Chapter 2: The Forced Wedding
689 Words
The penthouse was a prison made of gold.
Marble floors. Crystal chandeliers. A view of Dubai that cost millions. And I was trapped in it.
Three days. Three days since Adam Al-Zahrani kidnapped me and declared I would be his wife. Three days since I last saw the outside world.
"Eat something, Maya."
I didn't look up from the window. "I'm not hungry."
"You haven't eaten in 24 hours." His voice was closer now. I felt his heat at my back. "You think starving yourself will hurt me? It will only hurt the baby."
The baby. My hand flew to my still-flat stomach. He was right. I hated that he was right.
"I want to go home," I whispered.
"This is your home now." His fingers brushed my hair away from my neck. I shivered. "Tomorrow we marry. The imam will arrive at sunset."
I spun around, fury igniting in my chest. "I will never marry you. You can't force me to say vows."
Adam's eyes darkened. He stepped into my space, backing me against the glass. "Watch me."
His mouth crashed down on mine.
I should have bitten him. Should have pushed him away. But my body remembered his touch from that night at Inferno. My hands fisted in his expensive shirt, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away.
He growled against my lips, one hand sliding to my lower back, pressing me against him. "You hate me," he murmured between kisses. "But your body doesn't lie, habibti. You want me."
"I hate you," I gasped, but my words were ruined by the moan that escaped when his teeth grazed my neck.
"Good." His hands were under my shirt now, burning against my skin. "Hate me. Fight me. It makes it better when you finally break."
Reality crashed back. I shoved him hard, stumbling away. "Don't touch me!"
"Too late." He wiped his mouth, eyes blazing. "You wore my mark that night at Inferno. Now you carry my child. You're already mine, Maya. The wedding tomorrow is just a formality."
"The wedding won't happen," I said, chin up. "I'll tell the imam I was kidnapped. He can't marry us without my consent."
Adam smiled. It was the coldest thing I'd ever seen. "The imam works for me. So do the police. The judges. The entire city." He stepped forward, caging me against the window again. "There is no one who can save you from me. No one who would dare try."
Terror clawed at my throat. He was right. Who would challenge Adam Al-Zahrani? The Mafia King?
"Why me?" I whispered, tears spilling. "You could have any woman. Why force me?"
Something flickered in his eyes. Something almost... human. "Because you didn't know who I was that night. You didn't want my money or my power. You wanted me." His thumb wiped away a tear. "And because you're carrying my heir. My bloodline ends with me unless you give me this child."
"So I'm just an incubator to you?"
"No." His forehead pressed against mine. "You're my wife. My queen. And I will burn this city to the ground before I let anyone take you from me."
The possessiveness in his voice should have terrified me. Instead, heat pooled low in my belly.
God, I hated him. I hated him for making me feel this way.
"Get out," I said. "If I'm your wife tomorrow, I want one night of peace."
He studied me for a long moment. Then nodded. "Sleep, Maya. Tomorrow you become Mrs. Al-Zahrani. Whether you like it or not."
The door clicked shut behind him.
I sank to the floor, pressing my hands to my face.
Tomorrow I would marry a monster.
Tomorrow I would become trapped forever.
Unless...
An idea sparked. A dangerous, desperate idea.
The wedding. It would be the one time he let his guard down. The one time I might have a chance to escape.
I looked at my stomach. "Hold on, little one," I whispered. "Mama's going to get us out of here."
Tomorrow, I wouldn't just be a bride.
I'd be a runaway bride.
To Be Continued...
- Writer
