"Where are you headed?" he asked softly, his voice low, charming, and strangely calming despite my fuzzy head.
I laughed quietly, lifting my hand to trace his features. I wasn't sure why I did it, perhaps I wanted his face etched into my memory.
I wouldn't deny it, but he was impossibly handsome, the kind of man whose presence drew every gaze in the room without effort.
"I… wanted… to dance," I murmured. I felt so comfortable in his arms that I didn't bother standing up.
Or was it the drink that had my head spinning, making me think wild?
Or was it just because of his touch?
The noise of the club faded, replaced by the rhythm of his heartbeat and the faint, intoxicating scent that surrounded him.
Instinctively, I drew closer, my cheek brushing against his chest. "Your smell?" I mumbled hazily.
"What about my smell?" he murmured back, his breath warm against my ear. The whisper sent heat coursing through my veins.
I felt drowsy and tired. No doubt, it must be the drinks messing with my head, yet with such a handsome man cradling my body gently, I didn't want to sleep.
I forced my lids to keep awake, my eyes opened wider, but my breath hitched. His eyes were ringed with gold, blazing in the club's neon lights.
I found myself trapped in them. "Your eyes?" I murmured.
"Natural," he chimed.
"Natural?" I echoed, confused but before I could say more, I felt weightless. My feet were no longer touching the ground.
My hand instinctively wrapped around his neck. "Sir…," I tried to draw his attention, my voice trembling. "Put me down."
"You can sleep for a while," he murmured, voice soft yet commanding; then a low growl escaped his lips, and the entire hall fell into silence.
~Next Morning~
I stirred awake, yet reluctant to open my eyes, my head pounding, my hand instinctively reaching out to grab my phone on the nightstand.
But the next moment, I froze; my eyes flew open, and I scrambled up from the bed, pulling the blankets over my body, scantily clad in a thin nightdress.
A handsome, well-chiseled jaw, distinct chin, straight pointed nose, and thin lips were in bed beside me.
My heart raced with trepidation. "You... how did you come into my room?" I asked, my heart beating wildly. I dared not admit I felt a little fluttering in my chest at his sight.
He groaned, his hand instinctively shielding his eyes from the sun rays, an action that reminded me of a fact.
The window of my room was at the head of my bed, not the foot. My gaze quickly swept around the room.
It was magnificent and definitely wasn't my room. Alarm bells blared in my head.
"Where is this?
Who are you?"
"What do you want?" I fired in a flurry. I pulled away the blanket from my body slightly to check; my face paled.
Slowly, he propped himself up on the bed with his elbow.
"Your husband," he clipped, his gaze meeting mine and those eyes…
I blinked; I couldn't be distracted. I had to find answers. "Hus…band?" I asked, my lips trembling.
"We got married last night," he smirked as he pulled away the blanket from his body. My heart raced, and instinctively, I lunged forward to grab his hand and stop him.
The next moment, I found myself trapped beneath him, his burning gaze holding mine. My brow furrowed. "How fast?" I murmured silently.
"We can't be married; I have to go now," I whispered, either to myself or him.
"Mate, we are married," he growled softly.
"What mate? What marriage?" I fumed.
"As far as I remember, we've never met in school; how do we become mates?"
"But you are mine," he said, his palm sliding slowly along my back. Heat spread where his hand moved, leaving trails of fire and desire burning in its wake.
My breath caught; a soft gasp escaped my lips, yet the frustrating situation seemed to override my desire.
I tugged at my hair. "Can't you speak human language?" I almost screamed.
He sighed, his hand pausing briefly. "We are actually married. It was your suggestion, and I was only following your lead," he said.
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "My suggestion, and you are following my lead?" I asked in shock.
He only nodded as though that was the most basic thing to do.
My lips quivered, my thoughts raced. "How could he say I opted for marriage when I don't even know him?"
He exhaled slowly and pulled away, opening the side drawer. He brought out a file.
"Maybe you can take a look at this," he said softly as he handed me a signed document.
I sat up; with trembling hands, I took the file from him, my heart thumping as I pulled out the document inside.
My gaze fell on the bold title: CERTIFICATE OF MARRIAGE.
My breath caught; blood drained from my face. My lips quivered. The world spun. My signature stared back at me, bold and undeniable. My gaze scanned through the paper.
By the time I finished reading, I was already gasping for breath.
"No, it can't be possible. It can't be," I murmured.
I tried to piece together the events of the previous day, but it was blank. I only recalled the engagement that finally turned into my sister's engagement.
My heart tightened as the pains of betrayal came crashing on me again; its cut felt fresh and dripping with blood.
My fist clenched tightly on the blanket, my breath ragged.
Adrian sat quietly beside me, his gaze trained on me. He was quiet, and I didn't know what he might be thinking.
At the moment, that didn't matter in any way.
Just then, a familiar ringtone snapped me out of my thoughts.
I glanced around, searching for it on the bed I was seated on, but then I saw it stretched out before me.
I grabbed the phone without uttering any thank you.
Besides, I was still furious that he had let an intoxicated lady sign a marriage agreement. Isn't it clear he had a purpose?
A glance at the phone left me with the taste of a bitter pill, rage coursing through every part of my being.
With a slide across the screen, the faux sweet voice of my sister filtered through the speaker.
"Stella, are you okay? You didn't come back last night?" Her voice was so soft that I wished she were closer so I could give her a slap.
"Phina, shed the pretence. What is the problem?" I asked coldly.
"Stella…" Her voice was sickeningly sweet.
"I guess you might be shocked after last night's, but you should have seen this coming. You are just an adopted daughter and will in no way compete with me for anything."
My breath ragged with fury I couldn't find space to unleash.
"Phina… you shouldn't be cocky. He jilted me for you; he might as well jilt you for another," I smirked.
I wished so much to see my sister's face turn sour. With her brief pause, I was certain she had her insecurities about Bruce. "Maybe you should prepare for the worst," I concluded.
"Stella, you can't do anything!" Phina screamed across the phone that I had to take it away from my ear to save my eardrum.
"Maybe you never knew, your pics… are all out there." she said. My heart grew colder, yet it raced. "My pics?" I asked.
"Well, your pics, of course. Maybe you might want to take a look, dear sister," she laughed menacingly, and before I could say anything more, she ended the call.
I stared at the phone in shock, her words reverberating in my ears. "My pics? What pics?" I murmured.
"It wasn't your pics; it was doctored and had been taken care of," Adrian's voice cut through my thoughts.
I lifted my head slowly to meet his gaze, my brow furrowing. "It wasn't my pics? How did you know?"
He shrugged, his face not giving away his thoughts.My gaze locked on him, my thoughts spinning, Phina's taunting words echoing in my head.
After a brief thought, I made a decision. I would make them all bow to my feet.
As though he could read my mind, his hand stretched out, pulling me into his embrace.
His heartbeat echoed in my ears, hard and steady. "If you want, we can make them pay…pay heavily for every pain you have experienced."
I took a deep breath, my heart racing at the offer. This was an opportunity, a chance to strike back, a chance to prove my worth.
I wouldn't deny I was tempted, yet I worried, worried he might not be the help I needed.
As an adopted child, I had nothing of my own and had been treated like a slave in the Norton family.
"Trust me," he murmured, his breath fanning my nape; my skin burned with desire at his touch.
I exhaled deeply and lifted my gaze to meet his. "I don't remember how we ended up getting married… but I'm willing to give it a try," I said, my voice springing out barely as a whisper.
With my signature boldly signed and with the need to start anew, I dared not accuse him anymore.
He might be my undoing, but with so much going on, I have to take this bold step.
I felt his body relax, his hand tightening around me.