Chased by My Possessive Ex (Dylan) novel Chapter 40

DYLAN

The ride back to the city was painfully silent. The kind that pressed against my chest until I could barely breathe. The hum of the engine was the only sound filling the air, and even that seemed muted beneath the heavy tension between us.

Hunter’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles pale, the faint flex of muscle along his forearm catching my eye. His face was unreadable. The same face I’d seen when he was dealing with his men or making cold, calculated decisions. But now, that expression was directed at the empty stretch of road ahead… and I hated that it wasn’t on me.

I bit my lip, glancing out the window to distract myself. The city skyline was slowly coming into view, but instead of comfort, it brought an ache in my chest. It meant that whatever ragile bubble we had in that safe house–the closeness, the warmth, the illusion of peace–was gone.

He hadn’t said a word since we left. Not one.

And though I knew exactly why, I still wished he would just yell, curse, or even glare at me–anything but this quiet distance that felt colder than winter air.

I stole another look at him. His jaw was still tight, his profile sharp and tense. Even without words, his silence screamed louder than any anger could.

I swallowed hard. He’s mad… I know he is. But still, I needed to hear it.

“Are you mad at me?” I finally asked, my voice softer than I intended.

His eyes didn’t leave the road. He let out a long exhale, slow and steady, before speaking in that deep, controlled tone that always sent a strange mix of comfort and fear through me.

“Mad?” he repeated. “Yes.”

My heart sank.

He paused, his grip on the wheel loosening slightly before he added, “At you? Never.”

The words should have eased me, but instead, they made my chest tighten. I swallowed hard, the words pressing against my throat, begging to come out. The silence was unbearable now, thick and heavy. My fingers fidgeted with the hem of my dress, and I caught myself glancing at him again–his jaw was still clenched, the muscles twitching every few seconds.

“Hunter…” I started softly, almost afraid to break the quiet.

He didn’t respond, his gaze still locked on the road. I could see the reflection of passing streetlights flickering in his eyes, cold and distant.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “It’s just… everything’s happening too fast. I’m still trying to catch up.”

Nothing. No flicker of emotion. Not even a glance in my direction.

risked your

life

I took a deep breath and forced myself to continue. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me. You protected me, for me… and I know I should be grateful. I am grateful. But marriage…” My voice wavered as I looked down at my hands. “Marriage feels like a cage right now. And I just got out of one.”

He didn’t say a word, but I noticed the way his knuckles turned white against the steering wheel, his grip tightening with every passing second.

“Please, just say something…” I murmured, my voice small, trembling with frustration and worry.

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DEC 20

Chapter 40

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But the only response I got was silence thick, heavy, and dealering it stretched on and on until the weight of it presser against my chest.

Finally, I exhaled shakily, a sigh of surrender slipping past my life. I leaned back against the seat, letting my body sink into the leather, drained and defeated. The hum of the engine filled the space between us, but it couldn’t drown out the ache in my chest.

The rest of the drive felt endless. I watched through the window my stomach tightening with each turn we took. I thought we were heading back to his house. Maybe I could hide in my room, give him space to cool off, and finally breathe.

But my heart dropped when the car slowed to a stop–not in front of his gate, but in front of a tall, white building with glass doors and an official–looking scal glinting above the entrance.

I frowned. “Hunter… why are we here?”

He didn’t answer. He simply unbuckled his seatbelt, stepped out, and came around to open my door. His expression was unreadable, too calm–and that scared me more than his anger ever could.

“Hunter,” I tried again, my voice hesitant as I stepped out, “I’m asking you, why are we here?” I repeated.

He didn’t look at me. Instead, he took my hand and led me toward the courthouse doors. My feet stumbled to keep up with his long strides. “Hunter, talk to me!” I demanded, tugging against his hold.

He stopped only when we reached the counter inside. The clerk behind the glass window looked up from her computer, offering a polite smile.

“Hello, sir. How can I help you?”

My heart pounded in my chest as Hunter looked her straight in the eye and said, calm and confident, “We’re here to register our marriage.”

I froze. My breath caught in my throat, and for a second, I thought I must’ve misheard him. “Wh–What did you just say?” I stammered, looking up at him with wide eyes.

The clerk blinked in surprise, glancing between us. But Hunter didn’t flinch, didn’t even waver. His arm tightened around my waist possessively, keeping me close.

“I said,” he repeated, his voice steady and low, “we’re here to make it official.”

I felt my world tilt. My mind raced, my pulse thundered in my ears. “Hunter, you can’t just-!”

He turned his head slightly, his lips brushing my ear as he whispered, “Watch me.”

I jerked out of his hold, my pulse hammering in panic. “Hunter, stop this!” I hissed under my breath, my voice trembling. “You can’t just drag me into a courthouse and decide we’re getting married! This isn’t how things work!”

He turned to me slowly, his expression maddeningly calm, but I could see the fire flickering in his eyes–stubborn, unyielding, dangerous. “It’s exactly how things work when I’ve made up my mind,” he replied.

I gaped at him, completely thrown. “Are you even listening to yourself? You can’t force someone into marriage!”

Hunter’s jaw tightened. He lowered his head slightly, leaning close enough that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my cheek. “I’m not forcing you, Dylan. I’m just… doing what I should’ve done a long time ago.”

My heart thudded painfully in my chest. “You’re out of your mind,” I whispered.

He smirked faintly, that dangerous curve of his lips that both infuriated and disarmed me. “Maybe. But I’d rather lose my sanity than lose you.”

71%

Chapter 40

I took a shaky step back, shaking my head. “You can’t do this. I’m not ready for this, Hunter. You don’t just walk in and- Before I could finish, he turned toward the clerk again and slid s identification across the counter. “Prepare the papers,” he said firmly. “She’ll sign them.”

“I won’t!” I shouted, grabbing his arm, my voice catching with frustration and disbelief. “You can’t force me to marry you!”

He smirked, the kind of smirk that screamed triumph. “Of course, I can

little dove.”

My throat went dry, words tangled somewhere between disbelief and fury. “This marriage will be null and void, Hunter. Nobody in their right mind will believe this is even legal.”

He took a slow step forward, and I instinctively took one back. His shadow over me as he tilted his head, his lips curving into something dark, almost dangerous. “And who’s brave enough to oppose me?” he said, his voice low, rich, and rough around the edges.

I blinked rapidly, my stomach twisting. Can he really do this? Can he just walk into a courthouse, snap his fingers, and make something like this real? What happened next answered all those questions in my head.

Everything happened in a dizzying rush, like I was watching someone else’s life unfold right before my eyes. One moment, I was arguing with him and the next, I was sitting in front of a desk, a pen trembling between my fingers.

I don’t even remember how he got me there, how he made me move, how my hand didn’t refuse when he pushed the paper toward me. His voice was calm, too calm, whispering words I barely understood but somehow couldn’t ignore. My heart was pounding, my mind screaming no, yet my hand… it betrayed me

I don’t know what kind of spell Hunter cast, or maybe it wasn’t a spell is exactly what I wanted as well.

at

all–maybe it

body finally being honest that this

Before I knew it, my name was scrawled next to his. My signature–proof that I had given

When I looked up, he was already handing the papers to the clerk, and everything moved questioned him, no one even hesitated. It was as if the entire system bent to his will.

SO

easily,

SO

smoothly. No one

I stood there frozen, my pulse hammering in my ears as the clerk stamped the documents, her voice distant as she said, “Congratulations.”

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