Page 89 of Surrendering to the Obsession

Then her eyes softened. Not with guilt, but with disbelief. She looked at him, and answered. “James… haven’t you always been like this?”

She stared into his eyes, unflinching.

“You don’t have the right to be angry at me for not picking up your calls… for being busy. Every single time in these five years that I reached out, you said the exact same words: ‘I’m busy. Handle your matters on your own.’ Isn’t that what you always said? On every call I made?”

She drew a deep, steadying breath before continuing. “This is the first time I’ve ever ignored your calls or texts… and you’ve completely lost your mind over it?” Her eyebrows arched.

James’s chest heaved as he stared at her, rage spiraling out of control.

He took a sharp breath and exploded, “And why thefuckis that you didn’t?” His voice thundered in the street.

“You’re having dinner with another man right in front of my eyes… getting involved with some wild, filthy, disgusting fucker?! Having an affair with some bastard? Do you really take me for a dead man while I’m still alive?” James roared, chest heaving. “Your husband is still alive.I am stillyour goddamn husband, Mia Sinclair! And you dared to go on dates with another man?”

Mia looked at him, her brows furrowing sharply. “You arenotmy husband anymore,” she said firmly. “You don’t have any right to decide what I do, or whom I go out with.”

At once, the anger already burning inside James exploded into something darker and uncontrollable.

“You want to date a fucking man right in front of my eyes?” he snarled, taking a threatening step toward her. His rage was through the roof, his burning eyes locked on her as he growled each word through clenched teeth.

“Listen to me carefully, Mia Sinclair,” he snarled, tilting his head toward her, eyebrows furrowed, tension carved into his features. “You arenevergoing to be separated from me. Not in your entire fucking lifetime!”

He stomped on the flowers scattered on the ground, crushing them beneath his heel.

“Who do you want to be with?” he demanded, voice rough. “Whoever you try to get together with… I will kill that fucking man.”

The voice was lethal, dark, filled with a rage Mia had never seen before. Before she could even draw a breath, he grabbed the back of her neck, yanking her toward him. His face dropped, and his lips crashed onto her mouth.

Mia twisted her head sharply, turning away. Her palms slapped against his shoulders, pushing hard, but he held her with brutal insistence. His hand clamped the back of her head, forcing her face toward him again as he tried to kiss her once more.

She kept turning away, resisting, pushing—his grip only getting rougher.

Finally, Mia stopped struggling.

She went completely still, her body loosening, pretending to become calm. James felt her sudden stillness and halted. His grip loosened slightly, his body easing just a fraction. She didn’t meet his eyes. She stayed silent, measured.

He leaned down again, trying to press his mouth to hers gently this time—but Mia turned her face away again.

That made him freeze.

Finally, James paused, chest heaving. His hold loosened slightly, his body relaxing just enough, his breath shaky.

Then, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, voice low and trembling only slightly.

Mia’s eyes finally shifted back to his as he spoke.

“It was my fault.” He continued, voice softening, quieter now, filled with regret. “I shouldn’t have avoided your calls all these years. I shouldn’t have shrugged you off every time you reached out. I shouldn’t have said I’m busy.” His thumb brushed gently against her ear, fingers lingering lightly on her cheek. “We were husband and wife. I should have been a better husband to you.”

His voice softened even more, almost pleading. “I won’t do that anymore. I promise. I’ll call you. I’ll text. So please respond to me, alright?”

Mia kept her face composed. She gave him a small, quiet smile and nodded, not saying a single word.

Inside, her mind raced. ‘This ex-husband of mine has gone crazy. I can’t provoke him right now. He's turning into a maniac out of nowhere!’

James took her fingers in his hand and brought them to his mouth, kissing them softly. Mia stared at him in quiet shock, hereyes wide. He had never kissed her before. Not on her mouth, not on her cheek, not even a simple touch like this. They had never been together in that way, never shared any kind of kiss, so seeing him act like this left her stunned.

The moment grew even more intense when he looked straight into her eyes while kissing her fingers. Her breath caught, and she abruptly pulled her hand out of his grasp. She stepped back, trying to create space, but he stepped forward again. His hand slid around her waist, tightening as he pulled her close, and suddenly he buried his face in her neck, hugging her tightly.