Eleven.

Maria

The sound of the lock latching echoes through the room like a death knell. I fight to catch my breath as panic rises through my body. My gaze stays on the door, waiting for it to open again.

Oh God, no!

Sobbing, I remain in the corner. The cool glass presses against my forehead as I curl up in a ball, and the reality of my situation settles around me like a thick fog. I've been imprisoned by a madman who tells me I'm going to marry him. This is exactly what my dad warned me about. But how did he even know?

As I sit there, I feel a sense of bigger betrayal. I had faith in my future, and this man stole it away. Mikhail has shown me his true nature. He isn't charming or smart. He's evil, and I don't want to think about what he wants to do with me.

... What he already did to me.

Memories of his hands roaming across my body enter my mind, and shame bubbles up in my mind. The way he held me down underneath the weight of his body as I struggled awoke something inside of me. Something t