The fight erupted like a storm.
"I won't be your pawn," I spat, my fists clenched at my sides. "I won't let you control me."
Derek's eyes burned with something unreadable. "You think you have a choice?"
"I do!"
In an instant, he had me caged against the wall, his breath hot against my skin. "You belong to me, Elena. Whether you accept it or not."
My pulse raced, fury and something far more dangerous coiling inside me. "You can own my body, but you'll never own my soul."
His smirk sent shivers down my spine. "We'll see."
And then he kissed me.
It wasn't gentle or sweet—it was fire, a clash of dominance and defiance. I hated him. But at that moment, I hated myself more for wanting him anyway.
---
The silence after the kiss was deafening.
I wiped my lips, glaring at him. "You think you can break me?"
Derek's smirk remained. "I don't need to. You're already cracking."
I stormed away, my body still humming from his touch, from the heat he left behind.
But as I reached my room and shut the door behind me, I knew the truth.
The real battle wasn't with Derek.
It was with myself.