Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68858 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 344(@200wpm)___ 275(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
And that’s why I had to marry this man.
To get what I wanted I had to marry him, live with him, and play this sick game. And we hadn’t even made it to the engagement ceremony. I wasn’t sure if I could do this.
But I had to.
I had to swallow the pain, bury it deep, and carry on. For Eva, for Molly... for myself. Even though it felt like it was going to tear me apart.
Less than thirty minutes after my breakdown, I found myself in the backseat of a luxury sedan. My thoughts were still a tangled mess, but my mask was at least secure again.
The driver, a tall man with a military bearing, was meticulously dressed in a sharp black suit. His hair was cropped short, and he wore dark sunglasses like the last driver had, which obscured his eyes, adding to his professional and stoic demeanor. He had only spoken three words to me, all of them curt and formal, leaving no room for conversation.
As the car glided smoothly down the road, I noticed a bottle of water and a small bag resting on the seat beside me. Curiosity gnawed at me, and I picked it up, finding two pills inside that looked identical to the ones I took daily. It was ironic, considering the line of work Mateo was involved in, that he would ensure I had my medication. But it wasn’t surprising that he would find out such personal information. Nothing seemed out of reach for him.
The realization threw me into a deeper state of turmoil.
If these were truly my pills, it meant Mateo had access to my most intimate details, and there was no telling what else he knew about me. But if they weren’t… I couldn’t risk it. I wasn’t going to take that chance, no matter how much they looked like mine. I stared at the pills for a moment longer, then set them aside and reached for the water instead. The cool liquid slid down my throat, offering some small comfort.
My body felt like a battleground, each inch of skin a reminder of his violation. The shame burned hot in my cheeks. I kept replaying him roughly bending me over that table, treating me like nothing more than a worthless whore. He didn't care who saw or heard us, whether it be his own men or even his family members passing by. The memory made me want to shrink into myself. At the same time, my body betrayed me with its craving for his touch. It was a never-ending battle within myself, one that left me feeling broken and helpless.
The previous night, I had given in to his every desire without hesitation. Now, I couldn't deny the shock and confusion overwhelming me. Was something wrong with me? I’d gone as far as following his absurd command to keep his semen inside me. I couldn't help but hate myself for giving in to him so easily, for allowing him to treat me so ruthlessly.
And yet, this was just the beginning - a mere hint of what our marriage would inevitably become. Worse, I could sense his restraint. From the way he moved within me to how he reacted to my naivety and futile objections. I knew that there was a deeper reason behind it all, one that only he held the answers to. This dance of pleasure and pain would continue, and I was powerless to do anything about it.
My phone rang again, the persistent buzzing cutting through the silence in the car. I glanced at the screen and saw my uncle’s name flashing for the fourth time.
With a sigh, I silenced it, unwilling to deal with him right now. I’d texted earlier that I would speak to them soon, but the thought of actually doing it gave me a headache. How was I supposed to explain all of this to my grandmother? I couldn’t care less about my uncle’s opinion—he was the last person I wanted to talk to.
But my grandmother…
She had gone out of her way to give Aunt Molly a proper funeral, and for appearance’s sake, she’d done the same for Eva, despite everything. The thought of facing her, of trying to explain what had happened and what I was entangled in, made my stomach churn. I glanced down at my phone again, hoping for a distraction, but Peyton and Melody still hadn’t replied to my texts. The silence from them only added to the unease building inside me. With a resigned sigh, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the seat.
I heard a voice calling my name, soft but insistent. It was Mateo’s. Wait—Mateo? My eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, I was disoriented, unsure of where I was. It took a second to register that the driver was holding a phone out toward me, and Mateo was on the other end of the line.