Prologue

Her tightly closed eyes, continued to release tears. She trembled as she felt his warmth enveloping her, yet she refrained from opening her eyes. She grasped her fists tightly and moved herself against the wall, creating distance between them.

He chuckled as he observed her attempts to prevent their bodies from making contact. He brought his face closer to hers and spoke softly in her ear,

"Angel, at the very least, grant me the privilege to touch you now."

He watched as she shivered uncontrollably due to their close proximity. Gently, he brushed strands of hair from her face behind her ear.

With closed eyes, she felt his touch on her skin, causing her body to tingle with goosebumps.

"That, I had purchased you, I am now able to touch you, right?"

Hearing his cruel words, she tightly closed her eyes and tears began to flow aggressively. She understood that he had acquired her as though she were an object, which made her feel utterly worthless, like an inanimate thing rather than a living being. He had degraded her by treating her as if she were of no value.

"But do not worry, I will not abandon you like your husband," he said.

Hearing his words, her heart tightened, as he was the one who mercilessly murdered her husband before her very eyes. She clutched her dress tightly and remained silent, still unable to bring herself to respond.

He chuckled and gently brushed his knuckles against her hand, correcting himself by saying, "I apologize, your late husband."

This caused her tears to fall even more rapidly, with an increased sense of despair.

"He's such an unlucky bastard, can't even touch you before his demise,"

Uttering these words, he firmly grasped her waist and brought her closer to his firm chest.

She emitted a loud gasp, her teary eyes opening as she stared at him, filled with animosity.

Attempting to separate herself from him, she made an effort to push him away, but he showed no signs of relenting. With an air of amusement, he continued to gaze at her intently.

He forcefully pulled her even closer, remarking,

"Why resist now, Angel? I have every right to touch you, and not just touch, I can do whatever I please with you."

Hearing his words, she tightly clenched her jaw and used every ounce of her strength to push him away.

"No, you cannot touch me. I will never allow you to do that," she sternly stated, directing a look of intense dislike towards him.

Hearing her response, he burst into boisterous laughter, callously speaking words that deeply wounded her spirit.

"I did not spend a million dollars just to see you, Angel. I purchased you for my own desires, to touch and savor, to consume," he declared, his lips inching closer to her ear as he continued,

"to destroy, to torment, to defile."

Overwhelmed by his appalling words, she began to sob, unable to comprehend how someone could possess such a heartless nature to treat another human being as a mere object.

She, too, is a human with emotions, just like everyone else, but now he is tarnishing her soul with his contemptible words and actions.

Witnessing her distraught state, his inner torment subdued and he deliberately aimed his words to strike a chord, cruelly declaring,

"And I don't even know if you're worth that much money,"

She tightly shut her eyes, biting her lips to stifle her loud sobs. She questioned her own self-respect and dignity after being subjected to his hurtful words, yet she refused to unveil her vulnerable side in front of him.

Observing her attempts to suppress her crying, he callously uttered words that pierced her heart,

"So, can we see if I'm getting my money's worth?"

Uttering this, he forcefully grabbed her hand and yanked her along. Despite her struggles, his iron-like grip on her wrist remained unyielding.

"Leave me," she shouted, for him to halt his steps.

However, he disregarded her and forcefully propelled her onto the bed.

Attempting to regain her footing, she was forcefully pushed back onto the bed by her shoulders.

"Remain still, Angel," she heard his booming voice, causing her to flinch and freeze in fear.

He approached the bedside table and retrieved his phone from it. She witnessed him dialing a number and placing the phone on speaker.

She listened as a male voice on the other end addressed him as 'Mr. Rodriguez' and engaged in a conversation with the person on the line.

"Are you still in the hospital, Wren?" he inquired, to which she heard the response 'yes, sir.'

Upon hearing the mention of a hospital, she felt a wave of unease wash over her.

Why was this man in the hospital? Could it be that he was there for...

"Tell the doctor to stop the operation of Andrew," he exclaimed, and hearing him, her world crumbling around her.

How could he be so heartless, wanting to halt the surgery?

Determined, she rushed towards him and forcefully wrestled the phone from his grip, refusing to let him proceed.

"You can't do that! How could you be so heartless? He's just a child!" she angrily shouted, her frustration boiling over. Stopping the operation midway could put the child's life at risk.

His smug smirk in response only fueled her anger further.

"I can, and I will," he coldly replied, snatching the phone back from her grasp.

Desperate, she clung onto his hand, her fingers gripping tightly as she pleaded,

"Please, don't do this. He's just a child, he hasn't done anything to deserve this. Please don't stop the operation," she begged, a sense of desperation and fear present in her voice.

"But Angel, your pleas only make me want to do the opposite," he sneered, causing her to go rigid with terror.

No, he couldn't possibly follow through with this. She would do anything to save her brother.

She again pleaded with him, her voice trembling with fear and desperation, "Please, I will do anything you ask of me, but please let my brother's operation proceed. Please!"

Tears continued to stream down her face as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, hoping that her pleas would be heard.

"Anything?" she heard him ask, her heart pounding in her chest.

She looked up, nodding desperately, and said, "Yes, anything. I will do anything you ask, but please don't do anything to him."

Her desperation was palpable as she pleaded with him.

He let go of her hand and, with a cold detachment in his voice, spoke into the phone.

"Don't stop them," he said, before abruptly ending the call and throwing the phone onto the bedside table.

She watched as he retrieved some papers from the same table, his actions filled with an unsettling sense of purpose.

He approached her, his hand outstretched, clutching those papers, and said...

"Take a look at these papers and then decide whether you want to sign them or not, I don't believe in pressuring anyone into doing something, so please read every word on these papers carefully."

He leaned in closer to her, looking deep into her eyes, and continued,

"I don't want to hear later on that I did something to trap you or touched you without your consent, or worse, raped you."

Having said that, he held her hand and placed the paper in it.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she reluctantly took the papers from him. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, suffocating her.

She couldn't help but feel a surge of worry and fear as she began to read the contents of the papers.

Each word pierced through her like a knife, draining the color from her face. The room felt colder, her body completely frozen with a mixture of dread and disbelief.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she continued to read, her entire being consumed by a painful numbness. A sense of vulnerability washed over her, leaving her feeling exposed and helpless.

She couldn't shake off the nagging worry that her consent was being taken away from her, that she was being forced into something she didn't want.

Her body went numb, as if every part of her had ceased to function, while an excruciating sensation engulfed her, especially in her chest.

Her tear-filled eyes meticulously scanned each word on the papers, desperately hoping that she might read it wrongly but, the more she read, the undeniable truth became apparent.

Her breathing became erratic, her face flushed, and her trembling hands lost their steadiness.

Just as she was about to lose her grip and succumb to her emotions, his firm hand enveloped her wrist, preventing her from falling.

She shifted her teary gaze from the papers to him, only to witness her heart shattering even more painfully.

His sinister smile and the satisfaction gleaming in his darkened eyes reflected the depths of her vulnerability and brokenness.

"I don't just want your body, but I want every part of you in every way possible, Angel," he uttered, moved closer to her and bent down to her level.

"Now, what is your decision?" he whispered hoarsely against her face.

"Are you willing to sign these papers and permit me to possess every single aspect of your existence?"

Hearing him, she merely locked eyes with his ruthlessly calculative gaze, maintaining complete silence.

"Will you be my wife with the condition that I have complete control over your body and can do anything I want with you, anytime, anywhere, Angel?" he inquired, looking directly into her eyes, and added,

"And you won't have any right to stop me, you'll willingly consent to everything I say and do to you, regardless of how delicate or forceful it may be..?"

She listened to every word he uttered, refraining from responding until he brushed his thumb lightly against the corner of her lips and then delicately wiped it across her lower lip.

His intense gaze met her shattered hazel eyes as he spoke those words to her.

"Will you consent to signing these papers in order to safe your brother, Ana?"

Bringing his face closer to hers, he softly whispered on her lips,

"Will you be willingly changing your name from Angelina Ricardo to Angelina Rodriguez?"

A tear rolled down her tear-filled eyes, each of his words piercing deep into her heart.