The Blood Stained Bride

His Terms

ALISA'S POV

"Are you sure that’s the guy meant to pick you up?" Mabel asked, peeking through the curtains.

"He gave me a plate number just in case. And that’s the car."

"Alright then. If anything goes south, just let me know," Mabel said, sitting back down.

"Yeah, I will. Thank you so much, Mabel," I said. She smiled, revealing her one-sided dimple.

I left the apartment and walked toward the street. A tall man, built like a wall of stone, approached me. "Miss Alisa? Right this way."

"Thank you," I muttered.

I sat in the back of the vehicle. It was the most expensive car I had ever seen. It felt crazy just being inside it. I played with the bracelet on my wrist, my mind racing. What would his office look like? What would he do when we were alone? I caught the driver stealing glances at me in the rearview mirror, which made me feel even more uncomfortable.

"Could you turn off the air conditioner?" I whispered. "Please."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Of course," he said, doing it immediately.

I breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like he was trying to freeze me to death. I rubbed my palms together for warmth.

Hours later, we arrived at a massive building. It was a skyscraper made of dark glass and steel that seemed to pierce the sky. It looked cold, powerful, and intimidating—exactly like Caden.

"What the f**k," I muttered accidentally as I looked up at the towering structure.

An elderly lady nearby gave me a judging look. I felt self-conscious for a second, but I didn't let it bring me down. I knew I was beautiful. I was wearing a light blue dress and black flats. I had my hair pulled up with just a few strands falling around my face. It wasn't "Caden’s standard," but it was mine, and I felt proud of it.

"Right this way, Miss Alisa," the driver said, leading me toward the elevator.

As we walked through the lobby, I felt eyes on me from every corner. People were whispering, probably realizing I was the Alisa Jacobs from the news—Caden Williams’s fiancée. I kept my head up. I didn't want them to see the lie behind my eyes.

We reached the private floor. There was a smaller office you had to pass through before getting to Caden. A woman was sitting at the desk, reapplying her makeup. Her hair was a mess, and her n*****s were clearly showing through her thin shirt. It was an irritating, disgusting sight.

She stood up the moment she saw us. She was beautiful in a flashy way—the kind of beauty you only see in expensive clubs.

"Hello, good afternoon. I’m Tasha and I—" she stopped mid-sentence. Her eyebrows shot up, and she looked at me like she knew me from somewhere.

"Is Caden in?" I asked, ignoring her weird behavior.

"And who are you?" she asked, her voice rising with anger.

"This is Alisa Jacobs. Mr. Caden asked for her to be here, so stop acting immature and tell him she’s arrived," the driver said. His deep voice echoed through the room.

Tasha glanced at him, then at me, before picking up the phone. She turned her back on us so we couldn't hear what she was saying. After a moment, she faced us again.

"He said only the lady should come in," she snapped.

The driver nodded and turned to leave.

"You can go in," Tasha said, eyeing me from head to toe. As I walked past her, she leaned in. "In case you feel uncomfortable in there... it’s probably because of what we were doing before you showed up."

She laughed and turned her chair away. I looked at the thick, black wooden door. I held back the urge to vomit and pushed it open.

I pushed the heavy door open, my skin crawling. The air in the room felt thick and... funky. Caden was sitting at his massive desk, looking perfectly untouched, unlike the disaster of a woman I had just passed outside.

"So she was right," I muttered, my voice tight. "You’re disgusting."

I didn't even wait for him to respond. I took the seat farthest away from the desk, just in case the table itself wasn't enough space for whatever they had been doing.

Caden looked up from his tablet, one of his dark brows raised in a challenge.

"Now, what the f**k do you mean by that?" he asked. His voice filled the room, deep and commanding.

My mind immediately betrayed me. I couldn't help but imagine how that same voice sounded just minutes ago when he was f*****g his secretary. Was it deeper? Was it lighter? Did he growl those commands at her, too? The thought made my stomach turn.

"I said you’re disgusting," I repeated, my voice louder this time. I pulled the brown file from my bag and slid it across the polished wood, making sure my fingers didn't touch the surface for a second longer than necessary.

He smirked as he watched my movements. "You’re late."

He stood up from his seat, and I hated how he dominated the room. I stepped back, avoiding any possible contact.

"I'm not. It’s only three minutes after—"

"Exactly," he cut me off.

I rolled my eyes. "I’m done with the document. I’ve placed my signature in the designated places."

"Excellent. It’s the first wise thing I’ve seen you do," he said, looking at me with a dark glint in his eyes.

I wanted to walk over and slap the grin off his face.

"What now?" I asked.

"As you read in the document, since you blurted out that I’m your fiancé, we have more time to plan. We will get married in three weeks. You don’t have to live with me until then." He paused, looking at me intently.

"Your friend Mabel is a witness. What do I do about her?"

"You do nothing! She won't say a word."

"How can I trust you?"

"I... I just know she won't."

"Well, I don't 'believe' in promises," Caden said, folding his arms across his chest. "So, I’m adding her to the contract. If you fail to play your part, or if she speaks, she dies too."

"What? No! She isn't involved!"

"She is now. But her safety will be protected as long as you follow the rules. So there’s that."

I glared at him. "And how do I know you’re not just using me for something else?"

He chuckled. It was a rich, dark sound. "You have nothing I want to use, Alisa. You aren't even on the list of people worth using."

"f**k you," I said.

He chuckled again. "Alisa... we might just make a great team." He looked at me then, as if he were trying to read every secret in my head.