Chapter 4

The night faded quickly, as if the world itself conspired to push Sereia further into a life she hadn’t chosen. By morning, Andrei’s parents had already persuaded her grandparents. Their words were smooth, almost impossible to fight against: “Now that they are engaged it's better if they love together. It is only proper they begin their life~”

Her grandparents hesitated, but finally agreed. No one asked if she wanted this. By the afternoon, she stood before Andrei’s penthouse with only a suitcase and a storm of quiet dread.

The building loomed over the city like its own empire. Inside, glass walls framed endless lights, marble reflected every sound, and silence reigned like a king.

Andrei didn’t leave her face when he closed the door behind them. He only said, his voice deep and calm, “You'll be living here with me fron now one, this is your home too.”

Sereia swallowed. Her voice, soft but steady, slipped between them. “I understand it,...it's a bit uncomfortable-.”

At last, his eyes cut to hers. Black, sharp, unrelenting. “It's your home too, don't be uncomfortable.”

Her heart stuttered under the weight of his gaze. She wanted to argue, to beg her grandparents to take her back, but her lips only trembled. “I don’t want to live here.” Her words carried the fragility of someone afraid they would break if they pushed too hard.

“It's not about what you want” he said, dismissing them like shadows. “You belong to me now, so it's about what I Want.”

The finality in his tone pressed down harder than the walls around her.

That evening, he told her to dress. There would be a dinner. A gathering of associates, he explained with clinical detachment. But beneath it, Sereia caught the truth: he wanted her there by his side, on display.

She wore a pale silk gown, one that made her look like porcelain lit by candlelight. When she emerged, Andrei’s eyes scanned her, slow and possessive, though his expression never shifted.

“You’ll stay beside me the entire night,” he said.

Sereia lowered her lashes, her voice quiet but not defeated. “I wasn’t planning to leave.”

At the dinner, the world sparkled in chandeliers and whispers. Sereia held herself gracefully, speaking softly whenever addressed. She was shy, yes—but not invisible.

“You’re even lovelier than I imagined,” one man said, eyes lingering too long.

Her lips curved politely. “You’re kind to say so.”

Before she could look away, Andrei’s arm anchored at her waist, firm, claiming. His voice, low and edged with steel, cut through the noise. “Yeah *my wife's* really lovely.”

Sereia’s breath caught. She didn’t protest, didn’t dare. But as the night dragged on, she felt his gaze sear into her with every smile she gave, every word she spoke.

By the time they left, her hand trembled faintly in his. Andrei didn’t ease his grip. His silence in the car was heavier than thunder, and she understood: he hadn’t liked sharing.

The car ride back from the dinner was a cage, and Sereia sat inside it with her heart trembling. The city lights slid across her face like fleeting touches, but beside her, Andrei was stone—silent, unreadable. His hand clamped around her thigh, fingers pressing into the silk of her gown with punishing strength.

She shifted, wincing. “Andrei… y-you’re hurting me.”

His black gaze cut to her at once, cold and merciless. “Good. Maybe you’ll remember how it felt every time you let another man look at you.”

Her lips parted, stunned. “I didn’t—”

“You were too lovely ” he hissed, voice low and dangerous. “You liked compliments, huh?, especially by men.”

Tears pricked her lashes, but her voice stayed soft. “I was only being polite…”

He leaned closer, his grip tightening until her breath hitched. “Polite gets men killed, Sereia. Do you want me to put a bullet in every fool who stares at you?”

Her silence was answer enough.

At the penthouse, Andrei didn’t wait. He dragged her from the car, his jaw sharp with fury. “You will not smile for anyone but me. Do you hear me?”

Sereia’s whisper broke in the night. “Yes…”

“Louder.”

“Yes, Andrei.”

He smirked, dark. Before pulling her flush against him. “Good. Remember this pain, Sereia. It means.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***