The Cruel King

chapter 8: Doll In Diamomds

Evelyn's POV

The morning light streamed through the curtains, casting a golden hue over the room, but there was no warmth in it. Not for me. Not when I woke up to the suffocating weight of Hayden's arm draped possessively around my waist, his face buried near my shoulder, his breath fanning against my skin like a silent reminder that I was still trapped in this nightmare.

I inhaled sharply, my chest rising and falling with the weight of unspoken despair. Every muscle in my body ached, my thighs burned from the evidence of last night-not from what I feared the most, but from the cruel alternative he chose instead. He hadn't taken me fully, but he had still left his marks, a brutal reminder that resistance was useless. That he was in control.

I will fight for my freedom, till my last breath, I don't want to be with this beast and I will never. But how? My escape plan failed, tho he didn't killed charles as he know, it'll end up only me blaming myself.

My eyes fixed on the ceiling above me. I clenched my jaw, my fists curling beneath the sheets. I refused to cry. I refused to give him the satisfaction of my tears.

He moved a bit and after a little grunting he turned his head to look at me. When he saw me, he smiled and again lied on my shoulder, pressing me more to him, circling his arm more on my waist. I hissed as my inner thigh hurts. The marks he gave me last night are fresh and painful. He stirred beside me, a deep grunt escaping his lips as he pulled me closer, nuzzling into my neck like this was something normal, like I was someone he loved instead of someone he caged.

I winced as pain flared between my thighs.

Even in his rage, he hadn't taken me completely. But he had punished me in other ways. His teeth, his tongue, his hands-he had devoured every inch of me like he was starving. Like he needed to mark me in ways that went beyond the physical. And he had.

My skin was littered with his bites, his bruises-a silent reminder that I belonged to him, that my body was no longer my own.

My throat tightened.

I hate him.

I hate him with every fiber of my being.

But even as the words echoed in my head, my body betrayed me. My pulse quickened at the warmth of his breath against my skin. My stomach clenched at the memory of last night, at the way he had stripped me bare-physically, emotionally.

I squeezed my eyes shut, my nails digging into my palm.

I will escape. One way or another.

Hayden shifted beside me, a low groan leaving his lips before his grip tightened, pulling me closer. I stiffened instantly, my breath hitching when his lips brushed against my bare shoulder.

"Mmm... still here," he murmured against my skin, his voice rough with sleep, laced with satisfaction. "Good girl."

I swallowed hard, keeping my body still, willing my pulse to steady.

He lifted his head, his stormy green eyes meeting mine, a slow, lazy smirk tugging at his lips as he took in my stiff posture. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked, his fingers trailing up my waist, tracing the faint bruises he left behind. "Are you sore?"

I averted my gaze. "Nothing."

His eyes darkened. A flicker of realization crossed his face before he tilted his head, looking almost amused. "Ah," he murmured, his fingers ghosting over the inside of my thigh, right where his teeth had marked me. "You're hurting here, aren't you?"

I tensed.

His smirk deepened.

"Didn't hear you complaining last night."

"Get off me," I muttered, my voice sharp but weak.

Instead of listening, he leaned in, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to my collarbone. "I should feel guilty," he mused, his lips trailing up my throat, each touch igniting a war inside me. "But you just make it so damn hard, sweetheart. You look so beautiful when you're trembling beneath me."

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my body betraying me as a shiver ran down my spine. His fingers tilted my chin up, forcing me to meet his eyes.

"You're mine, Eve," he whispered, his lips ghosting over mine. "You can keep fighting all you want, but in the end... you'll always be right here." He says kissing my shoulder.

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my collarbone.

I flinched.

His grip on me tightened. "H... Hayden, l... leave me."

"Not even in your dreams," he murmured, trailing kisses along my neck. His hand slid down to my thigh, brushing over the evidence of his cruelty.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my body stiffening.

I clenched my fists. I hated him. I hated the way he spoke with so much certainty, as if I was already conquered. As if I had no choice but to accept my fate.

"I'm sorry baby, I was too rough last night" he whispers in my ear, then kissed my ear. I breath heavily closing my eyes as my ears are one of my sensitive parts and he knows it. He hovers over me "you're just too magnetic," he says and holds my face kissing me senselessly. biting sucking as he's hunger and just want to eat the hell out of me.

I will get out of here.

No matter what it takes.

Later, during breakfast, I found myself exactly where I never wanted to be; Sitting on his lap was humiliating.

I kept my eyes lowered, carefully scooping food onto the spoon and lifting it to his lips. I didn't look at him, didn't acknowledge the way his gaze burned into me like I was the only thing that existed in the world.

His arms were caged around me like a silent warning, one resting on my waist, the other lazily draped over my thigh, as if he owned me. And maybe in his mind, he did.

Hayden watched me with an intensity that felt like a physical weight pressing down on my skin. He wasn't just looking at me-he was memorizing me, studying every flicker of my eyelashes, every shaky breath I took.

Sometimes, he forgot to blink.

A deep pull of discomfort coiled in my stomach, but I refused to react.

Every movement, every breath-I could feel his eyes trailing over my face, my hands, my lips.

Then, his fingers brushed against my face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. A shiver ran down my spine, but I willed myself to stay still. "I forgot to tell you, we have a party tomorrow." His voice was smooth, unreadable. "You're coming with me. I'll send you the dress."

I kept my face blank, I kept my gaze on the spoon. Silent. Unmoving.

A beat of silence passed.

The bowl was suddenly plucked from my hands, placed on the table with deliberate care. His fingers gripped my chin, tilting my face up until my eyes were forced to meet his.

"Okay?" His voice was dangerously low.

I swallowed, nodding once. Apparently, that wasn't enough. His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me flush against his chest, his breath ghosting over my cheek as he leaned in closer.

"Words, my love."

My body shuddered before I could stop it.

"Y... yeah. O... okay," I whispered, the words barely audible, my pulse hammering.

Something in him shifted. A quiet satisfaction curled at the edges of his lips. He pressed a lingering kiss to the top of my head, humming in approval before finally releasing me, getting up for work like nothing had happened.

When I came back after a shower I saw shiny stuff on the bed, staring at me.

The dress was exquisite.

A breathtaking silver gown, adorned with thousands of tiny diamonds that shimmered with every movement. It fit me like a second skin, with a long side slit, molding to every curve, every line, as if it had been made for me. The matching clutch, the delicate perfume, the soft red lipstick-everything was designed to make me look perfect.

Like a doll.

A doll to be displayed. To be owned.

I stood at the top of the staircase, my heart pounding as I stared down at the man who owned me. Hayden stood outside the car, dressed in a sharp black suit, his attention focused on his iPad, the glow of the screen casting sharp shadows across his face.

I swallowed my resentment as I walked downstairs, my heels clicking against the marble floor.

But the moment he looked up, everything stopped.

The air between us thickened.

His gaze darkened, his lips parting slightly as he drank me in. The air shifted, the weight of his stare nearly suffocating me as his eyes dragged down my body, darkening with something predatory. His jaw clenched, his grip tightening around the iPad before he tossed it into the car without a second thought.

I hated how it made my skin prickle, how it sent a shiver down my spine.

He strode toward me, slow and deliberate, his movements controlled, precise.

The driver and guards stiffened. They weren't foolish enough to gawk at me, but I saw the way their heads lowered, their bodies tense.

Because Hayden was possessive.

Dangerous.

And right now, I was the reason for the storm brewing in his eyes.

When he reached me, he snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against him. His lips brushed against my cheek, his breath hot against my skin.

"You're looking breathtaking, sweetheart," he murmured, his fingers pressing into my lower back. His lips curled into a smirk as his gaze dipped down my body once more. "I think we'll have a long night tonight too."

I forced my body to stay still, to not react, but my skin burned under his touch.

He opened the car door for me, guiding me inside with a firm grip before sliding in beside me. The ride to the event was silent, his hand resting possessively on my thigh, tracing slow, maddening circles against my skin.

I stared out the window, my mind swirling with escape plans that would never work. And just like that, I was his again. A puppet on invisible strings.

The party was grand-luxurious beyond words. A breathtaking hall adorned with chandeliers, soft golden lights reflecting off the crystal glasses, expensive champagne being poured into delicate flutes. Hayden stood beside me, his arm still wrapped around my waist as he conversed with influential men in tailored suits.

I stood there, silent. Smiling when I needed to. Nodding when required. A perfect, obedient little doll.

He was speaking with some businessman, his voice smooth and calculated.

I wasn't listening. I couldn't.

Because then-I saw him.

A pair of familiar eyes locked onto mine from across the room. My breath hitched. James.

My heart clenched as my gaze locked onto his. For the first time in forever, I felt something other than despair. Relief flooded through me so fast it made my knees weak.

He looked... different. His brown eyes, once filled with warmth, now burned with confusion. With anger. With something dangerously close to recognition.

Panic surged through me as I saw him begin to move. He was coming toward me.

I shook my head-just slightly, my eyes pleading. No, James. Don't.

He didn't understand. He didn't know what he was walking into.

And if Hayden saw him-

"What are you looking at?"

My entire body stiffened at the sound of Hayden's voice.

He followed my gaze.

And then-

His grip on my waist tightened painfully.

My breath caught in my throat, my fingers digging into my clutch as his hand slid lower, possessive, claiming, his entire posture shifting.

Jealousy. Rage.

Danger.

It crackled in the air around us, suffocating, undeniable.

I forced my lips into a small, polite smile, my voice barely above a whisper. "No one."

His fingers flexed, his head tilting slightly. "No one?"

I swallowed hard.

Hayden wasn't stupid.

And James had no idea what kind of monster he was dealing with.

James stepped closer, unaware of the silent war raging in the air between us.

I knew, in that moment-if James didn't stop, if he reached me-Hayden would make sure he never walked away from this party alive.

So I did the only thing I could do.

I turned my head.

I looked away.

And I prayed James would do the same. I can't let the love of my life get into trouble.