“I want an heir. As you can see, I’m getting old. It’s time to worry about the future,” he paused, a slight twist of his lips that almost resembled a smile. “So you will give me a child to ensure the continuation of this family.”
My chest tightened with panic. I blinked and shook my head.“No … I can’t. I can’t marry your son, I can’t give birth. I don’t know him, I…” I choked on the words, my voice faltering.
He stopped me. “No, Alessia,” he said, his voice soft but commanding. “You won’t be giving my son a child. He is sterile. You will carry my child. But you will marry my son.”
My heart stalled, a cold, suffocating grip tightening around my chest. I stared at him, unable to process what he said. No, I was suffocating. I tried to rise and flee, but a guard’s firm hand slammed down on my shoulder, forcing me back into the chair.
Chapter Twenty-three
Alessia
The entire night passed withme wide awake, tossing and turning beneath the sheets. But morning came as if in a hurry. Funny how time flies only when you least want it to. I didn’t wish for the day to come so fast because I knew what it held: an engagement party. But it was too late.
Today marked the beginning of what I feared the most.
I curled up on the bed as if I could hold my own broken pieces together. Tears had dried on my face, but the pain lingered. It ached to be passed around like an object and forced into a life that disgusted me to my core.
Leonid’s plan was cruel. He would even deceive his own son, believing I was carrying his child. But in reality, I would belong to both father and son. A shudder crawled down my spine.
Rodion was the mastermind behind this. The moment hekidnapped me, my life spiraled into this abyss. Glancing at the untouched tray on the table, I hoped Rodion had died or that whatever sickness was killing him finished the job. The maid had brought me food earlier, urging me to eat, but I couldn’t. Hunger was nothing compared to the emptiness inside me.
The door creaked open, and the maid entered, with a dress draped over her arm. She hesitated at the doorway and stared at me with pity. “Miss Romero, please,” she pleaded. “At least sit up. You haven’t eaten all day.”
I stared blankly, my body refusing to move. She sighed, placing a deep blue dress on the edge of the bed. The kind of dress that made a woman feel stunning, but to me, it was just another prison.
“The guests are arriving,” she murmured. “You have one hour to get ready.”
She lingered for a second, as if waiting for me to say something. When I didn’t, she lowered her gaze and left the room. I knew if I didn’t get ready, Leonid would make me. And he wouldn’t be gentle about it.
Forcing myself up, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. My body felt weak, and my head light. Reaching for the dress, I ran my fingers over the fabric. These beautiful dresses always came before something terrible.
With a deep breath, I dropped the dress back to the bed and headed to the bathroom. Just as I reached the doorway, the room was plunged in total darkness. Voices echoed from the hallway as people reacted to the sudden loss of power. Places like this would have electricity restored quickly. So I waited.
But a soft thud echoed through the room, and I spun toward the sound, heart pounding. If I expected anyone to come, it would’ve been through the door, not the window.
A man stood there, his figure cloaked in shadow. I stepped into the bathroom, hands moving to close the door. Before I couldclose it, his foot jammed into the gap, and I stumbled back with a gasp.
He stepped in and I moved backwards until I leaned against the sink. “Who are you?”
Before he could answer, the lights flickered back on, casting harsh brightness over the bathroom. My breath hitched as my eyes adjusted, locking onto the figure standing before me. Everything else stopped when I looked at him, Rodion, clad in all black. He locked the door and moved towards me. A chill slithered down my spine.
He shattered my world, stripped me of my freedom, and sold me like I was nothing.
Rage surged through me, wiping out every ounce of fear. My hands curled into fists, and before I could think, I swung at his chest with all the fury rolling inside me. He didn’t flinch. His eyes remained locked on mine as I pounded on him. He could pull a knife and kill me if he wanted, but I didn’t care anymore.
“I will scream,” I hissed, my voice trembling with the force of emotions threatening to consume me. “Just leave, please.”
He didn’t move. Desperate, I shoved him, pushing with all my strength, but in one swift motion, he spun me around, pulling me back against his solid frame. My breath hitched when he trapped me.
The door to the bedroom creaked open. Someone was here, and this was my chance. I opened my mouth to scream, but Rodion’s hand slammed over my mouth, muffling the sound before it could escape. A muffled cry died in my throat as I struggled against him, thrashing in his grasp, my body twisted in all attempts to break free. But it was all in vain.
The bathroom door rattled. “Miss Romero?” The maid’s voice filtered through the heavy silence. “Are you in there?”
My eyes darted, searching for anything I could use as a weapon. But Rodion moved with me to the shower, which heturned on. The sound of rushing water filled the room, masking my ragged breathing.
Leonid’s voice came through, and I froze.
“Alessia?” His tone sharpened. “Someone broke in. Are you okay?”