Vows of Deception: Bound to My Ex's Step-Father

Chapter 2

“If I protect you from him, I’ll protect you forever. No more running. No more being anyone’s second choice,” Rydell said, he promises.

Ariston took one more aggressive step-forward.

“Touch her,” Rydell said. “And the next thing you touch will be your coffin.”

Rydell didn’t need to move, he just stood between me and Ariston, yet the entire atmosphere around the intersection instantly curdled.

“Isn’t he…” The three friends of Ariston froze mid-stride. One of them took a subconscious step back as he recognized who’s standing in front of me. In high society circles Ariston friends use their money and connections to bully people. But Rydell? Rydell was a kind of man who commanded the monsters hidden in the dark.

“I ... .know who you are,” his one friend whispered from the back, his voice filled with terror. He grabbed Ariston's shoulder trying to pull him away. “Ariston, dude, let’s go. We need to leave. Right now.”

“No! Why would I? She’s my fiancee!” Ariston choked out, his eyes darting frantically between Rydell’s cold unblinking gaze and the heavy gold pink ring on his other hand.

Rydell smiles. He didn’t yell like Ariston. He just looked down at Ariston with the absolute chilling indifference of a predator looking at an insect. I’d known Rydell for years, he’s an untouchable mafia don who had ordered executions before breakfast. I know I’m not the only one who knows that.

“You four have three seconds to turn around and get back in your car,” Rydell says, his tone is almost conversational but terrifying is a total promise. “If you are still standing on my asphalt when I count to zero, I won’t just end all of your life. I will ruin every person in your whole family, and tear down your businesses piece by piece, until you all beg me for mercy.”

Ariston choked on his own breath. He looked at Rydell’s eyes and realized, he’s not joking, that he’s not the kind of man bluffing.

“Three,” Rydell counted softly.

Ariston stepped back.

“Two.”

“Ariston, you i***t. Move!” His friend hissed. They dragged Ariston backward by holding his suit jacket. He can’t even say another word. His friends scrambled right behind him and within seconds, their tires shrieked against the pavement as they threw the car into reverse and tore away from the intersection, fleeing as if the devil was chasing after them.

Rydell didn’t even watch them go. He simply turned his attention back to me, his terrifying aura melting away into darkness, and entirely focused on me. He leaned down, holding the velvet box a little closer.

“They’re gone, little honey,” he murmured, his voice smooth yet dangerous. “Now put on my ring. Starting today, you are my wife. “

****

“We’re here.” Rydell said.

The heavy iron gates of the Kierston estate open welcoming us into a world I ever thought I’d see again. As Rydell sleek black SUV glided up the winding, tree-line driveway, a strange sense of vertigo washed over me. I sat in the passenger seat, with a heavy diamond ring weighting down on my left hand, my ruined wedding dress. I look like a total mess, but who cares? I’m really such a mess anyway.

Rydell parked the car, but before the security detail could even reach for my door, he was already there, opening it himself. He didn’t say a word as he offered his hand, lifting me effortlessly from the seat. His touch was warm, a sharp contrast to the cold and lethal attitude of him earlier.

He led me through the massive double oak doors. The moment my heels hit the polished black marble of the foyer, a shiver ran down my spine.

Nothing had changed in this place. I didn’t need a guide here as I spent my three years in this mansion. As Rydell paused to hand his suit jacket to a waiting silent butler. I found my eyes automatically drifting. I knew exactly what lay beyond the foyer. If I turned left past the grand sweeping staircase, I would find the dimly lit, leather-scented library where Rydell spent his late nights. If I took the right corridor, it would lead to the formal dining room with the bulletproof glass windows overlooking the rose garden.

“It’s exactly the same,” I whispered, my voice echoing faintly against the high, vaulted ceiling.

“Did you think I would change it?” Rydell asked, stepping up close behind me. His scent-expensive cologne, cedar wood, and a faint hint of tobacco-enveloped me completely. “This house has been waiting for you to come back to it, little honey.”

“Rydell, I…”I swallowed hard, looking down at the heavy silk of the wedding dress that now felt like a rag of humiliation. “I don’t even have my clothes, my ID’s and-it’s all in Ariston’s house.”

“Do not speak that man’s name in my home, Hazel,” Rydell murmured, his tone dropping to a dangerous, possessive growl. He placed a hand at the small of my back, guiding me gently toward the grand staircase. “You will never need anything from him again. Go to your old room and get a bath.”

I nodded numbly, taking the stairs with a pounding heart. My feet took the familiar turns- up to the eastern wing, past the portraits of Rydell, down to the very end of the hall. When I pushed the door open to my old bedroom, my breath caught. It wasn’t my room before, as my pictures of me and his son are no longer here. The pastel colors furniture were gone too, replaced by the muted creams, deep emerald accents and elegant mahogany. The bed is big now unlike before. It’s like a room designated for a woman. For his woman.

Before I could even process it, a soft knock sounded at the open door. It’s a young maid standing there, holding a massive, sleek black garment bag bearing the logo of an ultra-exclusive italian designer. Two more attendants followed her, carrying boxes wrapped in silk ribbons.

“Good evening, Miss,” the maid said, bowing her head respectfully. “Mr. Kreiston ordered all of these to be delivered directly to your room. He requests your presence on the other side of the mansion in one hour.”

They carefully laid the garment bag across the bed and unzipped it. I stepped closer, my hand was sweating as I touched the fabric. It was a breathtaking, midnight blue silk evening gown. The material felt like liquid ice against my fingertips, catching the light beautifully. Beside it, the attendants opened the boxes, revealing a pair of flawless Chanel heels and a velvet case containing a diamond necklace that perfectly matched the heavy ring on my finger.

I remembered that Rydell’s step-son wanted me to keep in a simple, modest dress, telling me he liked my “innocent “ look. And Ariston likes me in my casual clothes. But Rydell? He was dressing me like a queen, or rather, the wife of the don.

An hour later, I walked down the grand staircase of the other side of the mansion, wearing all Rydell’s jewellery for me, the diamonds around my neck catching the crystal light of the chandeliers. A I reached the ground floor, a low, rhythmic thrumming sound echoed through the hallways. I followed the sound toward the grand ballroom in the western wing of the mansion. Pushing the heavy double doors open slightly, and my jaw dropped.

There’s a massive ice sculpture in the center of the room. It carved out two names entwined in heart : Randall and Yvhone.

Randall. My stomach plummeted.

Randall is Rydell’s step-son!