Shayla threatened Anthony that if you meet Amber again, so...😱

Shayla's voice was low, a dangerous hum that vibrated through Anthony's chest. The scent of her perfume, usually a comforting blend of vanilla and spice, now felt like a suffocating cloud. "If you meet Amber again, so..." She trailed off, letting the unspoken threat hang heavy in the air. Her dark eyes, normally sparkling with affection, were now narrowed, glinting with a possessiveness that made Anthony's stomach clench.

He swallowed hard, the sudden lump in his throat making it difficult to speak. "Shayla, you're being unreasonable. Amber is just a colleague. We were discussing a project – nothing more."

"Nothing more?" Shayla laughed, a sharp, brittle sound. "Anthony, you think I'm stupid? I saw the way you looked at her at the office party. The way you leaned in, the way you laughed at everything she said. Don't insult my intelligence."

He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the tension coiling tighter with each word. "Look, I understand you're jealous, but you're reading into things. I care about you, Shayla. You know that." 

She stepped closer, her face inches from his. "Do I? Because lately, it feels like you care about everyone but me. You're always 'busy' with work, always 'networking' with new people. And Amber just happens to be at the center of all of it, doesn't she?"

He tried to take her hand, but she pulled away. "Shayla, please. Let's talk about this rationally  Rationally?" Her voice rose a notch. "You want rational? Okay, here's rational: if I see you even talking to Amber again, if I see you even thinking about her, so..." She paused again, her eyes blazing with a terrifying intensity. "So, I will make sure you regret it. I will make sure you regret ever looking at another woman again. This isn't a threat, Anthony. It's a promise."

The ambiguity in her threat was what truly scared him. Was she threatening to hurt Amber? To hurt him? To ruin his career? He couldn't tell, and that uncertainty was suffocating. He knew Shayla had a capacity for fierce love, but he had never witnessed this dark, possessive side of her.

He needed to diffuse this. He needed to buy time. "Okay, okay, I understand. I won't. I promise. I won't talk to Amber again. Just... please calm down."

He could see the fight slowly draining from her eyes. They were still wary, distrustful, but the terrifying intensity had lessened. She took a deep breath and stepped back, creating a small but significant distance between them "I mean it, Anthony," she said, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "I love you. I don't want to lose you. But I won't share you. Not with anyone."

He nodded slowly, acutely aware that he was walking on eggshells. "I understand, Shayla. I won't let that happen."

He held her close, the familiar warmth of her body a stark contrast to the chilling pronouncement she had just delivered. As he wrapped his arms around her, he knew he had a problem. A serious problem. He genuinely cared for Shayla, but he also needed his job, and avoiding Amber entirely was going to be incredibly difficult. He was trapped between a jealous lover and his professional life, and he had no idea how to escape this dangerous game Shayla had just started. He knew one thing for sure: this wasn't just about Amber anymore. This was about Shayla's insecurity, her fear of losing him, and the lengths she was willing to go to in order to keep him. And that was the most terrifying thing of all