Her Cruelty, His Code

ing of my latest architectural project, a community

it was

hrew a bucket of red paint at me. It splattered across

r!" she

re yelling, their faces twisted with

behind. I stumbled, trying to keep my balance. Wher

und her. She was standing near the edge of the chaos, ne

as wa

lips as she spoke to Liam, her

thed. "Make sure the reporters from

large man in the crowd. The man immedia

s her narrative, brought to life. The "abusive" husband being brought to ju

nt, the shouts, the shoves-it all faded into the bac

me? Why this elabo

something else t

enough for a nearby reporter to hear. "She

me. He shoved me hard in the ches

Feet were everywhere. Someone stepped on my hand, and I heard

o be trampled, torn apart. My programming screamed at me to

s coming down towards m

was

expression a perfect ma

ut. She pushed people away. "Get back!

as she had summoned. Her touch was gentle. The contrast bet

icker of something raw, something possessive and fierce. She wasn't

he cleaned the paint from my face with a s

ay?" she as

wer. I just

ek, her brow furrowed with wh

. "When I saw you fall... I thou

t just manipulation. It was something far more twisted. A deep, sick need to control every aspec

face and looked at me,

ove you, righ

ed the time. Twenty-eight da

nd to make sure she, and Liam, would never f