MADELINE’S POVThe screams from Brielle were the highlight of Madeline's evening, and as she watched from the window, she felt a huge sense of relief wash over her almost immediately. Finally, one of her obstacles was out of the way.Laughing heartily, Madeline instantly froze when she heard her name being screamed from afar, and she felt like turning around, looking at Brielle in the face, and telling her that she had indeed been betrayed, but well, she kept her calm.It would make the poor girl feel even worse, and Madeline laughed sarcastically at the thought. Her hands stretched out, Madeline locked the car doors properly, and then sitting with her gaze straight, she started to think of her next cause of action.Brielle was out of the way, and now her next target was Lady Delilah.Getting the mistress out of the way would be difficult; Madeline knew this, but she would not back down or relent. While she was still thinking, she noticed someone pass through the tinted windows of
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle's nose was filled with the stench of urine and dung, and as her eyes flew open, she let out a prolonged dry cough. She felt disoriented for a split second, unable to move her body or look around her surroundings. All she could do was lay things down, her head racing and her eyes darting across the floor as she tried to remember what was happening. “Arghhh…” Her head pounded heavily as she yelled slowly, letting out a muffled pain. It felt like someone had thrown a stone on top of it, and it was now as heavy as ice and aching like hell. Her entire body also ached, aside from the throbbing ache in her head. Everything felt heavy, and the only thing she could do at this point was cry. When a tear rolled down her cheek, the memories flooded back, and Brielle shook her head vigorously, attempting to forget what she had just remembered but failed miserably. The kidnapping... Lady Delilah's conversation with someone about slave trade issues, and then the last th
DARIUS POV"Do you think this is all right?" Darius inquired, stretching his hands towards the Arabian client he had just finished speaking with, and the man accepted the handshake with a nod. "I suppose so. But, lest I forget, there's this popular real estate deal I have a feeling you're unaware of." Darius's brows quirked in amusement and intrigue, and with a lift of his hands, he urged the man to continue speaking, which he dutifully did. It didn't take more than fifteen or twenty minutes, and they were done with the real estate discussion as well. "Thank you so much, Mr. Alil, for informing me. I would research this, and thanks for letting me know." Darius was saying again, shaking his client's sweaty palms for the umpteenth time. "Would you like to accompany me? I have some special treats for you." Mr. Alil inquired, a wink on the older man's brow, but Darius waved off his offer. “No, no. I'm fine." "I have the best girls. Some ebony black beauties with such legs, bosoms, a
TWO DAYS LATERBRIELLE’S POVBrielle awoke from her depraved slumber due to the sudden light taps on her skin and the soft feminine voices she was hearing in her head. Dragging her chained hands up towards her face, she attempted to rub at her eyes, removing any trace of sleep therein."Mmmmm..." She mumbled, still hearing the familiar feminine voice telling her to wake up and eat lunch. It was Madam Britney, and the lovely old lady had been serving her half-cooked or sometimes stale food for the past few days. The aroma of the overly spicy food filled the air again, and Brielle immediately locked eyes with the old lady, who yelled out a greeting at first."How are you doing, dear?" Brielle had no response because her throat was stuck, her voice was cracked, and if she could pass out from exhaustion right now, she would. She was even angry that the woman had woken her up from her sleep, bringing her back to this harsh reality, and she blinked back a tear that burned at the back o
MADELINE’S POVMadeline's ears perked up as she overheard the gossip from the two maids beside her. They were all in the kitchen, washing dishes together, and the maids appeared to be conversing without her. She didn't mind that they hadn't included her; instead, she raised her shoulders protectively as she listened to them discuss Lord Darius's impending arrival. Lord Darius's arrival in two days was no longer breaking news to her, but it was rather unusual that he was arriving so early. The last time he’d gone on a business trip like this one, he’d spent so much time, so why was he returning earlier? Well, maybe he'd finished his business and dealt with whatever had prompted him to embark on the journey in the first place. So it was right for him to come back to his mansion. With a sigh, Madeline’s thoughts continued to run wild. She wondered what would happen if Lord Darius discovered Brielle's disappearance. Most importantly, she began to anticipate when he would personally
DARIUS POVIt was already evening when Darius arrived at his mansion, and despite feeling tired after the long journey, he was relieved to have arrived safely. He should have taken a flight; perhaps he wouldn't have felt so exhausted, but he had reasons for using his vehicle convoy, right? His phone beeped, signaling an incoming message from one of his business clients, but he turned it off and slipped it into his pocket. Darius would avoid taking any business calls or attending any appointments or meetings he had missed for the rest of the day and into the weekend. Inhaling sharply, as the cool evening breeze flowed into the car, he cleared his throat and winded down his car window. A honk brought him back to reality; Darius watched as the gigantic gate that housed his mansion drew open, and his jeep entered the compound with lightning speed. Darius looked around the compound through his window glass. His car convoy was right behind him, the vehicles housing the security team th
MADELINE’S POV Madeline walked down to Lady Delilah's room, her feet hurriedly passing through door after door. She had her hand pleated behind her, her gut shaking, as she walked briskly, wanting to answer the summon by Lady Delilah and go to her room and rest. Lord Darius had arrived today, and while she was relieved to see him after such a long time, Madeline couldn't deny that she was uneasy knowing that Brielle was no longer present and that he would soon begin his questions. Madeline shuddered as she considered the questions she would be forced to answer. He'd probably ask her about their most recent activity together. The last night Brielle was alive, and even though Madeline would spill her carefully crafted lies, she was determined to sound truthful so he could believe whatever she said. Madeline was aware that the upcoming interrogation was also the reason Lady Delilah had called. She stopped in front of the large steel door that housed the mistress's room, lifted her
BRIELLE’S POVBrielle's eyes flew open as she felt a piercing pain shoot from her skull to her forehead. Groaning slightly, she blinked furiously, her chained wrists touching her forehead. She wanted to cry, she could feel it, but at the last moment, she stopped herself. Sniffing instead, she tried to make sense of what was going on around her. She had been sleeping, as far as she could remember, but something seemed to have woken her up, and she couldn't put her finger on what it was. She looked around the dimly lit room before closing her eyes.Maybe if she closed her kids for a few minutes, she'd be drawn back to the fruitless slumber she'd awoken from, and for a brief moment, she wouldn't be here, in this dungeon. It didn’t even take the next second for her to finally come to terms with the noise that had woken her up because no sooner had she shut her eyes did she start to hear the groans and whimpers of a man and woman nearby.Someone was having sex openly and close to wher
BRIELLE'S POVHer heart fluttered like a flower picked from a peaceful garden. Brielle searched for words to convey how she felt as Darius hoisted her up the floor. Euphoria. Joy. Thrill. Delight. Excitement. Surprise. Yes. These words clearly defined the situation, but there was more going on. Something deeper. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. Perhaps she didn't know what word to use, but it wasn't happiness. It was more than that. "My love. Mine, all mine..." Darius repeated in her ears as he twirled her around. After a few minutes, he dropped her back onto her feet.Brielle remained still for a moment, attempting to regain her breath. Her mind buzzed with so many different thoughts, and she felt dizzy and possibly lightheaded from all the dancing, but that didn't stop her from stretching her toes and kissing Darius on the cheek."How are you feeling?" Darius asked, and she replied. “I feel on top of the world. Or maybe I'm already flying through it; I have no idea
A MONTH LATERDARIUS' POVThe banquet went better than Darius had anticipated.He had hoped for a low-key and personal ceremony in which he could deliver the glad news to his people and seal the everlasting union with his partner, but the event planners had other ideas. They'd gone over and aboard, and he surprisingly approved. Every area of the castle was artistically ornamented with gold and scarlet decorations. Everything was stunning, from the beautiful wall tapestries to the intricate floral arrangements, and the crystal chandelier glowed like a light in the hall's center. It was ethereal. Just like the woman for whom this entire charade was intended. Darius smiled as he continued to glance around. His gaze swept through the guests in the room, mingling, drinking, and speaking in groups. He also watched the servants rushing around carrying platters, refilling drinks, and doing almost anything to keep the party going. Finally, his wandering attention was interrupted by the mo
BRIELLE’S POVThere wasn’t a force more powerful in the universe than love. At least, that was what Brielle was thinking as she watched Darius dress in front of the mirror.Her lips watered as he flexed his muscles to remove the white shirt that hugged his body's curves.They had both healed, and all that remained were the scars. Though as memories converged in her head, she nearly let out a whimper. She’d gone through a lot, and damn! Anytime she remembered the whippings, electric shocks, cold water dousing, and even days she went without food, tears streamed down her cheeks. It wasn't easy to forget what had happened, but with Darius, it was becoming easier than she had expected. He was at her side throughout the recovery process, and she couldn't have asked for anything more. "Like what you see?" Darius smirked, interrupting Brielle's thoughts.He was looking at her through the mirror, and when their eyes met, her cheeks flushed. She looked away."Umm." She murmured and said n
DARIUS POV Darius walked carefully down the corridor with his guards in tow. He’d woke up a few hours earlier, and all he could think about was seeing Brielle. The dream from the day before continued to torment him, keeping him half-awake all night. Now, all he wanted was to see and hug her tightly. Then he’d apologize for how he had neglected her—the anguish he'd caused her by not being present when she needed him most. And maybe she'd forgive him. But would she? The inexplicable torture she went through in Draken Havix's hands, as well as his irresponsible choice to send her out into the wild, was nothing short of horrific. It was unforgivable, and Brielle deserved much better. She deserved more than to be with a man like that. He was a coward and an idiot who couldn’t even admit that she had transformed him from who he used to be to a better person. But then, he was also a selfish fool, so he wouldn’t let her go. Not in this lifetime or the next. Regardless of these thought
SOME DAYS LATERBRIELLE'S POV Her eyelids fluttered slowly, and Brielle groaned softly as a dull pain throbbed through her temples. It took a few more attempts before she could open them properly, and eventually, they slid wide enough for her to see where she was.Brielle had to squint a little until her eyes adjusted to the light, which was in stark contrast to what she was used to - dim lighting, quiet, and empty space. 'Where was she?' She frowned and pondered, 'How did she get here?'.She tried to push herself up into a sitting position but froze when a sharp pain shot through her skull again."Damn it." She muttered quietly, lifting a hand to her forehead, only to discover that it was attached to something, and she could not move it. "Fuck! Where am I?" She cursed aloud and, with her eyes roaming, began taking inventory of the room. And that's when she noticed it. The familiar curtains dangling from the windows. The dark red couches facing one another, and gold-plated side ta
BRIELLE'S POVBrielle's eyes opened and shut as she slipped into and out of consciousness.Her entire body hurt; her head ached, and her chest was on fire. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see anything, and her eyesight was fuzzy.She could only hear noises, low whispering voices that appeared to come from all directions simultaneously. She could also feel soft wisps of cool breeze on her skin, confirming that she was outside.She wasn't in that terrible cell anymore, being tortured by those evil men.But if she wasn't present, where was she? She remembered sprinting through the palace hallways, looking for a way out, but then...She slowly began to recollect what happened after that. Her memories were returning slowly. Brielle had planned to flee once the guards left, with the cell door open and the key having fallen out of their pocket by accident. She remembered scanning left and right to ensure she didn't knock into anyone. It seemed strange how empty the hallways were.She
DARIUS POVDarius fought with all of his strength. He hit and punched, channeling his inner strength until Draken was a bloody mess.Earlier, when Draken had transformed into a wolf and leaped at him, Darius had been prepared for it. His fangs and claws had sharpened, and he’d transformed into his lycanthrope wolf form. He rarely shifted, but when he did, he wasted no time. As a Lycan, he would always be faster than his opponent and better equipped to catch his prey. So when the man attacked, Darius didn't even think about what he could do. His beast form had switched to autopilot, and its instincts took over. He'd scarcely noticed anything when he attacked. He only felt the pain of the punches and strikes, which weren't too severe because he wasn't on the receiving end of them. Draken, on the other hand, was severely beaten. His hairy face was matted with blood, and there were several large gashes all over his body. At this point, he wasn't even fighting back, just squirming and
BRIELLE'S POV"What is happening?" Brielle overheard the question, as many guards entered the cell with troubled expressions."There is a very big problem." One of them spoke, and despite her weakness, Brielle managed to stretch her ears enough to hear what they were saying. "Which is? Can someone fucking talk to me?" Another guard inquired, and the whip in his hand tumbled to the floor. It fell with a resounding thud, and the sound echoed off the cell walls.The air seemed to cool even more. The room was silent for a long time until one of the guards spoke up again. "Master Draken and Lord Darius are…"Brielle's heart sank when she heard Darius's name."Goodness gracious please, let nothing happen to him…" The words came out of her mouth unexpectedly, almost in prayer, and a stray tear streamed down her left cheek. The guards resumed discussing, but this time in quiet tones, as if frightened Brielle would hear them. It irritated her, and she wanted to yell. She wanted to question t
BRIELLE'S POV "Please…" Brielle begged and screamed at the top of her lungs, but the guards did not stop. The more she pleaded, the more the torture increased, and they continued to whip her body with their batons.But she understood why this was happening. Darius was here again. He'd arrived yesterday, and while she hadn't seen him, the rate at which her torture had risen was clear evidence of this. Her agonizing yells were intended to convey a message to Darius. Draken was using it as a tactic to demonstrate that he still had the upper hand and leverage. Brielle's heart wrenched painfully as she thought of the wicked older man who held her captive. A shiver ran down Brielle's spine as she remembered their talk from last night.He'd informed her that Darius still loved her, and despite her misery, she couldn't deny that his words had given her hope. Even when he made insulting jokes about her and Darius's deaths, a small part of her brain ignored the unpleasant words and focused