Matteo’s Pov
I only brought this escort in here to suck me off but my wife had to wander around and is now staring at me with those fake eyes of hers and I'm immediately interested in giving her a good show. I lean down and whisper into Helen's ear, "I guess you got lucky tonight, go bend over on that desk." And of course she giggles and does as she's told without question. I mean when you pay well and fuck good, they would always say yes to every command. Fucking whores. Fuck, I hate this. Why am I doing this again? Ah yes, to spite my beautiful wife. "Do you want to join us? Wife?" I ask her as I roll the condom down the length of my cock and of course my wife stays silent but I see how startled she is. Has she never seen a dick in her life? Or she probably hasn't seen two people making out. Fuck, if only she can take those contacts out and let me look into those eyes of hers; the real ones I mean. I push into Helen and she screams from how hard I'm slamming into her from behind. I keep my eyes steady on my wife and she surprisingly does the same. There I was thinking she'd watch how my cock goes in and out of Helen but no, she's looking me in the eye; not glaring, looking as though she has a million things she wants to say but is letting her eyes do the talking. If she looks at me in that manner with her real eyes, I know I'll be finished. It irritates me that Bella isn't allowing herself play into my game and I pull out of Helen and stalk over to her. "If you're not going to join us, then go back into your room and stay the fuck there," I lean down and suck on her ear lobe before whispering, "this is a private show." I slam the door against her face and turn to face Helen who's still waiting on me to come finish what I started but I'm too irritated to even get anywhere close to her. "I'll have the maid show you to where you sleep tonight. Put your clothes on, we're done here." I'm unable to sleep through the night, the nightmares that haunt me in my sleep, the intrusive thoughts that takes possession of my soul while I'm awake has me restless and the fact that Anna-Mirabella didn't play into my game makes it even more difficult to stay still. I hate being lied to and deceived. If Mirabella came clean to me about her true identity, I'd not have a problem with her but she lied. They lied and they think I'm playing their game when it's them playing mine. And by the break of dawn moving forward, I'll make sure that wife of mine regrets her decision of marrying me. . . . I walk into the dining area with annoying Helen by my corner; by now she should have left but I asked her to stay a few more hours in my desperate attempt to get a reaction out of my wife. But of course the bitch thinks the extra attention is because I'm developing some kind of attraction towards her. Dumb. I lock eyes with Anna-Mirabella and her jaw locks the moment she sights Helen. Again how do I address my wife? Guess I should just call her Bella. I take my seat and Helen does the same as the chef serves us our portion of the breakfast. My eyes stay steady on Bella's and hers on mine as she grinds her teeth and it doesn't go unnoticed, how hard she's breathing, causing me to chuckle; I guess that snapped something, Bella returns my chuckle in a very malicious way and I relax my back, waiting for the drama to unfold and it does. Fuck yes! "I'm certain you had a great time with my husband? Miss?" She asks Helen but not once ripping her gaze off me and I give her a smirky smile. "Helen." "Helen," she hums. "I'm sure you're one of his whores but this is his matrimonial home and I'm certain you understand what that means." For the first time she looks at Helen and her face contorts in displeasure. "Helen I need you to get up and get the hell out of my house." Bella deadpans. Helen goes to protest and I glare at her. "You heard my wife Helen, get up and get the hell out." I order her and I see the surprise in Bella's eyes. I do hope she's not starting to think I did any of that for her? Helen throws a little bit of her tantrum and storms out of the house leaving I and Bella. "Fucking Asshole, I get that you hate this stupid arrangement but at least have some respect for me." Bella grits through her teeth. Respect. Funny she demands respect from me when she disrespected me first by lying about her identity. But I'm not about to have some silly argument with her. I get off my seat and head into the kitchen. Turning the water on, I apply the drain cover and begin filling the sink with water. "She's gone," I say in a slight whisper and Bella smirks. She quirks a brow and answers, "yes she is." "Are you going to do her job of pleasuring me?" My eyes darken at this point, the intrusive, dark thoughts taking possession of me. Bella scrunches her face as she gets off her seat, obvious anger in her tone when she asks, "what?" I turn off the tap once the sink is filled to the brim and glare at Bella for a good minute, somehow stalling and hoping I'd take back control of my sanity and not do what I'm about to. But nothing. "Come here." I command and Bella stays still where she's standing, fueling my anger even more. "Come here, Bella!" "No." "Fucking come here!" I roar and she's immediately startled. The egotistical bitch starts taking small steps towards me, getting me even more riled up and I stalk over to her and grip the back of her neck, pulling her with me into the kitchen. Bella's head is submerged underwater before she gets the chance to protest. She's struggling to get out of my strong hold on her neck, she kicks her legs out and throws her arm back, her fingers clawing at my face viscously but I have my hand tightly secured around the back of her neck and I dunk head further down the sink. I lift her head up and she gasps loudly as she coughs and chokes on her spit like her life depended on it. She keeps making unwavering attempts at getting out of my grip but I'm not even close to being done with her. I plan to shove her face underwater until she's passed out. If she dies it'd be an added advantage. "Are you going to do Helen's job of pleasuring me now that you've sent her away," I breathe out. "Never." Bella chokes. Feisty. I absolutely love it; the challenge, the adrenaline. I guess I'll spare her life for today but that doesn't mean her punishment is over. In a split second, her head is underwater yet again and this time she gives up the struggle to get off. She stays calm and from the movement of her shoulders, I see that she's trying to stabilize her breathing. What the fuck. I immediately let her go and stumble back. What the fuck just happened? This came as a surprise. She's just shown me that she's been through far worst. She struggled at first because I caught her off guard with my sudden outburst but the second time, she saw it coming and took control of it. I'm intrigued; really intrigued. But it's to her own detriment considering how much torture I plan to put her through until I know for certain how much pain she can take. An interesting marriage it'll be. The maids try coming to her aid as she rolls on the ground still choking but I glare at them and pass them a stern warning never to interfere in our affairs. Bella lies on her back with her mouth open as she breathes through her mouth and I smirk at her before ordering her in a stern voice. "Clean this mess up and get ready; we leave in ten minutes." . . . Throughout the five hour drive to the little surprise I have for my wife, Bella did not care to say a word to me; not that I wanted her to but I very often noticed her eyes tear up and twitch. More like they were itching. And I'm somehow worried that she'll get an eye infection if she continues wearing those eye contacts. But I'm here to see it happen; imagine going blind because you chose to stick to a stupid lie. Very funny. Why am I concerned again? Never mind. I finally bring the car to a halt in front of her lab and I see her eyes widen; her jaw clench and unclench. "What is this place? And why are we here?" Bella manages to get out of her trembling lips and I snort a laugh ordering her to get down and she obeys. "What do you think? I'm planning on purchasing the land," I'm looking at her but she refuses to look up at me not once and it amuses me even more. "Why do you want the land? Are you in contact with the owner? What would you want with the land?" Bella starts rambling on and on as her fingers tremble. The swell in her chest obvious. "I heard the owner is some lab rat, hardly ever seen. But I've not been able to reach her," I tsk, "unfortunately." I see Bella release a shaky breath and I'm more amused and of course I'm in the mood to tease her further. "Doesn't that remind you of your sister? Mirabella is it? We should go visit her lab sometime." Bella stays quiet but I notice her throat moving from how harshly she's swallowing. "I don't think you should buy the land; it's of no use. Look into better locations." She deadpans and suddenly she's no longer fidgeting. She's bold, so bold that she turns around and lock eyes with me whilst uttering each word. Does my wife have a personality disorder? This minute she's some naive, scared little bitch and the next she's as bold as a lioness. Something to think about; but for now I should focus on putting her in place. "I'm definitely buying the land," I mutter and she locks her jaw, grinding her teeth so hard that the outline becomes visible. "No!" She yells and I silently thank my goodness. Another perfect opportunity to punish her. "Did you just refuse me? Wife?"Mirabella’s Pov The moment I was informed about this marriage and whom I'll be marrying, I knew there and then what and whom I'd be signing my life off to; The fucking devil. But the naive part of my heart thought that perhaps this devil will somehow show a great deal of restraint when dealing with me but that is very far from the truth and my reality. Just less than twenty four hours of being married to this maniac of a man, he has already attempted taking my life and cheated on me right under our roof. Fucked up, don't you think? And now he has brought me to my laboratory, affirming his interest in the land. My fucking land? There's no way in the world I'd sell off my land to that asshole. That's my thirty fucking million dollars and it's not even about the money. It's the fact that I've built my whole life here, it's my home. Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm rich. I'm so rich, sometimes I forget how rich I am and how much money I have scattered around different offshore acc
Matteo’s Pov I didn't think marriage could be this thrilling. Bella is like the devil born to me; she mirrors me in the weirdest, unexpected ways. She's the challenge I need, the war I love, and the hate I seek. It has not been longer than forty eight hours since we said our vows and she's made me aware in more ways than one how much she'd complete me. She's truly my better half. She gets to trigger the monster I keep chained, and the monster answers her call and swallows her whole each time. This is all I've waited for a really long time, and now, I have it. One slap and she's on the floor whimpering, crying with her eyes closed while she mumbles a few words, chanting them like a mantra and that tells me a lot about her. It tells me she has been through something, a certain kind of trauma that goes beyond physical abuse; she has danced with the devil one too many times. But who could it be? Who could have hurt my wife? It certainly isn't her father seeing how much of a good r
Mirabella’s Pov Tears uncontrollably roll down my cheeks as I observe myself in the huge mirror, and I ask myself what wrong I've done to deserve this level of punishment the universe has chosen to deal me. This is my life; misery. One month since I've been married to this monster, and every day, I'm one step closer to death. A death I know will be delivered to me by my husband. Matteo. In one month, I've been buried alive and made to stay underneath the earth five hours each day for three days. I've been stripped and flogged with a leather flogger until I passed out. I've been locked up in a dark room with no food for so many days until I was close to losing my sanity. I've been pushed into the pool and left to drown by Matteo after he found out I couldn't swim. This has been my life with Matteo for a long one month. He doesn't talk to me but whenever he does, there's always punishment accompanying each word. Punishments that seem too extreme and well thought out as though h
Matteo’s Pov There's power in self reflection, to take a moment and look at how far you've come, how you have transformed into a better or a ridiculously worst version of yourself. To give yourself credit for conquering all your demons and waking from that nightmare. As I stand by this window and try my best to self reflect, the only question that plagues my mind is, where has my head been in the past month? I watch my wife as she trembles from the cold, I look at her and see how much damage I've done to her both physically, emotionally, and mentally. I ask myself how much of a monster I truly am to have done this to an innocent woman. The same woman I saw her pictures and felt the need to be close to; the same one I wanted to become my wife and I have an opportunity to have her as my wife but look what I've done to her. What differentiates me now from the people I detest the most? The people who derive pleasure in hurting others? The people who hurt me. The people who hu
Mirabella’s Pov A fist drives into my gut and knocks me out. I choke and cough, my hand clutching tightly onto the part of me that seems completely ruptured. I fall face down and sob, there's not a part of me that is whole; at least not anymore and my father made certain of it. "Enough with your whining!" Father's voice thunders as he forces me on my knees. "Tell me exactly what it is you saw that day," he orders and I shake my head 'no'. "I don't remember anything." I lie; but I do it to protect myself. "Maybe she's telling the truth. we've broken her in unimaginable ways, yet, she still stands by her word," my father's minion whispers to him but I pay very close attention and I hear him. "Have we? There's still one thing that is yet to be done to her." Father sneers and the man's eyes widen. "She's a kid! She'll not survive it. Isn't she just ten years old?" "I don't care if she dies. Ready the chair, no questions asked." Father orders as he stands by the side with Annabella
Mirabella’s Pov "Tell me something about you; something I don't already know." Matteo questions in a soft voice as he wraps the cuff of the sphygmomanometer around my upper arm. I blink a few times from the unexpectedness of his question. He raises an eyebrow nudging me to answer as he continues taking my blood pressure and I scoff. "Bold of you to think you know even a thing about me." "You have no idea, Annabella. . ." His voice is laced with mischief. I narrow my eyes at him. Something in my gut telling me that Matteo knows something about me; something that might jeopardize me. My identity perhaps. "So, what's your story, you know with the consistent nightmares." Matteo calls back my attention and I bite down on my bottom lip. "I don't know, Matteo, you tell me. After all you're the one who has dedicated your time to making sure you traumatize me with your horrific punishments," I answer in one breath making sure my sarcasm doesn't go unnoticed. "So? I'm responsible
Matteo’s Pov "Get over here! Come here and prove to me that you're worthy of this empire!" Grandfather commands and I fall on my knees. I'm shaking my head vigorously, tears running down my face uncontrollably as I sob. "Please pa don't make me do this," I plead. I am now at Grandfather's feet, at his fucking mercy and I grasp both his ankles as I continue to beg him. My father being held down by a few men in a corner, my mother hugging my five year old sister in another corner. My life flashing before my own eyes. I can't bring myself to do what grandfather is asking of me. Never. The butt of a gun slams against my forehead over and over again until my blood is spewing uncontrollably but I do not quit begging. With each slam to my forehead, my plea becomes louder. "Matteo, fratellino; it's okay, I understand. Go ahead and do it," my eldest sister says in between her sobs and I shake my head 'no'. Her voice keeps taunting me and I can no longer take it. "Stai zitto per l'amor d
Mirabella’s Pov I'm home alone, I might as well put a call across to my associate and handle my own business. Exactly three days ago, about two hours after my very thoughtful husband violated me with his eyes and walked out of the room, I decided to go to the kitchen and help myself with something to calm my nerves. While I made my way down the hall, my ears picked up on some inaudible chatter and being a curious personality that I am, I decided to listen in. The closer I got to where the sound was coming from, the clearer I could hear what was being talked about. Matteo and his father seemed to have been in a heated argument about me? "Father, I already told you many times before that I do not trust her father. This marriage is just an illusion; he's playing a game with us and we don't even know it." Well, I didn't think I'd ever say this but my husband is a smart man. "She's your wife regardless," Matteo's father had voiced. "Only on paper!" Matteo snapped and silence ensued
Alejandro’s PovThis anxiety—I’ve never felt anything like it before. My nerves are all over the place, my skin trembling. I kiss Mariana again for the millionth time in a handful of hours.She smiles at me. The smile is distant, almost like it doesn’t reach her eyes. I smile back and pull her closer, holding her as tight as I can, fearful that this might be the last chance I get at holding her this close to me.And no, this has nothing to do with her winning the fight or dying in that cage because as long as I breathe, Mariana will walk out of that cage alive and well.But I’m afraid of the responsibilities that come with the position she’ll occupy. I’m afraid that she might forget our love and become intoxicated with power.All of this might just happen in a few hours.“The way you’re holding me, Alejandro, one might think I’m about to die from a terminal disease.”She says.Is she trying to make a joke? Does this seem like a joke to her?I open my mouth to speak but a knock on the
Mariana’s Pov“I will fight in her place. . .”The world around me goes completely silent the moment Alejandro blurts those words. When I planned to use him as my human shield in chaotic times like this, I didn’t expect to fall for him so ridiculously hard that I’m unable to imagine him getting hurt for my sake.Love is a strange and terrifying thing. I never imagined feeling it this deeply, this intensely. Not for Alejandro. Not for a man who was supposed to be my shield, my weapon. And now, the very thought of him stepping into that cage for me… it’s unbearable.The second reason?It’s pride. It’s survival. These men already think I’m weak. They see me as nothing but a woman—Radimr’s wife and mother of his son. If Alejandro steps into that cage in my stead, I will be proving them right, I will become that which they think I am.Weak.Unworthy.And then, everything I’ve clawed my way toward will crumble before my eyes. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen. So, no. Aleja
Mariana’s PovOne word.Fuckers.No, let’s make it two words.Misogynistic fuckers.They’ve kept me in here for hours, scrutinizing me, digging into my soul in their fruitless attempt at finding the truth of what truly happened to my husband.Alejandro too is seated here as a high ranking made man and a member of this family. Surprisingly, my father, mother and brother are here too. Not inside the parliament room, but they’re right outside the door, waiting for when the chaos escalates so they can stand in for me.It warms my heart.“Let’s go through it again,” one of the elders says, “what did you say happen to your husband? Tell us that story again, in detail.”“I. . .” I open my mouth to speak but Alejandro’s thick, aggravated voice resounds, cutting me short. “I believe she has told that story more times than we all can count.”“Yes, we know that,” another elder says, his russian accent thick. “But we need to hear it again.”“Why?” Alejandro asks, “why are you poking a woman wh
Alejandro’s PovDon’t sleep tonight.I’ve thought about those words in every way possible, imagined every possible scenario that’ll make Mariana ask me to stay awake tonight, and yet, I’ve found none.Or maybe I haven’t thought about it as deeply as I should.I wanted to hold her, to ask her more, but the presence of her husband made that impossible. And now, hours have ticked by, and I’m still unable to get my answers.Wait—is tonight the night? Is her plan unfolding tonight?Truth is, I don’t even know what her plan is, but I strongly suspect it has everything to do with ending Radimr. So, if she’s asked me to stay awake tonight, it might mean she needs me close.I pull open my room’s door and step out into the hallway. The manor is too quiet. Everyone is asleep, and those who aren’t are standing guard outside of the house.My stomach twists with a warning that chaos is brewing tonight, but I push it aside and start walking. I make a turn towards the stairs and start moving up the s
Mariana’s PovTime flies when happiness fills your days.It’s been two months since I gave birth to my Angel. Two months since my heart swelled with love so pure and overwhelming, I thought I might drown in it.I love my son.I love him for coming into my life and unraveling a part of me I never knew existed. For being my light in the darkness.But most of all, I love him for arriving exactly when I needed him—as though sent by the universe itself to give me a way out.Because today, after weeks of persuasion, my husband has finally done what I’ve been waiting for. He has presented my son to the elders of his family, naming him as his successor should anything happen to him.It’s tradition, a ritual of power. To the outside world, it’s a declaration of legacy. To me, it’s the final piece of the puzzle.I know Angel is too young to be entangled in this messy, bloody business, but I had to secure his place in this world before setting my plans into motion.Plans that have been months in
Alejandro’s PovThis is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. For the first time, it feels like I have a complete family—no, I know I have a complete family.In the last three months, the universe has granted me a gift I never expected: uninterrupted time with the woman I love and the child she carries. Our son. Every morning, I wake up beside her, wrapped in the warmth of her presence. I feel my son’s first kick as the sun rises, and his tiny, eager movements as the night falls. I’ve stayed awake with them, laughed with them, cried with them, fallen sick with them, and loved them. I’ve been a father and a lover in every way that matters.Why? Because Radimr’s travels somehow stretched from days into weeks, and weeks into months.“Something else has come up, and I’ll need to stay another week. . .” That’s been his excuse for three months.On the phone, Mariana plays the part of the concerned wife. She sighs and murmurs her disappointment, as though his absence truly pains her. But
Mariana’s PovWhen my eyes open, I’m met with the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in days. Alejandro, sleeping peacefully, his lashes fluttering, arms still wrapped around me.Wow!How did we fall asleep?I lean in and smack a kiss on his lips, causing him to stir a bit, groaning, his arms tightening firmer around me. I kiss him again, this time longer.It doesn’t take seconds before his mouth parts, his lips fusing with mine. I moan just as a groan vibrates throughout his body.His eyes flutter open, just a tiny slit, the lazy gaze holding mine. It’s like realization dawns on him and he retrieves his lips from mine in a swift motion. “Mariana. . .” He whispers groggily.“Make love to me,” I declare.His brows pull into a furrow, lips formed into a pout. “I. . .” He starts and I cut him off.“Please,” I hush, my lips ghosting over his.His resolve falters. And he’s staring at me with adoration as well as restraint.Then there’s the feral desire burning in his eyes. In mine too. The ris
Mariana’s PovTime seems to slow down when things aren’t really going your way.Maybe I pushed too hard, too far the other night. Far enough that Alejandro has been completely ignoring me for days now. Far enough that Radimr has become ware of me, always staring at me with suspicious eyes. Far enough that the maids in this house seem to avoid me as often as they can.To simply put, I’ve been living an isolated life for the past seven days.Just me, and my heavy fucking stomach. It’s dreadful just as much as it is comforting.I’m pulled out of the daze when a towering figure stands in front of me and wraps his hand around me. “Don’t look so sad, I’m just going to be away for just a few weeks, my love,” Radimr whispers as he hugs me. I thin my lips into a smile. “I’ll miss you.”His smile is radiant when he replies, “I’ll miss you too. Please don’t over work yourself. . .or get to upset while I’m gone. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my son.” Stupid fucker.I scoff. “I’m a big g
Mariana’s Pov“Look at that,” Alejandro says, his voice low, the smirk on his lips sharp enough to cut. “How easy it is to lure you out here and break your heart into a million pieces.”The words land like a blow. He doesn’t even try to soften them. And I know exactly what he means. When he came into my room, kneeling by my bed, whispering the words I had been desperate to hear for months, he knew. He knew I was awake, knew I’d hear every word and cling to the hope they offered.It wasn’t an accident. He said them to draw me here. To break me just as much as I’ve broken him.Petty bastard.But it’s not the cruelty of his intention that stings the most—it’s how he chose to do it. By humiliating me in front of someone else. Bringing her into a room that should have been our sanctuary, our safe haven.My lips tremble as I force out the question. “What is that supposed to mean?”Alejandro steps forward, his movements slow and deliberate, his smirk twisting with mockery. “What are you doin