Mated to Three, Marked by One

Chapter 7

Catherine’s POV

I slowly turned to see Armani staring at me, his eyebrows raised. I sighed in relief—it was just him.

“I said, what are you doing?” Armani yelled, making me flinch a little. “Were you eavesdropping on my father’s conversation?” he questioned, disbelief clear in his eyes.

Oh no, he was about to expose me with the way he was yelling.

“No, I wasn’t,” I immediately defended myself, even though his accusations were true.

“So what were you doing close to the door then?” Armani pressed.

My eyes darted around as I desperately tried to come up with a lie.

“I… I tripped,” I said, staring at him confidently, even though I was panicking inside.

Oh my goodness, Catherine, is that the best you could come up with? What do you mean by you tripped?

“You tripped?” Armani repeated, clearly not buying my lie—I mean, my words.

“Yes, I tripped. Can you please just let me be?” I muttered, quickly walking away before he could cause any more problems for me.

“Wait,” Armani yelled.

Gosh, can’t he just leave me alone for once?

I slowly turned to look at him. “Yes?” I asked politely, trying to hide my irritation.

“I need you,” Armani’s words made my eyes widen, and I suddenly felt my throat go dry.

What does he mean by he needs me?

Armani sighed and started walking toward me. I couldn’t move—I was frozen in place.

He got closer, his gaze locking onto mine. “I need you,” Armani repeated, this time with a deeper intensity in his eyes.

My heart began to race, and for some reason, I felt like I was going to collapse. What was happening to me all of a sudden?

“Wh…what?” I stammered, trying my best to avoid looking directly into his eyes.

I didn’t know what to do or say. He had completely caught me off guard.

“Come with me,” Armani demanded, not giving me a moment to recover as he grabbed my hand and started pulling me along with him.

What was happening? Where was he taking me, and why was he being nice all of a sudden?

A flood of questions filled my mind, each more confusing than the last, but I had no answers. So, I kept quiet and let him lead me, my hand still in his grasp.

We walked down the long corridor, the silence between us thick and tense. Finally, we arrived at a room I’d never been in before. Armani opened the door and, without a word, pushed me inside.

“Armani, what are we doing here?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly as I looked around the dark room.

He didn’t respond, and my panic began to rise. But just as I was about to say something, the room suddenly lit up. The ceiling sparkled with tiny, glowing stars, casting a soft, ethereal light that made the entire space look otherworldly.

“Woah,” I breathed, my eyes wide as I slowly walked around the room, taking in the beauty of it all. The stars above seemed almost real, as if I could reach out and touch them.

“Beautiful, right?” Armani’s voice broke through my awe, but I ignored him, too focused on the enchanting room.

I’d lived in this palace since I was a child, but I had never been in this room before. It was like a hidden gem, a secret place that I never knew existed.

Probably because I was restricted from exploring much of the palace, all because Armani had disliked my presence since we were kids. He had always made sure to keep me at a distance, as if I didn’t belong. But now, standing in this beautiful room, I felt like I was seeing a part of the palace that was meant to be hidden from me.

But why was Armani showing me this now? What had changed? The questions swirled in my mind, but I kept them to myself, afraid that asking might shatter the fragile moment.

The realization that Armani hated me, and I felt the same way, hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned to look at him, trying to understand the sudden shift in his behavior.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked, my voice steady but filled with suspicion.

He stayed silent for a few minutes, as if he was wrestling with something inside him. His usual arrogance seemed to waver, and for a moment, he almost looked… guilty?

“What am I doing here?” I repeated, my patience wearing thin.

He finally spoke, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it. “Look, I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier.”

I blinked in disbelief. Armani, the same Armani who had made my life a living hell, was apologizing to me. Was this really happening?

“It’s okay. I’m used to it already,” I replied, trying to act nonchalant, even though his apology had caught me completely off guard.

“Well, I didn’t mean it, though. I was just mad about…” He trailed off, leaving his sentence unfinished.

“Mad about what?” I urged him, my curiosity piqued. What could have possibly made him so mad that he had to take it out on me?

“It’s not important,” he muttered, his voice low and evasive.

“What do you mean, ‘not important’?” I pressed, frustrated with his cryptic answers. He always did this—leaving me to wonder and overthink every word he said.

“I said it’s not important!” Armani suddenly yelled, his voice echoing off the walls. The sudden outburst startled me, and I took a step back, my heart racing.

Why was he so upset? What was he hiding from me? The anger in his voice was palpable, but there was something else there too, something he was trying hard to bury.

“Why are you yelling?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly as I tried to keep my composure. “You’re the one who brought me here, and now you won’t even tell me why?”

He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he fought to keep his emotions in check. “Just… drop it, Catherine,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The room, which had seemed so magical just moments before, now felt suffocating. I wanted to leave, to escape the tension that was building between us, but something kept me rooted to the spot.

I don’t know why he always yells at me, but I can’t take it any longer. I’m tired of how he treats me.

I’m done letting him push me around. I’m a human being, after all.

Tears started to well up in my eyes. I needed to leave before I cried in front of him.

I sighed and was about to leave when Armani grabbed my hand, stopping me. “Let go of me,” I said, yanking my hand away from his grip.

“What’s wrong?” Armani asked, noticing my state.

“What’s wrong?” I repeated in disbelief, seeing him look at me with the most nonchalant expression ever.

“You are what’s wrong! You can’t just leave me alone. Why are you so intent on making my life miserable? Why do you hate me so much? Why can’t you just let me be happy for once?” I shouted, my frustration boiling over.

He just stood there, listening. I was furious, and if he tried to stop me from talking, I might have slapped him.

“You’ve made my life miserable. Ever since we were kids, I haven’t been able to live happily because of you. You made my life a living hell!” I cried, tears streaming down my face.

Before I could say more, he cut me off by pressing his lips to mine. My eyes widened, and I stumbled backward, but he held me firmly, pulling me closer as he deepened the kiss.