Page 7 of Crowned In Blood
He laughed. "Make sure she looks like this on our wedding day. I want everyone to see how innocent she is before I ruin her."
My father nodded as Fernando left the room.
My mouth went dry, my heart hammering against my ribs as I stared at my father, wide-eyed. "Wedding day? What?—"
Without glancing at me, my father tossed a file to me from his desk. "Read over this. I want you ready and prepared."
My chest tightened as I took the file and opened the folder. The pages were filled with details about Fernando—his age; where he lived. "Father, what is?—"
"I've arranged a marriage between the two of you. The wedding will happen in three days. You will study this file, which contains everything you need to know including what Fernando expects, and how you will act as a bride and a wife. Do not embarrass me.”
Arranged. Marriage. Fernando. Ruin. Embarrass. Arranged. Marriage. Fernando. Ruin. Embarrass. Arranged. Marriage. Fernando. Ruin. Embarrass. Arranged. Marriage?—
My fingers shook, then my arms, to my chest. Through my body.
All the work I'd done, the plans I'd made, the abuse I'd taken was for nothing.Nothing!My father had transferred the ownership of my cage to that vile, horrible, detestable man.
The file fell from my hand as I threw my head back and laughed, the thunderous sound of my rapid heartbeat and my rage filling my ears. And when my eyes landed on my father, with his blue eyes looking at me in complete disgust, I threw myself over the desk.
My hands reached out to grab his neck, to choke the life from him in the same way he had done to me for years.
Two guards gripped my arms, yanking me back, keeping me from killing him the way I wanted to,deservedto. But I kept trying. I hissed, growled, thrashed like a wild animal.
“I'll kill you! I swear, I'll kill you! You fucking bastard!”
"Enough!" He jumped to his feet then slammed the desk with his palms. "Kill me?Me? When I'm the one who has kept you alive this entire time? The one who has fed you, put clothes on your back? Given you everything you've ever wanted?"
I had no idea I'd threatened him out loud. No idea that I'd been screaming and crying, My throat was hoarse, arms held by my sides. I could do nothing but quietly sob.
I broke in front of him.
"You're a spoiled, ungrateful little bitch!" He grabbed my chin, his gaze cold and hard. "The only reason I kept you alive was to serve me. Otherwise, I would have killed you as a baby. That's yourpurpose.You should bethankingme for my generosity."
He threw me back like a piece of trash. "Without me, you arenothing. You'reworthnothing." He sneered. "But you will pay me back for the years of money, time, and energy I've funneled into you. I need this deal with Fernando, and he wants you. You will marry him, you will bear him as many children as he desires, and you will do it with a fuckingsmile, or so help me, I will kill you where you stand."
His anger calmed me. It forced me to swallow my fury, carefully concealing it once more, letting it simmer under the surface. Because while I'd rather die than marry Fernando, I wouldn't give my father the satisfaction of killing me.
Instead, I spit in his face and smiled when he was forced to wipe it away.
"You’re lucky the media will be circling around this wedding like vultures, or I would beat the shit out of you." He leaned closer to me, his face only inches away from mine as he hissed, "But remember Catalina, I know how to hurt you."
"Do your worst." I went to spit at him again, but a guard hit me on the back of my head, and the world faded to black.
I awokeon the floor of my room with Fernando's file next to me. Remembering the way he looked at me,touchedme, had bile rising up my throat, and I raced to my trash bin and threw up.
Three days.
Three days was all I had to come back from this, to make a new plan. To gain my freedom.
I wiped away the vomit with the back of my hand, squared my shoulders, then found they'd taken my computer and cell phone. Cutting off all ties to the outside world. Curious, I tried my bedroom door. Locked.
Fine.
I’d slipped up and had finally shown my father exactly what I thought about him, that I'd been acting the entire time. He couldn't trust me, couldn't let me roam around, knowing I'd try to escape the first chance I got. I'd doubted he’d even let me eat today.
But none of that mattered. I needed to survive, to pivot and find a way out of this. And I would, eventually. Ihadto.
A part of me desperately wished that Fernando might be a good person. Maybe he’d actually grow to care for and love me. But I knew that would never happen.
