Collateral Bride

CHAPTER SIX - THE TEST

Morning light spilled through the tall windows, gilding the marble floors in gold. Kimberly stood near the edge of the dining table, her fingers nervously tracing the rim of a porcelain teacup. The long table looked more like something from a royal palace than a home, set with polished silver and gleaming crystal.

It was her second morning here, yet everything felt unreal—too vast, too cold. The staff moved silently around her like shadows, setting platters of fresh bread, steaming eggs, roasted meats. None of them looked her directly in the eye, but Kimberly could feel their curiosity pressing against her skin.

They were watching her. Judging her. Measuring if she belonged.

The doors opened.

Jake walked in, commanding the air without a word. He wore a dark suit, perfectly tailored, his tie knotted with precision. He didn’t look at her as he sat at the head of the table, unfolding a napkin like a king taking his throne.

Kimberly swallowed. She sat opposite him, her movements stiff, her body betraying her nerves.

“Eat,” Jake said simply, cutting into his food.

His voice was calm, but the weight behind it left no room for argument. Kimberly picked at her bread, nibbling as though her body wasn’t shaking inside.

Minutes stretched in silence until Jake finally looked up. His gaze cut through her like glass.

“You didn’t sleep.”

Kimberly froze. He had noticed. Of course he had.

“I—I tried,” she whispered.

Jake leaned back in his chair, the corner of his mouth twitching in something too sharp to be called a smile. “Nightmares again?”

She gripped the fork tighter. “It’s nothing.”

Jake’s eyes lingered, searching her face as if peeling back layers she didn’t want him to see. Finally, he dropped his gaze back to his plate, but the air didn’t loosen.

After breakfast, Jake didn’t let her escape.

“Walk with me,” he ordered, striding out into the gardens. Kimberly hesitated, but the staff’s eyes pinned her in place. Reluctantly, she followed him into the open air, where trimmed hedges and marble statues framed winding paths.

Jake’s pace was brisk, his silence heavier than words. Kimberly hurried to keep up, her heart racing.

Finally, he stopped in a secluded corner of the garden, far from the mansion’s windows. He turned to her, his eyes cold steel.

“You will be tested here, Kimberly,” Jake said quietly. “By the staff, by the city, even by my family. They will want to see if you’re weak. If you break.”

Her lips parted, but no sound came.

Jake stepped closer, his shadow falling over her. His voice dropped lower, dangerous. “If you do break, you won’t just shame yourself. You’ll shame me. And that… I don’t forgive.”

Kimberly’s chest tightened, panic clawing at her ribs.

“Why—why tell me this?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Because,” Jake said, his gaze locking onto hers, “I don’t want a fragile wife. I want one who survives. Prove you’re worth the name Pierre.”

His words cut, but they also sparked something inside her. Defiance. Heat. A pulse of anger she hadn’t known she could still feel.

But before she could respond, footsteps crunched on gravel.

Both turned to see Vincent Pierre, Jake’s father, emerging from the path with two guards trailing behind. His presence was overwhelming, his sharp suit and silver hair exuding authority that demanded obedience.

“Ah,” Vincent drawled, eyes sliding to Kimberly. “The new bride.”

Kimberly’s breath caught. Something in his gaze was colder than Jake’s. Less personal, more calculating—like she was a piece of property he was appraising.

Jake stiffened, his jaw tightening. “Father.”

Vincent’s smirk widened, as though savoring Jake’s discomfort. “I hear you screamed last night, girl. Already restless in my son’s bed?”

Kimberly’s cheeks flamed, her throat closing.

Jake stepped forward, his voice hard as granite. “Enough.”

Vincent ignored him, circling Kimberly slowly, like a predator testing prey. He leaned close enough for her to feel his breath near her ear.

“Let’s hope you’re stronger than you look. Weakness is dangerous in this family.”

Then, just as swiftly, he straightened and turned away. “Dinner tonight. Both of you. Don’t be late.”

With that, he left, his guards trailing behind.

Kimberly’s knees trembled. Jake caught her arm before she could stumble, his grip ironclad. His eyes burned into hers.

“Do you see now?” he hissed. “This house doesn’t forgive weakness. Not from anyone. And not from you.”

Kimberly’s heart thundered as he released her arm. She stood frozen, watching him walk away, his words echoing in her chest.

She wasn’t just trapped in Jake’s world. She was trapped in his father’s too.

And she had no idea which man would destroy her first.