The Betrayal within

The moonlight carved his face into something dangerous, beautiful. His tie hung loose, his shirt unbuttoned at the collar, revealing a glimpse of skin that made my stomach twist.

“You don’t own me,” I whispered.

He stepped forward, pinning me against the cold stone wall. His hands caged me in, his body towering over mine. “Don’t I?”

Before I could protest, his mouth crashed onto mine.

The kiss was fire. Brutal, desperate, and intoxicating. My fingers curled into his shirt despite myself. His taste—smoke, wine, sin—invaded me, stealing reason.

When he finally pulled back, his lips hovered near mine, his voice rough.

“This is just the beginning, wife.”

And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to run from him… or him.....

The Betrayal Within

The house my father gifted us was more fortress than home. Guards at every corner, cameras on every wall. I thought I would suffocate inside its gilded cage.

But suffocation wasn’t the worst part. The whispers were.

Late one night, I overheard them—two men in the corridor outside my room, voices low, sharp.

“Her uncle’s already been paid,” one muttered.

“He’ll pass her along when the time comes.”

My blood froze. Uncle. My own blood. Selling me like currency, even after I’d been forced into Adrian’s world.

My chest tightened. I should have told Adrian, but pride—stubborn, reckless—held me back. I couldn’t hand him more proof that I was nothing but a pawn.

Instead, I confronted my uncle.

The meeting was a mistake. His eyes narrowed when I accused him, and his smile was cruel. “What did you expect, child? We don’t survive in this world by choosing love. We survive by choosing profit.”

The words stung deeper than any blade.

And when I returned to my room, Adrian was waiting.

He sat in the dark, his face carved in shadow, a glass of whiskey in his hand. “So,” he said smoothly, “your family plots against you. And you didn’t think to tell me.”

My stomach dropped. “You knew?”

His laugh was low, bitter. “Of course I knew. I always know. The question is—why didn’t you trust me?”

I opened my mouth, but he was already on his feet, towering over me. His gaze burned, a mix of anger and something more dangerous—hurt.

“You don’t keep secrets from me,” he warned, his voice sharp as broken glass. “Not if you want to survive.”

My breath hitched. For the first time, I realized I wasn’t just trapped in Adrian’s world. I was trapped in him.

The attack came swiftly.

Gunfire shattered the night, ripping through the quiet halls. I woke to chaos—shouts, screams, the crack of bullets. My uncle had made his move.

I got scared.....

but....

I scrambled from bed, heart hammering, when the door burst open. A masked man lunged toward me, knife gleaming. My scream tore the air—

And then he was there.

Adrian.......