Reina’s POVThe room spun. My fingers tingled with the urge to claw at the paper on the floor, to rip it apart as if destroying the letter could rewrite my reality. Lucy’s smug face. Andrew’s predatory grin. The lawyer’s impassive stare. All of them watching. Waiting. I forced my breaths to slow, to steady my pulse, even as the weight of my father’s betrayal threatened to crush me. This wasn’t just about money. It was about power. Control. They wanted to break me.Andrew leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His voice was slick, amused. “You know, Reina, you don’t have to fight this. It would be... nice.” I turned to him slowly, my lips curving into a humorless smile. “You think forcing me into a marriage will make me obedient?” His gaze darkened, but he didn’t lose his smirk. “I think it’ll make you mine. And that’s all that matters.” I gritted my teeth, refusing to react. He wanted to see me flinch. He wanted to taste my fear. Not today. Lucy exhaled dra
Reina had barely taken two steps when Andrew stood leisurely, his gaze burning into her back. His footsteps were slow, deliberate, a predator stalking its prey. Then, he stopped right in front of her, so close she could smell the faintest trace of expensive cologne beneath the rot of his arrogance. His fingers curled around her chin, tilting her face up toward him. A muscle ticked in his jaw as he studied her, his thumb brushing against her bottom lip in a mockery of tenderness. "You know," he murmured, his voice dangerously smooth, "you seem to be forgetting something very important." Reina clenched her fists, her nails biting into her palms. Andrew smirked. "You can’t touch a single cent, a single property, a single damn thing—unless we’re married. And if you’re not planning on becoming Mrs. Andrew Coleman…" He let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Then it’s your loss. Because at the end of the day, I will get everything. With or without you." The audacity of him. The sick,
Reina's POV The door clicked shut. I barely had the strength to turn the lock before my knees buckled. I slid down against the door, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps as the weight of everything crashed into me. My skin still burned where Andrew had touched me. The memory of his voice coursed through my mind, vile and sickening. ‘I've seen all of you, remember?’He has seen all of me. And that confirmation made me so sick to my stomach.Bile shot up my throat. I staggered to my feet, my legs unsteady, and made for the bathroom. I yanked the faucet handle, watching as scalding water rushed into the tub. Steam curled into the air, but it wasn’t hot enough—nothing would ever be hot enough to burn away the filth. I stripped off my dress, barely registering the fabric pooling at my feet, and stepped under the water. The heat bit into my skin, but I welcomed the pain, scrubbing my arms, my shoulders, my legs—scrubbing until my skin turned raw. But no matter how hard I scrub
Cassian's POVI had let her go. It wasn’t something I wanted to do. But Reina had agreed to my conditions too easily. No fight. No hesitation. No resistance. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, an unfamiliar sense of disappointment curling in my gut. Still, I’d let her walk out that door.uWhile she was gone, business awaited. Lorenzo arrived precisely on time, stepping into my study with that same calculated grin, his sharp eyes dancing around the room. Looking. Searching. For her. My possession. Reina. I knew it the moment his lips curled into that infuriating smirk. The same smirk he wore every time he wanted to test my patience. “She’s not here,” I said coldly, leaning back in my chair. Lorenzo’s grin widened. “Pity.” He strolled forward, hands in his pockets. “I was hoping we could play another game. You know, like old times.” I didn’t need to ask the price. I already knew what he wanted. A silent, unspoken bet. The stakes were high, but the outcome had al
Cassian’s POVI wanted to be the one to ruin her. I should be the one to ruin her.I need to have a little talk with the person who beat me to it. I have to let him understand how valuable my properties are.Shaking off the thought, I headed to the bed. But the moment I shut my eyes, the past came clawing back. Just like every other night.****I was on the floor. The cold tiles beneath me were slick with blood—my own—spreading in a thick pool around my legs. I tried to move, to push myself forward, but my limbs felt heavy, dead weight dragging me down. I couldn't stand. I couldn't run. I could only crawl. My breath came in ragged gasps as I clawed my way forward, nails scraping against the blood-slick floor. My arms shook, every movement sluggish, as though something unseen was forcing me down, keeping me trapped in my own broken body. But I had to reach her. Had to save her. The masked man stood just a few feet away, towering over her. His black gloved hand held a p
ReinaLet's get married, Mr Morelli.The morning light filtered through the thin curtains, washing the room in soft gold. For once, I wasn’t tangled in the sheets, drowning in the nightmares that haunted me. It was strange. Almost unsettling. Someone had moved me to the bed. I blinked at the ceiling, my body unusually relaxed despite the storm always brewing inside me. Had I imagined it? Had I been too exhausted to remember crawling back under the covers myself? The thought sent a shiver through me. I didn’t have time to dwell on it. My phone buzzed on the nightstand, vibrating angrily against the wood. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. Steeling myself, I answered. “You finally decided to pick my call.” My stepmother’s voice was all sharp edges and feigned sweetness. “The clock is ticking, Reina. We need to finalize the date for the wedding. You’ve been dragging your feet long enough.” Long enough? It's been barely 24 hours since the will was read.My stomach cu
Reina's POV Do I look like a plaything to him? Do I look like a plaything to all of them? A slow, simmering rage curled in my chest as my nails dug into my palms, the sharp sting grounding me. I hated him. I wanted to hurl something at him—something heavy, something sharp. I wanted to scream until my throat burned, to shake him until he saw reason. But I would not beg. Not to him. Not to the man who stole kisses like secrets and branded me with his touch without permission. I forced a breath into my lungs, steadying the tremor in my hands as I turned toward my medical bag. “Should I help you to the bathroom, or do you need me to touch you again?” My voice came out smooth, controlled—completely at odds with the storm brewing inside me. He hesitated, caught off guard by my sudden shift. Good. Let him wonder. Let him second-guess. I refused to let either him or Andrew think they could toy with me. If he wasn’t going to cooperate, I would simply find another way. Whe
Reina's POV Asshole.I refused to let the heat creep up my neck. He was baiting me, playing with me like a cat toying with its prey. And I would not fall into his little game.I turned toward the door. "Get some rest. I’d hate for you to overexert yourself."His chuckle was low, almost taunting. "Worried about me, cara mia?""Worried?" I shot him a saccharine smile over my shoulder. "No. Just making sure you don’t drop dead before I can make my grand escape."His smirk faltered for the briefest moment, something dark flickering in his eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it came."Escape?" he echoed, tilting his head. "That’s a funny way of describing fate."I exhaled sharply, shaking my head. "You’re exhausting.""And you’re mine," he said, his voice dropping an octave.I turned fully then, glaring at him. “I don't care about what you've said so far, Mr Morelli, you don’t own me."His smirk deepened, as if he found my defiance amusing. "You signed the contract, dolcezza.""A contract
REINA’s POVShame. That was all I could feel.I have never felt so humiliated in my life.Not even when Anthony ripped me apart years ago, body and soul.Not even when he and his mother left me bleeding and trembling, cursing myself for surviving.Because at least then, I knew what monsters looked like.Now?Now the monsters smiled.They whispered sweet promises with one hand, while wrapping a noose around my neck with the other.Why are men such beasts?Why do they get off on seeing women shatter, on grinding dignity into dust?I hate Cassian Morelli so bad it hurts to look at him.I wanted to run — to tear myself out of this room, lock myself away in some abandoned island and scream until my lungs gave out.I wanted so badly to plot a thousand ways to make him pay for this, to return the kindness in full.But then Joshua’s face flashed in my mind.That radiant smile that I dragged into my mess. An image flashed in my mind. The look on his face when the bullet pierced his body. His
Cassian’s POVShe stiffened.“It won’t be the first time now, Mr Morelli. Or do I need to remind you how many times you’ve done this. How many times you’ve seen me naked,” she spat angrily amidst tears.“And yet, I never seem to get enough of you. Now, sweet Reina. Hands at your sides.”Slowly, miserably, she obeyed, lowering her arms and standing there — naked, humiliated, trembling — under my gaze.Her cheeks were burning, streaked with tears, but she didn’t speak again.Didn’t plead.She was learning to take it all in.I let the silence stretch out, savoring the way her shame grew heavier with every second, until it pressed down on her like a physical weight."Now," I said, voice light, almost playful. "Touch yourself for me, little nurse."She hesitated — just for a heartbeat — before one trembling hand slipped between her thighs.But I leaned forward slightly, voice turning sharp."Eyes on me."She jerked like I’d slapped her.And then — slowly — she raised her tear-filled angry
Cassian’s POVI let the silence stretch, watched her struggle to process it — to accept it.It was beautiful.Watching her pride fracture.Watching her soul bend. Watching her grind her teeth in barely restrained fury.I loved every bit of it."But," I added, voice dangerously soft, "if you disappoint me... if you defy me... if you so much as hesitate when I give you an order..."I let the threat hang heavy in the air between us.I didn’t need to say it.She knew.She knew exactly what would happen.Joshua’s face flashed in her mind — I could see it — and she crumpled a little more.Sank a little deeper into submission.Perfect."Now," I said, brushing a knuckle over her tear-streaked cheek almost affectionately, "you’re going to kiss my cock. Just a kiss. Cause you might be tempted to do more.”Her eyes widened in horror."I—" she croaked.I backhanded her across the face — not hard enough to injure, but hard enough to shock.Hard enough to remind her.She gasped, cradling her cheek,
Cassian’s POVShe fumbled with the button of my pants using her mouth, her movements awkward, desperate.I didn't lift a finger to help her.Didn’t even move.I wanted her to struggle.I wanted her to earn every scrap of information she thought she wanted so badly.After an agonizing few seconds, she managed to undo it, the zipper rasping loud in the heavy silence between us.I shifted my hips just enough for her to pull my pants down, freeing the thick weight of my cock.It sprang free, heavy and hard, already leaking at the tip.The sight of it made her flinch slightly—whether in fear or shame, I didn’t know.Didn't care."Take it in your hands," I said, voice like velvet dragged over a blade.She froze. Eyes wide. I struggled to stay sane as I stared into her wide eyes.Trembling fingers reached up, wrapping around the base. I could feel her cursing under her breath.I hissed in pleasure at the first contact.God, she was small.Fragile.I could crush her if I wanted.And she would
Cassian’s POVThe minutes crawled by.I sat there, waiting, in the dim, luxurious expanse of my private wing. Only the low hum of the mansion beyond the windows filled the silence. My wheelchair was positioned just so, facing the door.She was late.Good for her.Let her hesitate. Let her dread.It made the hunt and fun that much sweeter.Then—finally—a soft, tentative knock.My smirk curved slowly and deliberately across my mouth.Let the game begin."Enter," I called lazily, voice carrying the sharpness of a blade hidden beneath silk.The door creaked open, and she stepped inside. Reina. My little captive angel. Her hair still damp from the shower, her frame taut with nervous energy she tried — and failed — to hide.Perfect.I watched her cross the room, head bowed slightly, hands folded in front of her like she thought modesty would save her here.I let the silence thicken until she was standing right in front of me."Tell me about your day," I said, voice low and dark, trailing de
Cassian’s POVThe traitor’s body was dragged out like the trash he was. His screams still echoed faintly down the corridor, but I was done with him. Let him live. Let him heal.Because when he returned, he wouldn’t be feeding them real intel—only the bits and pieces I permitted. Misinformation. A masterful script of lies designed to fracture them from the inside out. Let them swallow it whole.Two traitors in one day.I could feel the headache pulsing behind my temples.My thoughts drifted to the other one. The first of the day—the one whose bones cracked beneath my fists until they screamed with pain louder than his throat ever could.The one Reina tried to help.He’d tried to broker a deal with one of my offshore suppliers. Claimed it was to streamline costs. Turned out, he was diverting product—skimming from my operation and rerouting it to a rogue buyer linked to the Croatians.I didn’t kill him.No. Death was too final for that kind of betrayal.I had him locked in the sublevel w
Cassian’s POVI stilled.Those bruises weren’t mine.Not this time.And the sight of it broke something in me.As I untied her left hand that was already chained, I kept my gaze fixed on her bruised hand.They were fresh, raw, ugly fingerprints on delicate flesh. A sick hue of blue-black blooming like rot beneath porcelain skin.My chest went still. Then… it erupted.The fury didn’t come loud. It came quiet. The kind of quiet that meant something inside me had broken. Irrevocably. The kind of quiet that always preceded the storm.I yanked her closer, examining the marks as her body stiffened.“Who did this?” I asked, low and grave.She flinched.“I said—who did this?”“I—it’s nothing. It’s no one. It was just an accident,” she whispered.My head snapped up. Her eyes were too wide, her voice too soft. A practiced tremble. A damn lie wrapped in innocence.“An accident?” I echoed, darkly amused.“I bumped into someone in the hallway. That’s all,” she said quickly. “It’s nothing deep or p
Cassian's POV I yanked her closer again, my voice dropping to a venom-laced rasp. “Did he breathe on you? Look at you like you were his?”Her lips trembled. “I’m not a property to be owned by anyone.”The laugh that clawed its way out of my chest wasn’t human. It cracked through the air, sharp and manic.“No?” I tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet my gaze. “Then why do you keep coming back?”She didn't reply. Couldn't.Because we both knew why.“You hate this,” I said, dragging her fingers to the raw cut on my knuckle. “You hate me. But here you are. With trembling hands and bleeding sympathy—for a man who doesn’t even have a name in this house. While I, the devil you can’t stand, am the one holding your leash.”I pressed her palm to my chest—over my heartbeat. Let her feel the violence thudding beneath my skin.“You can never be free, Reina,” I growled. “Not out there. Not in here. You walk out that door again and come back late, I’ll make you pay. You breathe for someone else,
Reina's POV “Oh my god…” I choked, the sound barely escaping my lips.His knuckles were split, red and raw, the dried blood cracking as he flexed his fingers. He hadn’t just ordered this violence—he participated in it. With relish.The second I heard his voice—smooth, arrogant, and soaked in bloodlust—I felt it all crashing back.“Ah,” he said, his voice like velvet dipped in venom. “Welcome home, dolcezza.”Of course, I thought bitterly. Of course I’m back to this.The grotesque image from earlier at Don Marcello’s mansion slammed into my mind like a freight train. That poor man—strung up like livestock. Limp. Broken. The other one that had his tongue cut out also like a fucking livestock.And now… this.Another broken body.Another monster perched on a throne.Birds of the same damn feather, I thought as I stared at Cassian’s bloodied knuckles, his sick smirk, the way he observed pain like it was art.They all wore suits, smoked cigars, and thought pain was poetry.My instincts ove