The Don’s Little Bride

Untitled Episode Four: A Life I Didn’t Choose

Ava

The weight of the night’s events still clung to me as I walked into the grand mansion that was now my home. The soft click of my heels on the marble floor was the only sound, echoing in the silence that surrounded me. It felt like I had entered a world where I didn’t belong. The walls were cold, the air thick with unfamiliarity. Nothing here was mine.

Nothing here felt like home.

I hadn’t even had the chance to process what had happened at the altar. My brain was still stuck on the shock of seeing Dante there, standing as the man I had unknowingly married. Every moment from that wedding felt like a blur, like I was watching someone else’s life play out. It was all too much. Too fast. Too unreal.

I had barely managed to get through the ceremony, the vows, and the reception. But now, in the quiet of the house, reality was beginning to set in.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Whitelaw.”

The deep, velvety voice broke my thoughts, making me jump. I turned around, and there he was, Dante, leaning casually against the doorframe of the grand living room. His eyes were fixed on me, a familiar glint of amusement dancing in his icy blue gaze.

My stomach twisted in an uncomfortable mix of fear and confusion. I hated the way his presence made my skin crawl.

“Dante, please...” I didn’t even know what I was asking for. A break? An explanation? A way out? “I— I didn’t sign up for this.”

He pushed off the doorframe, his movements slow, calculated. He walked toward me with an ease that seemed to contradict the chaos of the day. Each step felt like it was dragging me deeper into a life I didn’t want.

“I didn’t force you to walk down that aisle, Ava.” He spoke with that same controlled calmness, his voice laced with something dark, something I couldn’t quite understand. “You could’ve said no. You could’ve walked away, but you didn’t.”

I bit my lip, trying to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to spill out. I didn’t want to feel any of this. I didn’t want to be trapped in a marriage with a man who had been nothing but a stranger to me until today.

“I didn’t have a choice,” I muttered, my voice shaking. “My father... He made me do this. I—”

“I’m not your father, Ava.” Dante interrupted me, his voice suddenly harsh. “I’m the one you need to worry about now. Not your father. Not the business. Me.”

His words felt like a punch to the gut. I wanted to yell at him, to ask him why this was happening, but I was too scared to speak. What if it only made things worse?

Dante stopped in front of me, his face inches from mine. I could feel the heat of his breath, and his presence was overpowering.

“You should know,” he murmured, his voice dropping into a whisper, “this marriage isn’t just about the business. It’s about power. Control. And now that you’re here, Ava, you belong to me.”

His words settled heavily in the air between us, the weight of them pressing down on me. I swallowed hard, my throat dry, my heart racing. I wanted to scream, to run, to escape—but I was too far gone now.

He smirked again, that damn smirk. “Don’t look so surprised. This was always the plan. Your father made sure of it. And now, you’ll learn what it means to be Mrs. Whitelaw.”

I flinched at the sound of the name. Mrs. Whitelaw. It felt wrong on my tongue. It felt like a prison sentence. But what choice did I have? My father had tied me to this man with his business, with his threats. And now, I had to live with the consequences.

Dante reached out, brushing a lock of hair behind my ear. The touch sent a chill down my spine, but I didn’t pull away. “You’ll get used to it, Ava. I promise.”

I didn’t respond. What could I say? His promises meant nothing to me. They were just empty words, meant to keep me in line, to keep me under control.

“Now,” he continued, his voice a low growl, “you should get some rest. Tomorrow, we’ll start our life together. And you’ll learn how things work in my world.”

I felt a lump form in my throat. His world. His world was a place where I didn’t belong, where I was just another pawn in his game.

“I don’t want this,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I never wanted this.” I felt tears falling out this time, I never wanted any of this. Why do they punish me this way? Losing someone you love is already harder than it is and now this beast just strutted into my life and took over it like my whole existence was worthless before I met him.

He stepped back, his eyes never leaving mine. The smirk remained, but there was something colder about it now. “You don’t have to want it, Ava. You’ll come to understand why it’s necessary. You’ll see that there’s no escaping it.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone in the cold, silent mansion.

I stood there, staring at the empty space where he had just been. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. I didn’t know how to handle this. I didn’t know how to deal with the fact that I was married to a man who scared me, a man who controlled everything.

But what could I do? I had no choice. This was my reality now. And there was no escaping it.

The weight of the ring on my finger felt heavier than it ever had. I was trapped. Married to a man who didn’t love me, who barely knew me. Dante Whitela

w.

And there was no way out.

My Father Got what he wanted.