Page 117 of In My Heart
“No…”
“He needed this marriage completed before his death.” Daniel’s dark eyes held mine without pity. “As for what happens afterward, that depends entirely on your usefulness.”
Fear hollowed out my chest. No one knew where I was. No one was coming after me, and even if they did, how would they find me all of the way in the country? How could I have been so stupid? I’d been desperate to get Dante back, and I had way overestimated myself. I was useless. Worse than useless. Useless would mean I sat on my hands at home and didn’t make things worse. I had made things worse, especially for Dante. What use did they even have for him now?
“You lied to me.”
“No,” he said calmly. “Helied to you.”
I took a step back, my regret and anger at my naive foolishness, slamming into me like a ten-ton weight. Daniel saw it. He knew what a little fool I was as it started to sink in for me too.
He continued as though discussing business, not a jot of feeling in his cold features as he pretty much disregarded me.
“You will marry me tomorrow. Afterward, you will do what you have been trained to do.”
“Trained? I’m not one of your people,” I threw back.
“You are Adamian’s daughter…” His gaze swept over me coolly. “…whether you like it or not.”
“I won’t help you.”
“You will. You will learn to obey me as your husband. Looking at you, I think you may be of use for only one thing, but maybe that will be enough. Maybe not.” He shrugged, like it mattered not to him whether he killedme or not. It sent a chill down my spine, but it was the certainty in his voice that terrified me most.
I looked toward the doors instinctively, calculating distance despite knowing it was pointless. If I got out, where the hell would I go? I was in the middle of nowhere and I had seen guards outside all around the grounds. Still, I glanced back again. Daniel noticed.
“You cannot leave this estate.”
Two women appeared silently at the edge of the hall. They were both dressed the same, in neat black trousers and pressed white shirts. They wore their hair pulled back, and were similar in age, around a decade older than me.
“Take her upstairs,” he ordered calmly. Always calm.
I looked back at Daniel one last time. I couldn’t let go so easily, not with Dante’s life on the line.
“If you hurt Dante…”
“Enough.”
The single word cut through me. Not loud. Not emotional. Just absolute, and powerful enough to remind me I was supposed to be being careful.
“You will do as instructed until the wedding. After that, your role becomes very simple.” His gaze remained cool and unreadable. “Obedience will make your life easier.”
Then he turned and walked away, just like that, as though my terror meant nothing at all. Which it obviously didn’t. This was the man I was to marry. This was the man I was expected to hand my body over to, not that it seemedI would have much choice in the matter. I clutched my stomach as it turned violently. I was going to be sick.
The women escorted me upstairs through endless corridors before stopping outside a large bedroom. I didn’t object. I barely even looked around. I just blindly followed them as I fought not to throw up or break down.
The door shut behind me with a heavy click. I assumed it was locked, but I tested it anyway.
“Damn it!” I growled when the handle didn’t even turn. I was trapped and definitely fucked. My throat tightened painfully. The tears were coming.
I forced in a breath, trying to cling to calm, and turned around. The room itself was beautiful. A massive four-poster bed stood near tall windows draped with cream silk curtains. A fire crackled softly in the hearth. Antique furniture gleamed beneath warm lamplight. It was comfortable and luxurious, but none of that hid the truth. It was a prison. One I had walked myself right into.
Then I saw the dress. White satin hung beside the wardrobe doors in eerie perfection, lavish and elegant and irrefutably expensive. I didn’t know what style it was. I didn’t wear dresses, not unless they were the kind you wore with leggings. But I could see it would be hugging on my figure. There would be little left to the imagination with how tightly that fabric would enfold my body. Matching shoes sat beneath it; towering heels that I would not have a chance of being able to balance in. I wondered how happy Mr. Control would be if I hobbled down the aisle to him on a twisted ankle.
On the large dressing table to the side there was makeup, hair products, and styling tools with which I was not familiar. My hair was wild, naturally curly like my mother’s. I’d never bothered styling it. I washed it, threw some curl products in, then let it be.I hope they aren’t expecting great things from me in the hair and beauty department, I thought with a bitter laugh.
Beside all of that there was even jewellery laid out - a string of pearls with a matching bracelet and small earrings. Everything was laid out carefully like tomorrow was some fairytale wedding instead of a transaction built on coercion and blood.
A note rested on the vanity table.
