[Music: Never Tear Us Apart By Bishop Briggs]

"Nervous?" Zade asked behind me, his shadow looming over me like a beast. "You’ve been standing there for a while."

After the very invigorating wedding dinner of slicing open throats like a normal Friday, Zade led me to his bedroom. It reminded me of the moment I tried to erase ever since he slid that ring on my finger.

Our wedding night.

Out of the corner of my eye, his hand reached for the doorknob, the oak door spreading open with a loud, haunting creak.

"After you..." he spoke directly to my ear.

A ghostly chill seized my spine before I stepped into the large, luxurious bedroom, with tall black walls and floor-to-ceiling arched windows.

I eyed the bed, sitting at the center with dark green sheets and pillows, surrounded by luxury furniture and a soft rug. Behind the bed was a large decorative wall piece...

Who the fuck has a mirror as a headboard?

It stretched up to the ceiling, and it caught everything... like nothing here was ever meant to be hidden.

I stared back at my reflection, and I could barely recognize myself. I looked so pale, like the blood had been sucked out of me, and what was left was a walking corpse.

After what I’ve just experienced in that dining room, I’m stunned that I’m still able to function without having a mental breakdown.

Zade came behind me, and I peered at him through the mirror. I had no idea why delight filtered his eyes, almost as if my distress was something he got off on. I wouldn’t be surprised.

"You look tense, Anastasia. Are you afraid of your husband?"

"I don’t consider you, my husband."

I gasped when he suddenly snatched my neck, angling until the back of my head pressed against his solid chest, and then he looked down on me with those hollow eyes.

"My ring on your finger says otherwise."

I itched to reach for my thigh garter, but I forced my hands to remain rooted to my sides.

I had my switchblade there. The only means to protect myself, especially at a time like this. But I can’t afford to do anything rash and expose the fact that I have a concealed weapon. I had to wait for the right moment.

"That bloodthirsty look of yours is gonna get you in trouble."

"Like hurting Jacob?" I asked through gritted teeth.

Zade arched an eyebrow. "It’s our wedding night. Don’t you think bringing up another man is a bit... unwise? Someone might drop dead."

I growled, struggling against him, but his grip tightened on my neck, and I went still, the pressure feeling as if he was gonna snap my neck like a twig.

"I won’t let you hurt him," I uttered despite my dread.

"You won’t?" A soft laugh slipped from him, more amused than offended. "Very well, I’ll spare him. Consider it a wedding gift."

He’s gonna let Jacob go?

"I-I don’t believe you."

"I’m a man of my word." He released me, and I was reminded to breathe.

I glared at him, waiting for the second he’d change his mind, but it never came.

My eyes followed Zade’s movement as he walked to a wooden desk near the tall windows, paired with sleek leather chairs. He sat down, getting comfortable.

I blinked, pondering what his game was right now.

"Sit."

Sit?

"The chair or bed. Choose wisely."

I swallowed a lump in my throat as I moved. I sat down on the soft leather, cool against my ass, but I remained alert, resting my hands on my lap in a way I could easily act if need be.

He opened the drawer and pulled out a portfolio, dropping it in front of me.

"What’s that?"

"The contract your father signed."

"..."

"Do you know what’s inside?"

"None of my business. That’s between you and him."

His lips tipped slightly. "It concerns you now. Your father came to me for help... and I’m not exactly the kind of man who gives people things for free."

I clenched my fist. Out of everyone to go to, Father went to him. Annabeth must be rolling in her grave right now.

"The only thing he did have to offer was you..."

I inhaled and exhaled sharply, my pulse thumping so loudly I could hear it. I glared at the portfolio as if Pandora’s Box sat in front of me.

"Lucky for him... he came at the right time."

I fixed him with a pointed stare.

"Have a look..."

I don’t have the heart to see what’s inside. I just can’t.

"Have a look," he repeated, this time his voice dropping lower, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

I calmed my nerves and took the portfolio, reading the contents with a sour feeling.

This agreement is entered into between:

[Party A]: Roman Morri

[Party B]: Zayden Salvero

[Subject]: Anastasia Morri

In exchange for agreed financial compensation, Party A consents to the formal union of the Subject with Party B.

I shut it before I could read any more. I was on the verge of flaring as I glared at Zade.

"What’s the point of showing me this?"

"Keep. Reading..."

I sighed, flipping it open once again.

Purpose. It stated that in exchange for financial compensation, Party A would relinquish all claims, responsibility, and decisions of the Subject over to Party B.

Relinquish. I was no better than a piece of furniture. This just kept getting worse with every read.

Submission To Terms. The Subject’s placement under Party B is final.

Status Of Union. The Subject shall enter into a legally recognized marriage with the Second Party and shall be upheld publicly, without dispute.

A wife in the eyes of the crowd, but lesser behind closed doors. That sounds poetic.

The next was... Private Terms. It stated that the Subject’s conduct, movement, and association shall be determined solely by the second party.

Also, the Subject shall act in accordance with Party B’s expectations at all times. Any independence or action conflicting with his interest will be handled as Party B chooses.

Duties of the Subject.

My eyelid twitched when I read through it.

I had to maintain my reputation and appearance. Attending required events and obligations.

Hightower City will see us as a couple. That image alone was enough to make me vomit.

Next was Consideration... My father acknowledges everything, and the pay he received.

So, is this what I am worth?

I smiled, but it didn’t reach my eyes. That’s more than enough to clear his debts and get the harbour quarter up and running again. The bonus was the merger of our families.

I eyed my father’s signature done exceptionally... without a second thought. Just like that... as if I didn’t matter.

My father was so blinded by greed that he signed a contract as humiliating as this. Is this why Zade showed me this contract? To show me my place and what I have been reduced to?

"You violated the contract," Zade’s words snapped me out of it.

"Excuse me?"

"Status of union."

My eyes dropped back to the paper, reading that line once again, and then it made sense. I had ruined my wedding dress and threatened him with a pair of scissors. The public saw it.

"But of course... Wedding jitters are perfectly normal. Even though my wife tried to castrate me."

"You said my father came to you at the right time. What do you mean by that?"

Zade leaned back on his seat, swaying gently. "How much do you know about our world?"

"Enough."

He tilted his head, as if waiting for me to say more. The truth is... There wasn’t much I knew about it except that Hightower City was a place where bloodlines and legacy mattered more than the law, wrapped around the fingers of men who rule from the shadows.

"Ah, the sheltered princess..." he murmured. "Only known to spend daddy’s money."

Prick.

"I know about you."

Intrigue drowned his eyes as if eager to hear what I have to say.

"You’re the most feared Don in the city. The others don’t amount to what you have. They call you the Serpent of Hightower because you’re untouchable... and no one survives trying."

"You’ve done your homework."

I made it my business to know about my sister’s murderer. Good thing rumors flew about him.

"Is that all?"

I gulped. There was more?

He leaned away from his seat, his arms resting against the desk, his rings glittering in the light.

"I chose to invest in you because men in my position require a wife."

He could have just married like a normal person, but I suppose that was too much to ask from a reptile.

"I expect my investment to prove useful."

"You may have bought me, Don Salvero, but you have no idea what you’ve brought into your home," I said with malice bleeding off me.

Zade’s eyes blazed with entertainment. "Then I suppose I’ll enjoy finding out, Mrs. Salvero."

He opened the drawer again. This time, he took out a gold case and flipped it open, inside were brown cigars lined in perfect rows. He selected one, sliding his fingers through the cutter, and the blade snapped through the tip cleanly.

"Sit there and look pretty. I’ve got work to do." He tucked the cigar between his lips, grabbed his phone, and moved toward the window to make a call.