**Chapter 20: Bound by Desire**

As Christian's eyes locked onto hers, Michelle felt a shiver run down her spine. The air was thick with tension, heavy with the weight of unspoken words. She knew that this conversation would be a turning point, a moment that would define their relationship and determine their future. "What's going on?" Michelle asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She could feel her heart racing, her pulse pounding in her veins. Christian's expression was unreadable, his eyes giving away nothing. But as he walked closer, his movements fluid and controlled, Michelle could sense the turmoil beneath his surface. "It's my father," he said, his voice low and measured. "He's been making some... demands." Michelle's grip on the phone tightened, her mind racing with possibilities. She had known that Christian's father was a powerful man, one who wouldn't hesitate to use his influence to control his son. "What kind of demands?" she asked, her voice cautious. Christian's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched. "He wants me to take over the family business, to marry and produce an heir within the next year. And he expects you to be by my side, as my wife." Michelle felt a pang of unease, her heart sinking. She had known that this would happen, that Christian's life was not her own. But hearing it from his lips made it all too real. "And what do you want?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Christian's eyes locked onto hers, his gaze burning with intensity. "I want you," he said, his voice husky. "I want you by my side, as my partner, as my wife." Michelle's breath caught in her throat, her mind reeling with the implications. She knew that she was bound to Christian, that their desire for each other was all-consuming. But she also knew that there were complications, forces beyond her control that threatened to disrupt their bond. As they stood there, the silence between them was palpable, a heavy blanket that wrapped around their bodies. Michelle felt her heart still racing from the intensity of their encounter, her body still trembling with the aftershocks of their passion. Christian's eyes seemed to bore into hers, searching for something. Michelle wasn't sure what he wanted to see, but she knew that she was lost in their depths. "I love you," he said, his voice low and husky. The words sent a shiver down her spine, her heart skipping a beat. She had never thought she'd hear those words from Christian, never thought he'd say them. "I love you too," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. As they stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, Michelle knew that she was bound to Christian, bound by desire and passion. She knew that their love was complicated, that there were forces beyond their control that threatened to disrupt their bond. But she also knew that she couldn't resist him, that she was his, and he was hers. In that moment, Michelle knew that she had found her home, her haven. She was bound to Christian, bound by desire, and she wouldn't have it any other way. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the landscape, Michelle and Christian stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, their hearts beating as one. They knew that their love was a flame that would burn bright and hot, a flame that would consume them both. But they also knew that they couldn't resist it, that they were bound to each other, bound by desire.