Canvas of Captivity

Chapter 3 The Devil's Deal

Cedric's cold gaze pierces through me, his words like daggers cutting through the tension in the room. Anger radiates off me in waves, a fiery storm brewing beneath my skin. Are you f*****g serious? I seethe inwardly, my jaw clenched tight in defiance.

As he pushes a piece of paper across the table, my heart lurches with dread. A marriage contract, stark and unforgiving, sits before me like a grim ultimatum. Marry me or your father dies. The words hang in the air like a death sentence, each syllable laden with the weight of my father's life. I steal a glance at him, panic etched into his features, yet he clings stubbornly to the briefcase of money, a futile gesture of defiance.

All around us, Cedric's men stand poised with guns drawn, a menacing reminder of the stakes at hand. My father's life hangs in the balance, his fate dangling precariously by a thread. Cedric's eyes bore into mine, unwavering in their intensity, his proposition casting a suffocating pall over the room.

Marry him or watch my father die. The choice is brutal in its simplicity, a nightmare made flesh that leaves me trembling with a potent mixture of fear and fury. Yet amidst the chaos, amidst the desperation clawing at my heart, there lingers a burning need for answers, a glimmer of hope amidst the suffocating fog of uncertainty.

"Can I please ask some questions first, and you put that gun down?" I implore, my voice shaky but determined. Cedric obliges, lowering the weapon but keeping it within easy reach. "Is this a fake marriage? Like just for show?" I inquire, hoping against all odds for a glimmer of hope his response. Cedric's nod sends a chill down my spine. "No, it will be a real marriage. You will be my wife," he confirms, his words sending a shiver of dread down my spine. My mind races with possibilities, each more horrifying than the last. "Is this a marriage I can get out of after like a year?" I press, clinging to the faint hope of an escape route. But Cedric's laughter crushes that hope in an instant. "No, divorce is off the table. The only way out is death," he declares, his smile twisted with malice. With a heavy heart, I draw a shaky breath, steeling myself for what comes next. "So you want a real marriage," I observe, my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, I want a real marriage," he confirms, his smile unnervingly serene.

I know there has to be more with Cedric. "Are there any other disclosures I need to know?" I ask, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance. His response is chillingly casual. "Good girl," he murmurs, producing more papers from his pocket. "You have to quit birth control, and I want a baby." The blood rushes to my cheeks, my indignation rising to a fever pitch. "What the f**k is wrong with you?" I spit, my voice laced with venom. But before I can protest further, Cedric raises the gun once more, his threat looming over us like a shadow. My father sits nearby, clutching his briefcase of money, a silent witness to the twisted bargain unfolding before us.

He then says “I am going to give you to the count of 5 to make your decision. 5, 4 ,3….” As Cedric begins his countdown, my heart pounds in my chest, the weight of his ultimatum bearing down on me like a leaden cloak. With each passing second, the walls close in, the pressure mounting until I can hardly breathe. In a desperate bid to save my father's life, I snatch up the pen and hastily scrawl my name across the papers, sealing my fate with shaky strokes. Cedric wastes no time in snatching up the documents, his victory evident in the predatory gleam of his eyes.

"Okay, let in the priest," Cedric commands, and before I can even process his words, a solemn figure enters the room, his presence casting a pall over the twisted ceremony unfolding before us. "I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest intones, his words a cruel mockery of the sanctity of marriage. With a swift exchange of money, he disappears as quickly as he came, leaving me standing there in stunned silence, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. It's a surreal moment, the culmination of a nightmare I never could have imagined in my worst nightmares. As the reality of my new reality sinks in, I can't help but wonder how I'll ever escape the clutches of this twisted union. But for now, all I can do is steel myself for the horrors that lie ahead, knowing that the fight for my freedom has only just begun.

“Brooke, what kind of birth control do you have?” As Cedric delves into the details of my personal life, my stomach churns with a sickening mixture of fear and revulsion. His questions feel like an invasion of privacy, a violation of everything I hold dear. "It's an implant in my arm," I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. Without missing a beat, Cedric springs into action, barking orders into his phone with a cold efficiency that sends shivers down my spine. "Get the doctor to the stadium now," he commands, his tone brooking no argument.

The realization of what's about to happen hits me like a ton of bricks, filling me with a bone-deep dread. But before I can even process the gravity of the situation, Cedric's next question sends a bolt of panic coursing through me. "Do you have a boyfriend, Brooke?" he asks, his eyes boring into mine with a predatory intensity. My mind races as I weigh my options, knowing that any wrong move could spell disaster for both me and my father. "Yes, I do," I admit, my voice trembling with fear. But Cedric's response is chillingly possessive. "Get your phone and break up with him now," he commands, his words dripping with venom. "I can't have my wife cheat on me. I'm a very jealous husband."

With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I reach for my phone, my hands trembling as I dial Chad's number. Cedric keeps the gun trained on my father, a silent reminder of the consequences of disobedience. "Chad, I'm sorry, but I can't do this. We need to break up," I choke out, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. But before I can even finish the call, Cedric snatches the phone from my grasp, ending the call with a click of his thumb. "Dispose of the phone now," he orders, his voice devoid of any trace of mercy. And as one of the men takes my phone and disappears into the shadows, I'm left with the sickening realization that my life is no longer my own.

As Cedric finally lowers the gun from my father's head, a flood of relief washes over me, mingled with a newfound sense of defiance. Gathering my courage, I muster the strength to confront him, to demand answers in the face of his cruelty. "Why me?" I demand, my voice trembling with a mixture of fear and defiance. "I bet you have women throwing themselves at you, so why me?"

Cedric's smile is chilling, sending a shiver down my spine. "I've been watching you for a long time," he confesses, his words dripping with a sinister undertone. "This is why I allowed your father to accumulate such a high debt. When I watched you, I knew you would be perfect." His words hit me like a punch to the gut, the realization sinking in that I've been nothing more than a pawn in his twisted game all along.

But what he says next fills me with a sickening sense of dread. "You're not like the other women," he continues, his voice laced with disdain. "You actually care about people. You're a good girl, and I'm sick of whores, and so are my family. I knew I had to have you when I saw you." His hand brushes against my face, his touch like ice against my skin. "You are beautiful," he murmurs, his words a twisted echo of affection. But beneath his honeyed words lies a darkness that threatens to consume me whole. And as I stare into his eyes, I know that I'm trapped in a nightmare from which there is no escape.

As Cedric's hand brushes against my face, a shiver of revulsion courses through me, and I instinctively pull away, recoiling from his touch. But before I can process the full extent of his twisted affection, a new figure enters the room, bringing with him a fresh wave of dread. "Dr. Button, perfect timing," Cedric declares, his tone dripping with satisfaction. "I need you to take my wife's birth control out of her arm right now."

My heart pounds in my chest as I stare at the man before me, his eyes widening in shock at Cedric's command. Trembling with fear, I watch as Cedric gestures towards my left arm, indicating the location of the implant. With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I hold out my arm, bracing myself for what comes next. The doctor's hands begin to probe, searching for the tiny device buried beneath my skin. And then, with a sharp intake of breath, he announces his discovery. "I found it," he declares, his voice echoing in the tense silence of the room.

Without hesitation, his hand darts towards a gleaming knife, his movements precise and unyielding as he prepares to extract the implant. Agony courses through me as the blade slices through my flesh, each incision a stark reminder of the violation I'm enduring. Yet, amidst the pain, I'm gripped by a profound sense of powerlessness, swallowed whole by the suffocating despair that hangs over me like a shroud.

As I watch helplessly, my birth control is forcibly removed from my body, a cruel reminder of the extent of his control over me. In that harrowing moment, I confront the stark reality of my situation—I am truly at the mercy of a man whose cruelty knows no bounds.

The doctor's hands move swiftly, deftly suturing the wound as if to erase any trace of the violation that occurred. Yet, as he finishes his work, a chilling sense of foreboding settles over me like a heavy fog. What other horrors await me in this twisted marriage, I can't help but wonder, as I confront the terrifying unknown that lies ahead.

As Cedric addresses my father, his words carry a weighty command that brooks no argument. "John, you are free to leave," he declares, his voice tinged with authority. "But you are banned from the horse races, and f*****g stop gambling. Never ask the Mafia for money again." My father's gaze meets mine, his expression heavy with remorse as he silently acknowledges his mistakes. With a wordless apology, he turns and exits the room, leaving me alone with Cedric and the remnants of the life I once knew.

Turning to face Cedric, I can't help but feel a surge of disbelief at his admission. "You're in the mafia?" I ask incredulously, my voice barely above a whisper. Cedric's laughter fills the room, a dark echo of amusement. "Yes, my dear wife," he confirms, his words laced with a sinister edge. "My father is the Great Britain Mafia King, and I am next in line."

The revelation hits me like a punch to the gut, the implications sinking in with a sickening sense of dread. Trapped in a marriage to a man with ties to organized crime, I realize that my life has become even more perilous than I could have ever imagined. And as Cedric's laughter echoes in my ears, I can't help but wonder how I'll ever survive in a world where danger lurks around every corner.”

As Cedric presents the two velvet boxes before me, my heart quickens with apprehension, unsure of what lies within. With a sense of foreboding, I watch as he opens the large navy blue box, revealing its contents with a flourish. Inside rests a breathtaking gold necklace, its elegant design adorned with a cursive "O" encircled by shimmering blue sapphires. Alongside it lies a matching gold ring, completing the set with its exquisite craftsmanship.

Before I can fully comprehend what's happening, Cedric places the necklace around my neck and slides the ring onto my finger, his actions swift and decisive. His words send a chill down my spine as he speaks of their purpose. "Brooke, you must wear this at all times," he insists, his voice laced with possessiveness. "It tells everyone who you belong to. It will protect you. No one will want to touch you with this branding necklace and ring. You are mine!"

I swallow hard, the weight of his words settling heavily upon me. I am both repelled and entrapped by the significance of these gifts, realizing that they are not symbols of affection but rather markers of ownership, binding me to Cedric's will. As he reveals his own matching ring, a sense of dread washes over me. The realization that he wears it as a badge of authority in the mafia hierarchy only deepens my unease, cementing my status as nothing more than a pawn in his dangerous world. And as I glance down at the necklace and ring adorning my body, I know that I am now forever marked as his possession, a prisoner to his power and control.

As Cedric opens the black box, my breath catches in my throat, my heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Inside lies a stunning gold diamond ring, its square-cut diamond surrounded by a halo of shimmering sapphires. "Brooke, this is your wedding ring," Cedric declares, his voice betraying no hint of emotion as he slips the ring onto my finger. But as the weight of the ring settles against my skin, I feel nothing but a numbing sense of disbelief.

So much has changed in such a short span of time, and I struggle to comprehend the whirlwind of events that has brought me to this moment. From the loss of my freedom to the realization of Cedric's ties to the mafia, I feel as though I am living in a nightmare from which there is no waking. As I stare down at the wedding ring adorning my finger, its significance weighs heavily upon me. No longer am I merely a pawn in Cedric's game of power and control; now, I am bound to him by the sacred vows of marriage, trapped in a union that fills me with a profound sense of despair. But amid the turmoil raging within me, one thing remains clear: I am a prisoner to Cedric's will, a captive in a world where danger lurks around every corner. And as I struggle to come to terms with my new reality, I can only pray that somehow, someday, I will find a way to break free from the chains that bind me.