Chapter 1: The Wedding Trap

The soft rustle of satin filled my ears as I stood at the top of the staircase, my hand clutching the banister for support. The world outside seemed muted, as if time had slowed to a crawl. Every step forward felt heavier than the last, each one taking me closer to a future I was uncertain of. The grand chandelier above sparkled like a thousand stars, casting a shimmering light on the extravagant guests gathered below. Their faces blurred as I focused only on one thing: the man waiting at the altar. Ethan Vaughn.

“Are you sure about this, Sienna?” My best friend, Laura, whispered beside me, her voice laced with concern.

I nodded, but the truth was, I wasn’t sure. How could I be? I’d spent years dreaming of this moment—of marrying the man who seemed perfect, the man who promised me a life beyond my wildest dreams. But now, as I gazed at the sea of smiling faces below, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

“You’ve got this,” Laura reassured me, though I could hear the doubt in her voice. “It’s what you’ve always wanted.”

“Is it?” I whispered back, more to myself than her.

The music began to play, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. I straightened my back, forced a smile onto my face, and began my descent down the staircase. The guests stood in unison, eyes trained on me. I could feel their gazes like heat on my skin. But all I saw was Ethan, standing tall at the end of the aisle. His dark eyes were fixed on me, but there was no warmth, no love. Just coldness. It made my heart race.

As I reached the altar, I was barely aware of the officiant’s words, only focusing on Ethan. His expression never wavered—still cold, calculating, distant. He looked like a stranger to me, not the man I’d once thought I knew.

“Do you, Sienna Carter, take Ethan Vaughn to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The officiant’s words blurred, but I managed to nod, my voice tight when I answered.

“I do.”

Ethan’s hand brushed mine as he placed the ring on my finger. The touch was firm, and possessive, and it sent a chill down my spine. His lips parted, his voice low, only for my ears. “Now, you’re mine.”

The words felt wrong, like a chain being wrapped around my soul. I didn’t know if it was the weight of the moment or the haunting tone in his voice, but I suddenly felt trapped. A million thoughts raced through my mind, but one thing was clear: I had just stepped into a life I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

The reception that followed was an elaborate affair. The hall was filled with laughter, clinking glasses, and the soft hum of classical music. But it all seemed distant to me, like I was floating in a dream I couldn’t wake up from. Ethan’s hand never left my back as we danced, his fingers digging into my waist as if marking his territory. He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear, and for a moment, I thought I could feel his heart beating through his chest. But his words shattered that illusion.

“You’ll learn how to behave, Sienna,” he murmured, his voice low, almost a threat.

I froze mid-step, my heart skipping a beat. His words were a promise, but not one I wanted to hear. A chill ran down my spine as I tried to smile, to pretend I hadn’t just heard him speak like that, but the smile never reached my eyes. He was right. I was his now. He had made sure of that in every way possible, and now I was bound to him—not by love, but by obligation.

I couldn’t help but glance around the room, hoping to find someone—anyone—to help me make sense of this. But the faces I saw were those of strangers, friends of Ethan’s, and family members who had come to witness the joining of two empires. No one saw the fear creeping into my chest, no one noticed how my hand trembled slightly in his.

“Sienna,” Ethan’s voice was sharp as he pulled me closer, his hand pressing harder into my waist. “Don’t make me repeat myself.”

I swallowed, my mouth dry. This was not the man I had fallen in love with. This was someone else. Someone who saw me not as a partner, but as a possession.

As the night wore on, I found myself drifting away from the crowd, searching for a moment of solitude. I needed to think, to process everything that had just happened. I found a small balcony overlooking the city, the cool air refreshing against my flushed skin. But before I could collect myself, I felt a presence behind me.

“Ethan,” I whispered, barely turning to face him.

His figure loomed over me, casting a shadow in the dim light. “You think you can escape me, Sienna?” His voice was dark, filled with an edge I hadn’t heard before.

“I’m not escaping,” I replied, my voice shaking despite my best efforts. “I just need some air.”

He stepped forward, closing the gap between us. “You don’t need air. You need me.”

His words were heavy, and suffocating, and for the first time, I realized just how much control he had over me. Not just physically, but mentally. He had found a way to tie me to him with invisible strings that I couldn’t see but could feel.

“I’m not your prisoner,” I said, my voice more firm than I felt.

He chuckled, the sound low and menacing. “Oh, but you are, Sienna. And you’ll soon realize that.”

His hand cupped my face, and I fought the urge to pull away, to scream, to run. But instead, I stood frozen, caught in his grip. “Don’t forget,” he whispered, “you agreed to this. You agreed to be mine.”

My breath hitched as he leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. “You’ll learn to love it. You’ll learn to love me.”

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The man I had married was not the man I had dreamed of. He was a stranger, someone who owned me now, body and soul.

And then, just as I thought I might collapse from the weight of it all, he stepped back. “The night is young, Sienna,” he said, his voice colder than ever. “You’ll have plenty of time to get used to your new life.”

I watched him walk away, leaving me standing there, alone with the haunting realization that my life had just been ripped from my hands.

But the worst part?

I didn’t know how to get it back.

"Did I just marry a man who sees me as a possession rather than a wife?"