Love Jason

Chapter 50

Emily's POV

Marco's eyes burned with a fierce rage, his grip on the ring tightening until his knuckles turned white. I felt a knot form in my stomach, the fear of his reaction paralyzing me.

"I'm sorry, Marco," I whispered, the words barely audible over the pounding of my own heart. "But I can't keep risking my life like this. I... I'm done."

I held my breath, waiting for his response, hoping beyond hope that he would understand my need to prioritize my safety, even if it meant sacrificing our relationship.

But as Marco moved closer, a flicker of hope ignited within me, believing he had finally seen reason. But my hope turned to horror as he lunged forward, his hand wrapping around my throat with a vice-like grip. Pain shot through me as his fingers dug into my skin, cutting off my breath.

As I struggled for breath, panic seized every fibre of my being. I couldn't fathom what had possessed Marco to act with such brutality.

"You're hurting me," I managed to gasp out, each word a desperate plea for mercy. But with every syllable that escaped my lips, his fingers tightened their grip, driving deeper into my flesh.

Marco's hot breath brushed against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine as his chilling words pierced the air.

"You are mine, and you will do as I say," he whispered, his voice a venomous hiss that sent a wave of dread crashing over me.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, mingling with the pain and fear that consumed me. "Please, Marco, you're hurting me," I pleaded again, my voice barely a whisper as I struggled to draw in even the smallest breath.

"Say you will do as I tell you," he demanded his words a cold command that left me struggling for my life.

As suddenly as his fingers had closed around my throat, they released their vice-like grip, sending me crashing to the floor in a gasping heap. I lay there, trembling and struggling to fill my lungs with air, the taste of fear lingering on my tongue.

Marco's looming figure stood over me, a dark silhouette against the dim light, his eyes cold and unforgiving. I dared not meet his gaze, knowing that any defiance would only invite further wrath.

"Why do you allow me to do this to you, Emily?" Marco's voice cracked with a hint of remorse, and his eyes momentarily softened. "I love you, can't you see it?"

His words pierced through the chaos of my emotions, stirring a flicker of doubt within me. Could it be true? Could his actions be driven by love, despite the cruelty?

But as quickly as the doubt arose, it was extinguished by the harsh reality of his hold over me. Love should never feel like a prison. and his remorse was fleeting, overshadowed by the weight of his control.

"Now go back to that asshole, and tell him that you will stay, because I heard him beg you to stay for half a million," Marco said, his words cutting through the air like a knife, each syllable dripping with contempt and malice. As I struggled to regain my breath, his cruel demands echoed in my mind, twisting the knife of betrayal deeper into my heart.

But amidst the pain and confusion, a flicker of defiance sparked within me. Summoning every ounce of courage I had left, I met his gaze, my voice trembling but resolute.

"Who are you, Marco?" I whispered, my words heavy with disbelief and sorrow. "Because I do not recognize you anymore."

At that moment, as the truth hung heavy between us, I knew that the man I once loved was lost to me forever, replaced by a stranger consumed by jealousy and cruelty. And though my heart ached with the weight of what had been lost, I knew that I could no longer deny the truth staring me in the face.

"I am just a man who is hopelessly in love with you but also wants to destroy that asshole, Jason Russo. I can have it all? Can't I... Don't answer that because I know I can have it all. So go back to him because I need you, to destroy him," he spat out, his voice dripping with venom.

Marco's words hung in the air, heavy with desperation and possessiveness. His declaration of love twisted into something dark and manipulative, leaving me cold with realization.

But I refused to be controlled by him any longer. With a newfound strength born of defiance, I pushed myself up from the floor, meeting his gaze with a steely resolve.

"No, Marco," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. "I refuse to be controlled by you any longer," I declared, my voice trembling but firm. "I won't be a pawn in your twisted game of revenge. I deserve better than this, and I won't let you destroy me in the process. I choose myself, and I choose to walk away from you."

Marco's anger flared with every syllable that passed from my lips, his eyes ablaze with a fury that made my heart thump heavily in my chest. Before I could react, he seized me forcefully, pulling me into his grasp with a strength that left me feeling utterly powerless.

Caught in his grip, I struggled against his hold, feeling the weight of his rage bearing down on me like a heavy chain.

"Let me go!" I screamed desperation tinged with anger in my voice.

But Marco's grip only tightened, his eyes flashing with a chilling resolve that sent a shiver down my spine.

"You will go back to that asshole," he growled, his words dripping with venom, "and you will tell him you will stay. Unless your best friend Layla will have to suffer the consequences of your disobedience."

My heart lurched at the mention of Layla, a surge of fear coursing through me at the thought of her being dragged into Marco's twisted schemes.

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of dread and defiance.

But Marco's response was cold and calculating, a stark reminder of the depths to which he was willing to sink to get what he wanted.

"Do you really want to find out the extent I can go to get what I want?" he sneered, his grip tightening even further, leaving me feeling trapped and helpless.

Tears welled in my eyes as I pleaded with Marco, my voice barely above a whisper, "Marco, don't do this to me. You love me, don't you?"

But instead of reassurance, his response sent a chill down my spine. He chuckled, his laughter devoid of warmth or compassion.

"It's because I love you," he admitted, his words struck me like a dagger to the heart, "that I'm doing this. I want a life with you more than anything, and I'll go to any length to get it."

My heart sank as Marco's words echoed in my ears, a painful reminder of the impossible choice I was being forced to make.

"I know you love your friend, so go and do as I have asked," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. Defeated, I could only nod in reluctant agreement.

Tears streamed down my face as I turned to leave the bathroom, my mind reeling with the weight of what I was about to do. But before I could take a single step, Marco's voice stopped me in my tracks.

"You forgot something," he whispered, his words dripping with malice, his tone laced with a cruel undercurrent. With a sense of dread, I watched as he took my hand and fastened the bracelet with his ring back onto my wrist, a chilling reminder of his control over me.

As he pulled me close once again, his touch made my skin crawl, his words a haunting echo in the hollow chamber of my mind.

"I love you, and you are going be my wife, don't you forget that," He murmured, his voice thick with possessiveness. I could taste the salt of my tears as his lips claimed mine. At that moment, I realized that the love we had once shared had now become a prison, and Marco was the jailer holding the key to my freedom.