Daniel paced slowly across the length of his room, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his mind lost in a storm he couldn't seem to escape. No matter how hard he tried, every thought came back to her.
Mia.
Her voice. The way her eyes lit up when she smiled. The innocence in her laughter, like sunlight spilling into the darkest corners of his heart. Everything about her seemed to dig into him, and he hated how powerless he felt because of it.
Daniel was not a man who lacked attention. Women flocked to him—beautiful, confident, eager women who would do anything just to be near him. He had power, wealth, looks, and charm. Most men would have been satisfied. But for him, it wasn't enough. Not anymore. Not after Mia.
He stopped at the window, staring out into the city lights, his reflection faint against the glass. His jaw tightened as he thought about her again. She wasn't even his. She wasn't supposed to be his. Yet the thought of her with someone else, smiling that soft smile, sharing her world with another man—it made his blood boil.
"Why you?" he whispered to himself. "Why do you get under my skin when no one else does?"
Behind him, the soft rustle of sheets made him turn. A woman lay sprawled across his bed, her long hair fanned across the pillow. She had been waiting for him, eager, confident that his attention belonged to her. She gave him a sultry smile and stretched lazily.
"Come back to bed, Daniel," she purred. "You've been pacing for too long."
For a brief moment, he allowed himself to look at her—at her beauty, her body, her bold invitation. But even as he stared, it wasn't her he saw. His mind betrayed him again, reshaping her into Mia's image. Her eyes. Her voice. Her warmth.
Daniel dragged a hand across his face in frustration. Why can't I stop thinking about her?
He crossed the room and sat at the edge of the bed. The woman reached out, tracing his jaw with her finger. "What's wrong?" she asked softly. "You seem distracted."
Distracted. That was one word for it. Obsessed was closer to the truth.
"It's nothing," Daniel muttered, though his voice lacked conviction. He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. His chest felt tight, like he was caught between wanting something he couldn't have and refusing to admit defeat.
The woman shifted closer, resting her head against his shoulder. "You know," she teased lightly, "a man like you shouldn't be so serious all the time. You have everything. Power, money, women. What more could you possibly want?"
Her.
The answer was instant, burning in his mind, though he didn't say it out loud. He clenched his fists beneath the sheets, fighting to keep his expression calm. How could he explain that no matter how much he had, he felt empty without Mia? How could he confess that he was drowning in the thought of a girl who didn't even know the depth of his obsession?
His lips curved into a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe I just want something real," he said quietly.
The woman blinked, confused by the sudden seriousness in his tone, but she let it go, laying back down. Soon, her breathing softened as she drifted into sleep, but Daniel's mind remained restless.
When he was sure she was asleep, he slipped out of bed, walking to the bathroom. The cold water from the faucet splashed against his face, but it did nothing to cool the fire raging inside him. He looked at himself in the mirror, his reflection staring back with a shadow he barely recognized.
He could lie to himself, pretend this was just another passing fascination. But he knew better. Mia was more than a crush. She was an obsession. And every day it grew stronger, like a hunger he couldn't satisfy.
"Why do you haunt me?" he whispered to the mirror. His hands gripped the sink until his knuckles turned white.
When he finally left the bathroom, he dressed quickly, ignoring the sleeping figure in his bed. The thought of staying still any longer suffocated him. He needed to do something—anything—to distract himself, but even as he left for the company, Mia's image followed him.
Her smile.
Her laughter.
The way she carried herself, completely unaware of the effect she had on him.
Daniel knew he was walking a dangerous line. He wanted her—wanted her in ways that scared him. And if this obsession continued to grow, he wasn't sure how far he would go to make her his.