BENTLEY'S POV"Come on, Max..." I whispered tenderly, "I'll drive you to the hospital."I watched him climb into the front seat, making sure to wait patiently for him to buckle his seatbelt before I started up the engine. When I finally turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking space, I could sense his curiosity. He must have been wondering why I, known for my strong-headed independence and aversion to arranged marriages, had agreed to a blind date set up by my family."So, why did your family arrange a blind date for you?" he asked, clearly trying to start a conversation, perhaps looking for answers to the questions swirling in his own mind."My sister is a lawyer, and my dad wanted me to meet someone. I think it was supposed to be some sort of business plan if everything went well between me and the guy," I replied, keeping my focus on the road ahead.For a brief moment, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me, but I struggled to find the right words to express it.
BENTLEY'S POVI dragged him all the way to the ward as we walked past all sorts of patients who were lying unconscious in beds. The nurses and doctors stopped in their tracks when they saw me. They were clearly shocked to see me with Max, much less talking to him in a civil manner. I heard the whispers amongst the staff: "Is that Max? I heard Bentley's date did not go well." "I'm sure it's because she is now dating Max."Everyone was obsessed with getting married to me because I was the last daughter of the 'Romanos' everyone wanted a share of their wealth, even the doctors were interested in me and I found it extremely annoying.And even though I already knew this, I was very adamant that I was single and I wouldn't settle down until I found myself a man that I really love.I knew they were probably wondering, what kind of man would catch the eye of such an incredible beauty? One with money, brains, a great career and an amazing personality? Who would not fall in love with a woman
BENTLEY'S POVI turned around to find him standing there, staring at me with so much love. "You okay now?" I asked him and he nodded.I let out a shaky sigh, then hugged him tightly. It felt good to hold him like this, I realized myself and withdrew from the hug and cleared my throat nervously.This was the part of my life I hated most - when people showed affection to me. When somebody said they loved me. And I would just stand there like an idiot because I didn't believe them. Because I could never trust someone else after what they had done to me. "You should rest," I told him. "I'm going to call my parents now and explain things to them " "Would they understand?" He asked, he knew the kind of parents I had.They never understood anything."Yeah," I replied, trying to sound convincing as I looked away and tried to hide the tears that welled up inside me. I was not supposed to cry when anybody else was concerned, but this time I was not holding back. This wasn't normal, this was
BENTLEY'S POVI flinched, "Dad, calm down—""Shut up!" He interrupted. Dad, he hit me." I tried my best to explain but my dad was not having it."I don't care if he did, Bentley!" My father shouted, "We are not raising you to be some kind of slut!"My entire body went stiff and I stood rooted to my place, unable to move for a second."I am ashamed to call my own daughter a slut!" My father continued, his tone harsh and full of hate. "You're just like your mother." This new onslaught of words felt like a physical blow and it was definitely cutting deeper than any wound I had ever received. Each word was a confirmation of my deepest fears and insecurities and was spoken aloud by the one person who was supposed to protect and uplift me."I... I just wanted to tell you that I'm at the hospital," I managed to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper as I fought against the tears that threatened to drown me."The hospital?!" His voice dripped with disdain. "What, did you finally manage
BENTLEY'S POVMaybe if I could get behind the wheel I could forget about my father for a while and focus instead on the task at hand, which right now I found utterly fascinating.I unlocked the door and pulled out my keys before I slid into the car and closed the door. My father hadn’t lied when he told me I was worthless. If only he knew. As I got comfortable in the driver’s seat, I looked up through the windshield at the sun glinting off of the cars around me and wondered where I should start. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I glanced up at the road sign above me. For once, I didn't have any plans in mind, I just wanted something to do.I buckled my seatbelt, turning the key in ignition and pulling out of my driveway. I headed down Highway 101, passing several other cars as I went along, each one filled with their own occupants.Some were laughing loudly or playing video games on their phones, others were driving, their expressions contorted with anger or smil
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a husky whisper that sent shivers down my spine. "Alright, I'll play your loving boyfriend. But remember, you're playing with fire," he paused, his eyes darkening with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. "And I'm not known for playing it safe.”His words, heavy with an unspoken promise and laced with a dangerous edge, left me feeling both exhilarated and vulnerable. The closeness of his body, the warmth coming out from him and the intensity in his eyes made my heart race. There was something undeniably sexy and commanding about his demeanor now, a complete opposite to the cold distance he had maintained before. I was completely drawn to his manliness, the authoritative tone of his voice and the way he seemed to claim the space around us. It was as if he had cast a spell over me, leaving me yearning for something I couldn't quite name. "Yes, Luca," I managed to reply, my voice barely above a whisper and I felt utterly captivated by his
BENTLEY'S POV“You stupid bitch!!” My mother screamed as she lounged herself at me.She pushed me away roughly, sending me stumbling backwards and onto the couch. “How dare you?! We were waiting for hours for you to come home!”“Well, I’m here now aren’t I?” I snapped defensively. What gave these two the right to act like I wasn’t important."You have ruined everything once again!" My mother said as she slapped me across the face.She picked up a decorative vase that had been left out on the table and threw it at me as hard as she could, causing the shards to stab painfully into my arm. A few drops of blood oozed out, dripping down my skin like hot wax."Ouch…" I winced, clutching the bleeding wound. ‘Stupid bitch’. Was all I heard repeated over and over in my head. 'Worthless whore’ and ‘stupid slut’ were hurled repeatedly until I felt as though my ears were ringing.‘ I tried to block out their voices, hoping to forget everything that had happened but they were relentless. I hated m
BENTLEY'S POV"Shut up." The words barely left my lips as I squeezed my eyes shut and clenched my jaw shut.My mother's eyes widened in fear before narrowing in anger. She raised her fist towards my face, prepared to hit me again when suddenly the front door opened and the sound of heavy footsteps echoed throughout the house. Both my parents froze, watching intently as my father entered the room with a large stack of papers under his arm. He looked furious.He stopped in his tracks when he saw our haggard appearances, and the broken vase at our feet. His eyes hardened as he gazed at us. His glare pierced me with so much venom, hatred almost burned the skin of my neck, my chest tightened with anxiety and I quickly dropped my head so my hair covered my face."You lowlife, worthless daughter of mine!" My father roared, advancing forward menacingly. "Why were you even born?!" His fist clenched and unclenched furiously. He stepped forward and grabbed my collar with surprising force. "Ans