The Devil’s Bride

Chapter 4: Vows of Submission

Moore’s POV

The private chapel smelled of white roses and money—sterile, expensive, and completely lifeless. Crystal chandeliers cast a cold, sharp light across the dark wooden pews. There was no music. There were no guests. There was only the officiant, Mr. Vance’s lawyer, and a suffocating silence that pressed down on me like a weight.

The silk wedding dress clung to my skin, heavy and foreign. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever worn, yet it felt like a costume. It was some million dollar lie wrapped around my body.

Annastasia is safe. Her surgery went well this morning. Tim and Talia won’t ever have to worry about food or anything again.

I repeated the words in my head like a prayer, but they couldn’t silence the panic. Who are you becoming, Moore? You’re selling your future, your body, and your dignity. Shame burned in my chest, but so did relief. I had watched my stepmother nearly die in that waiting room. I had seen my little brother try to be strong while our fridge stayed empty.

Survival always came at a price. Today, the price was me.

I walked down the short aisle on legs that felt completely numb. Connor stood quietly near the entrance. As I passed him, he gave me a tiny, protective nod. For one second, it made the air feel slightly less suffocating. Then he looked away, as if he knew he couldn’t save me from what was coming.

Ethan waited at the altar in a perfectly tailored black suit. He looked stunning—beautiful, cold, and incredibly dangerous. His jaw was tight, and his eyes were filled with resentment. This marriage wasn’t his choice, and he clearly hated me for it.

He took my hand, his grip tight enough to hurt. His skin was warm, while mine was ice-cold.

Ethan’s POV

She looked completely out of place standing there in white silk.

This entire situation was an insult to my control. Forced into a marriage by my own father to protect my public reputation. I should be announcing a grand engagement to Liliana Williams right now—a woman who actually understood power and status. Instead, I was standing at an altar with a trembling nobody who still smelled faintly of cheap supermarket lavender soap beneath the expensive perfumes my father's people had doused her in.

I squeezed her hand harder, letting the pain anchor her. She needed to understand from the very beginning that I was the one in charge. Behind closed doors, this was my cage, and she was nothing but a temporary prisoner inside it. My coldness wasn’t just anger—it was standard practice. No one would ever force my hand without facing the consequences.

The officiant began the ceremony. Moore spoke her vows first.

Moore’s POV

I looked into Ethan’s cold eyes and forced my voice to stay steady, even though my throat felt tight.

“I, Moore, take you, Ethan Vance, to be my husband. I promise to be loyal, supportive, and faithful. I will stand by you through difficult times. I will try to be a good wife… to build something real, even in difficult times. I give you my trust.”

The words tasted like a mixture of hope and humiliation. A small, desperate part of me still wanted to believe I could keep some piece of my dignity intact. Another part already knew he would break it.

Ethan’s expression darkened instantly.

Ethan’s POV

It was my turn to speak.

I stared down at her, letting the silence stretch out in the empty chapel until I saw her swallow hard.

“I, Ethan Vance, take you, Moore, as my wife—for now,” I said, keeping my voice low, smooth, and mocking. “I promise nothing but financial provision. In return, I expect complete obedience, silence when I require it, and your body whenever and however I want it. This marriage is temporary. The moment I find a suitable replacement, I will discard you. You are a contract. A means to an end. Nothing more.”

I watched every single word land like a physical blow. Good. She needed to understand the true nature of what she had signed.

Moore’s POV

The officiant cleared his throat uncomfortably, eager to finish. “You may now exchange rings and kiss the bride.”

Ethan’s personal assistant, Marcus, stepped forward from the shadows near the pews. He silently handed Ethan a velvet box. Marcus looked at me with a heavy, sympathetic expression, but he remained completely professional as he stepped back.

Ethan slid a heavy diamond ring onto my finger. It was stunning—enormous, flawless, and freezing cold against my skin. The weight of it felt like a shackle, marking me clearly as his property.

Then, Ethan gripped my chin firmly, tilted my face up, and kissed me.

It wasn’t a romantic gesture. It was a claim. It was hard, dominating, and entirely possessive. His tongue invaded my mouth like he already owned every single part of me. I let out a soft whimpering sound against his lips from the sheer shock of being completely consumed. When he finally pulled back, my lips felt bruised and my knees were weak.

“Mine,” he whispered darkly against my ear, his breath hot. “Remember that tonight, little ballerina.”

In the back of the luxury Rolls-Royce on the way to his mansion, Ethan’s hand rested heavily on my thigh. His fingers dug firmly into the white silk of my dress.

The city lights blurred past the tinted windows. Neither of us spoke. The silence in the car was louder than any argument. I kept my eyes fixed on the massive diamond ring weighing down my left hand.

The car finally pulled up to a sleek, ultra-modern estate made of glass and dark marble. It was beautiful, cold, and entirely unforgiving.

As Connor opened the passenger door for me, our eyes met for a brief second. There was that same quiet sympathy in his gaze. He didn’t say a word, but he carefully held his arm out to make sure I didn’t trip over my heavy hemline. That small act of human kindness reminded me I wasn’t completely alone in this nightmare.

Ethan’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “Inside. Now.”

I followed my husband into his pristine, dark world, the heavy ring on my finger and the taste of his cruel kiss still burning on my lips.

Tonight was our wedding night. And I knew Ethan Vance had no intention of being gentle with his new possession.