chapter 7: No Way Out
883 Words
The papers were still warm from the ink when Cassius’s men handed them over. Minimal time to process, that was the deal. Within an hour, two of his guards stood outside my room while I packed what little they allowed me to take. A suitcase, clothes, my hidden journal, nothing sentimental, nothing that might remind me this had once been home.
I moved mechanically, folding dresses and shoving them inside, but my mind raced. Escape options flashed through my head, sneak out a side window, run to the old contacts from my secret studies, disappear before the wedding. But every plan crashed against the same wall: the baby. I couldn’t run with a child growing inside me. Not without resources, not without protection. This tiny life had trapped me more effectively than any Moretti contract, I pressed a hand to my stomach, steeling myself. The unknown waited, but I would face it on my feet.
My parents waited in the foyer when I came down, supervised like a criminal. Father checked his watch, and mother avoided my eyes.
“You’re really doing this,” I said, voice tight. “Handing me over to that man without a second thought. I’m your daughter, pregnant, and betrayed, and all you care about is the alliance?”
Father sighed, adjusting his cufflinks. “This is bigger than your feelings, Lena. The Moretti name restores our standing. Reputation first, you brought this scandal on us, at least now something good comes from it.”
“Something good?” The words tasted bitter. “You’re selling me to the devil to save your image. I carried this family on my back for years. And this is what I get?”
Mother finally looked at me, her face cold. “Stop being dramatic. The papers are signed. Pack faster. Mr. Moretti doesn’t like delays.”
No comfort, no apology, just business. The final severance from my old life hit like a wave, these people weren’t my family anymore. They were strangers who had raised me as an asset. Quiet resolve settled in my chest, hard and cold, I would survive this, for the child and for myself.
Liora appeared at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed, watching me with a quiet sense of victory. The guards stepped back slightly as she approached.
“Leaving so soon, sister?” she said, voice dripping venom. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect Cassius Moretti to take the bait, but it works out perfectly. Nikolai sees me now, the family will follow, you finally got what you deserved,a cage with the king of monsters.”
I stopped in front of her, suitcase heavy in my hand. “You think you’ve won? You destroyed me out of jealousy, and all you get is my leftovers. Nikolai will use you the same way he used the idea of me. Enjoy your hollow victory, Liora. When it crumbles, remember who started this.”
Her smile faltered for a split second, then sharpened. “At least I’ll be here, safe and chosen. Goodbye, Lena.”
She turned away first, believing she had won, I let her have the moment. My fight wasn’t with her anymore.
A car waited outside. Before I could climb in, Nikolai appeared from the shadows of the driveway, hands in his pockets. He looked every bit the heartbroken gentleman for anyone watching, but his eyes held calculations I hadn’t noticed before.
“Lena,” he said softly, glancing toward the guards. “This is... unexpected. I truly wish things had been different. Cassius Moretti is a dangerous man. Be careful.”
His tone sounded concerned, but the words felt rehearsed. Hidden calculations lurked beneath,measuring how this new alliance might shift power, perhaps even benefit him indirectly, no real regret, just positioning.
“I don’t need your warnings,” I replied, keeping my voice even. “You made your choice when you distanced yourself. Go comfort my sister. She’s waiting.”
He hesitated, then nodded once, already turning away.
Another door closing.
I climbed into the black SUV, the door shutting with finality. The estate shrank in the rearview mirror as we drove into the night, my old life disappeared behind me, no tears came, only that quiet resolve hardening like armor.
The drive stretched in silence, the city lights fading into dark roads winding toward the cliffs. Hours later, the Moretti Fortress appeared, an imposing compound of stone and steel perched on the edge of the sea, lights blazing like a predator’s eyes. High walls, heavy gates, surveillance everywhere. My new prison.
The car stopped, guards opened the door, I stepped out, suitcase in hand, the night wind whipping my hair. My heart hammered as I walked toward the massive entrance.
Cassius waited just inside the grand foyer, arms crossed, watching me approach. His dark eyes locked onto mine with that same commanding intensity from earlier. Terror flooded me, this man now owned my future. But beneath it, an inexplicable recognition stirred, his gaze, his stance, the quiet weight of his presence…pulled at the fragments of that masked night I couldn’t fully remember. My pulse raced wildly, equal parts fear and something deeper I refused to name.
He stood there, the king in his domain, waiting for his unwilling bride.
- Writer
