldn’t even begin to process.
“You monster,” she whispered.She glared at him, her eyes blazing with hatred.“Howdareyou?!”
Enzo’s grin faltered, but he quickly masked it with a shrug.“Relax, sweetheart.It’s just a little insurance, you know?To make sure you’re… cooperative.”
“Cooperative?”The word came out as a hiss, as she fought to keep herself composed.“You think this—thisperversion—is going to get what you want?”
“Oh, I think it will,” Enzo said, his grin returning, cruel and triumphant.“See, you’ve got a lot to lose, Lexie.Your reputation, your job… your precious students.How would they look at you if they saw this, huh?”
Lexie’s nails dug into the strap of her bag as she tried to think, to plan, to fight through the haze of shock and fury clouding her judgment.Her hands shook, but her voice steadied, low and cold as ice.“You’re disgusting.A coward.You think this makes you powerful?It doesn’t.It just proves how weak and pathetic you really are.”
She saw a flicker of something other than triumph in his eyes—an almost imperceptible wince.It was tiny, but it gave her a sliver of strength to hold on to.
“You invaded my home, my privacy!”she snarled, her voice trembling but gaining a dangerous edge as she glared at him.
Enzo chuckled, low and malicious, nodding as he leaned in even closer, pressing his body against hers.Lexie’s back hit the cold metal of her car, and she flinched as his weight bore down on her, trapping her in place.“I did,” he said, his voice a sinister purr.“All over your house, baby.”
Lexie tried to twist away, but he shifted, his hips pressing against hers in a way that made her stomach churn with revulsion.Her breathing quickened, panic rising in her chest like a tide she couldn’t hold back.
“So,” he continued, his lips curling into a smirk as his hot, rancid breath assaulted her nose, “if you don’t want these pretty little videos all over the internet, then you, my dear,aregoing to be my girlfriend.”He chuckled at the horrified expression that spread across her face, his amusement sickeningly genuine.“For as long as I want you.”
Lexie’s stomach churned violently at his words.He finally backed up, shoving his phone into his pocket with a satisfied air.At least he released her arm, and she rubbed the sore spot, wincing at the dull ache.She felt dirty, violated, like his touch had left something vile on her skin.
But she couldn’t shower.The thought struck her like a blow, and the bile that had been rising in her throat spilled over.She bent over suddenly, retching, her lunch spewing onto the asphalt near Enzo’s feet.A few splatters landed on the hem of his jeans, and for a brief, grotesque moment, she felt an inkling of satisfaction.
“What the hell!”Enzo screeched, leaping back as if the vomit were acid.His face twisted with disgust as he examined his soiled shoes.
Before Lexie could react, his hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of her hair.She cried out in shock and pain as he yanked her head back, her scalp burning under his grip.
The slap cracked through the air like a gunshot, the sting exploding across her cheek in a burst of white-hot pain.Lexie staggered, her palm smacking against the cold metal of her car just to stay upright.
For a heartbeat, she couldn’t move.Couldn’t breathe.The world seemed to tilt, colors sharpening and blurring all at once.
Her fingers found her cheek, trembling, as if she had to confirm the blow had really landed.Her voice came out raw and incredulous.“You hit me!”
Enzo’s face was all fury and contempt, the kind of disgust that made her skin crawl.“Yeah,” he hissed, leaning in close enough for her to smell the acrid bite of his aftershave.“And I’ll do more than that if you’re not ready by eight o’clock tonight.”
He stepped back, straightening his leather jacket with the casual arrogance of a man who thought violence was his birthright.His gaze swept the street, searching for witnesses, and Lexie’s stomach twisted when she realized he looked almost disappointed that they were alone.
