Chapter 4

I excused myself from Brigitte's side, telling her I needed to go to the restroom. But instead, I made my way through the crowded room, my eyes fixed on my target.

As I approached him, I could feel my anger and hatred boiling over. I wanted to lash out, to hurt him, to make him pay for what he had done.

But I didn't. I kept my cool, my expression neutral. I knew that I had to be calculated, that I had to plan my revenge carefully.

"Father," I said, my voice even.

He looked up at me, a mixture of surprise and wariness on his face. "Anton," he replied. "I didn't know you were here."

"I'm here with my wife," I said, my eyes locked on his. "Brigitte and I are supporters of this charity."

He nodded, his eyes darting back and forth between me and Brigitte, who was oblivious to the tension between us.

"I see," he said. "Well, congratulations on your marriage. I'm glad to see you're settling down."

I smiled, a cold, calculated smile. "Yes, I'm very happy," I said. "But I'm sure you're not here to talk about my personal life. What brings you to this event?"

He hesitated, unsure of how to respond. I could see the fear in his eyes, the knowledge that I was not a man to be underestimated.

"I'm here to support the charity," he said finally. "I'm a big believer in giving back to the community."

I nodded, my expression still neutral. "That's admirable," I said. "But I'm sure you're not just here out of the goodness of your heart. What's your real motive?"

He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting around the room. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

But I knew he was lying. I knew he had an ulterior motive for being here, and I was determined to find out what it was.

"I think you do," I said, my voice low and menacing. "And I think you're going to tell me."

"I'm just kidding, of course," I said, and a forced laugh escaping his lips.

"I know this isn't the right time or place for that conversation." He said.

I raised an eyebrow, my expression unchanging. "Yeah," I said, my voice flat. "Because I'm not interested in having that conversation anyway."

My father's smile faltered, and for a moment, I saw a glimmer of the old animosity between us. But then, he composed himself, and his mask of civility slipped back into place.

"Well, in any case, I'm glad we could have this little chat," he said, his voice dripping with insincerity. "Perhaps we can catch up again soon?"

I nodded, my expression still cold. "Perhaps," I said, my voice noncommittal.

With that, our conversation came to an awkward close. My father nodded at me, and then turned to mingle with the other guests. I watched him go, my eyes narrowed in disgust.

I couldn't believe I was related to this man. He was a master manipulator, always playing the victim or pretending to be something he's not. But I wasn't buying it. I knew exactly what he was, and I had no intention of letting my guard down around him.

I turned to find Brigitte standing beside me, a concerned look on her face. "Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice soft. "You looked a little tense just now."

I forced a smile, trying to reassure her. "I'm fine," I said, my voice flat. "Just a little...family drama."

Brigitte nodded sympathetically, but I could tell she didn't believe me. She knew something was off, but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she took my hand, and we continued to mingle with the other guests, pretending to be the happy couple.

As the night wore on, I found myself growing increasingly uncomfortable. The conversation was stilted, the laughter forced, and the smiles fake. I couldn't help but feel like I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare, with no escape in sight.

Brigitte, on the other hand, seemed to be thriving. She was laughing and chatting with the other guests, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She was in her element, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment towards her.

Why was she so happy, so carefree? Didn't she know that this was all just a facade, a carefully constructed illusion designed to deceive and manipulate? Didn't she know that I was only here because I had to be, because I had no other choice?

As the evening drew to a close, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. I was exhausted, drained from the constant pretending and posturing. I just wanted to go home, to crawl into bed and forget about this nightmare of a night.

But Brigitte had other plans. She grabbed my arm, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Let's dance," she said, pulling me towards the dance floor.

I hesitated, unsure of what to do. I didn't want to dance, didn't want to pretend to be something I'm not. But Brigitte was insistent, and eventually I relented.

We danced, our bodies moving stiffly to the music. I couldn't help but feel like a puppet on strings, with Brigitte pulling the marionette. I was trapped, caught in a web of deceit and manipulation.

As the music drew to a close, I felt a sense of relief. I was exhausted, drained from the constant pretending and posturing. I just wanted to go home, to crawl into bed and forget about this nightmare of a night.

But Brigitte had other plans. She leaned in close, her breath hot against my ear. "I had a wonderful time tonight," she whispered, her voice husky with excitement. "I'm so glad we're married."

I forced a smile, trying to pretend to be something I'm not. "Me too," I said, my voice flat. "I had a great time."

Brigitte's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she leaned in close, her lips brushing against mine. I felt a surge of revulsion, a sense of disgust at the touch of her lips.

But I didn't pull away. I didn't want to hurt her, didn't want to shatter the illusion of our perfect little life. So I stood there, frozen in place, as Brigitte's lips moved against mine.

It was a cold, calculating kiss, devoid of passion or emotion. It was a kiss designed to deceive, to manipulate, and to control. And I knew, in that moment, that I was trapped in a living nightmare, with no escape in sight.

As the kiss ended, Brigitte pulled back and smiled up at me, her eyes sparkling with happiness. I forced a smile in return, trying to pretend that I had enjoyed the kiss, that I was happy to be married to her.

But inside, I was seething. I was trapped in this loveless marriage, forced to pretend to be something I'm not. I was a puppet on strings, with Brigitte and her family pulling the marionette.

As we walked off the dance floor, Brigitte leaned in close and whispered in my ear. "I have a surprise for you," she said, her voice husky with excitement. "Meet me in our room at midnight. Come alone."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. What could Brigitte possibly have planned? And why did she want me to come alone?

I nodded, trying to play it cool. "I'll be there," I said, my voice neutral.

Brigitte smiled and leaned in close, her lips brushing against my ear. "I'm looking forward to it," she whispered, before pulling back and smiling up at me.

I watched her walk away, feeling a sense of trepidation. What had I gotten myself into? And what did Brigitte have planned for me?

As the clock struck midnight, I made my way to our room, my heart pounding in my chest. I had no idea what to expect, but I knew that I had to be careful. Brigitte was not a woman to be underestimated.

I opened the door to our room and slipped inside, my eyes adjusting to the dim light. Brigitte was sitting on the bed, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Close the door," she said, her voice low and husky.

I did as she asked, feeling a sense of trepidation. What was Brigitte planning?

As I turned back to face her, I saw that she was holding a small box in her hand. She opened it, revealing a small key inside.

"What's this?" I asked, my voice neutral.

Brigitte smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "It's the key to our new life together," she said, her voice husky. "Are you ready to see what the future holds?"

I hesitated, unsure of what to say. But before I could respond, Brigitte leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

"Come with me, Anton. Let's see what the future holds."

And with that, she took my hand and pulled me out of the room, into a future that was unknown and uncertain.

As we walked, Brigitte led me through the dark and deserted corridors of the mansion. We didn't speak, the only sound being the soft rustling of our clothes and the creaking of the old wooden floorboards.

I had no idea where we were going, but I had a feeling that it was somewhere I didn't want to be. Brigitte's grip on my hand was tight, and I could sense a excitement and anticipation emanating from her.

We finally stopped in front of a large wooden door. Brigitte inserted the key into the lock and turned it, the sound of the mechanism clicking open echoing through the corridor.

She pushed the door open, revealing a set of stairs leading down into darkness. The air that wafted up was musty and damp, and I could hear the sound of dripping water echoing up from below.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice low and hesitant.

Brigitte smiled, her eyes glinting with excitement. "This is our secret place," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "A place where we can be alone, where we can do whatever we want."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I looked down into the darkness. Something didn't feel right, and I had a feeling that I was in grave danger.

But Brigitte's grip on my hand was tight, and she was pulling me down the stairs, into the unknown. I had no choice but to follow her, into the depths of the mansion, and into the heart of darkness itself.

As we descended deeper into the bowels of the mansion, the air grew colder and the shadows seemed to twist and writhe around us. I could feel a malevolent presence lurking just out of sight, watching us with cold and calculating eyes.

Brigitte seemed to sense my fear, and she leaned in close, her breath hot against my ear. "Don't worry, Anton," she whispered. "I'll take care of you. I'll show you the secrets of the mansion, and you'll see that everything is going to be okay."

But I knew that she was lying. I knew that I was in grave danger, and that Brigitte was not what she seemed. She was hiding something from me, something dark and sinister, and I was determined to uncover the truth, no matter what the cost.