The morning sunlight was bright and warm, filtering through the heavy, dark velvet curtains of the massive master bedroom. It cast long, golden shadows across the luxurious wooden floor. But for Nicole, there was no warmth in this light. To her, this grand, beautifully decorated room felt exactly like what it was: a high-class prison cell.
On the enormous king-sized bed, Nicole lay completely still. Her slender body was curled into a tight, defensive ball, like a frightened animal trying to hide from a predator. She clutched the thick white silk blanket fiercely against her chest, her knuckles turning pale white from the force. She was trembling. It wasn't because the air conditioning in the room was too cold. It was a violent, uncontrollable shaking that came straight from the deepest part of her soul.
Her stomach churned with a sickening feeling of disgust. Every inch of her skin felt tainted, a cruel reminder of the nightmare she had endured the night before. Her wedding night. The night she completely lost her freedom and herself.
Standing at the edge of the bed was the man who had orchestrated this entire nightmare. John.
He was already awake and getting dressed. Even in the quiet morning, he radiated an overwhelming, dangerous aura. He was putting on his custom-made, pure black suit, his broad shoulders and tall figure perfectly highlighted by the expensive fabric. He was undeniably handsome—with sharp jawlines, a straight nose, and deep, pitch-black eyes that looked like a bottomless abyss. He was the most powerful CEO in the city, a man who could destroy an entire company with a single phone call. Everyone feared him. Everyone bowed to him.
Except her.
John paused his movements. His dark, cold eyes slowly scanned the messy bed, finally stopping at a specific spot. There, contrasting sharply against the pristine white silk sheets, was a small, striking stain of dark red blood.
A heavy, suffocating silence filled the room. The air seemed to freeze.
Slowly, a dark, mocking smirk appeared on John's handsome face. The smile didn't reach his eyes; it was cold and full of cruel sarcasm.
"I didn't expect this to be your first time," John's voice broke the silence. His tone was deep, magnetic, but laced with a sharp edge that cut through the air like a knife. "I honestly thought you and that pathetic little childhood friend of yours were already..."
He let the sentence hang in the air, leaving the disgusting implication to echo in the quiet room. He was talking about Kelvin. The name alone felt like a weapon in John's mouth.
Nicole heard his words, but she refused to react. She kept her face completely expressionless, her pale lips pressed tightly together. She stared blankly at the intricate patterns on the wall, refusing to turn her head, refusing to meet his arrogant gaze.
She hated him. She hated him with every fiber of her being. She hated his endless wealth, his terrifying power, and his twisted, controlling desire that forced her into this arranged marriage. He had bought her. He had used his family's money and status to trap her here, ignoring her tears, her protests, and her begging. To John, she was just another expensive possession he had successfully acquired.
Seeing her completely lifeless reaction, the cruel smirk on John's face slowly faded.
His eyes darkened. Deep down, beneath his impenetrable CEO mask, a sharp, invisible needle pierced his heart. He knew the truth. He knew she despised his touch. He knew that to her, last night was not an act of love, but an act of torture. He wanted her heart, but all he got was an empty, broken shell.
A brief flash of intense pain crossed his dark eyes, but he was a master of hiding his emotions. In a fraction of a second, the vulnerability disappeared, instantly replaced by his usual icy, untouchable exterior.
"Suit yourself," John said flatly, his voice void of any emotion.
He adjusted his expensive tie, his movements precise and elegant. Without giving her another glance, he turned his broad back on her and walked toward the heavy oak door. His leather shoes clicked against the floor, each step sounding like a countdown to her isolation.
Click. Bang. The heavy door shut firmly behind him. The lock clicked into place.
He was gone.
The moment the door closed, the suffocating tension in the room snapped. The silence that followed was deafening. The invisible camera-like focus of the room zoomed in on the fragile figure left on the bed.
Nicole let out a broken, shaky breath that she didn't realize she had been holding. She hugged her knees even tighter, burying her pale face into her arms. The trembling grew worse, racking her entire body until she was violently shaking.
Tears, hot and bitter, finally spilled from her eyes, soaking the white blanket. She wept silently, afraid that even the walls of this mansion were listening to her misery.
She felt incredibly dirty. She felt like her soul had been ripped out of her body, crushed into pieces, and thrown away. She was twenty years old, yet she felt like her life was already over. She was permanently chained to a man who terrified her, locked inside a golden cage with no doors and no windows.
As she cried, images began to flash rapidly through her mind. The memories that brought her to this exact moment. Why did John want her so obsessively? Why did he refuse to let her go, even when he knew she hated him?
Through her blurry, tear-filled eyes, her mind drifted away from the luxurious, cold bedroom. She was pulled back through time, back to a warm summer evening many years ago.
It was the night of a grand banquet. A night with bright lights, a deep swimming pool, and a foolish, brave decision that would ultimately ruin her entire life. It all started with a drowning boy...