Tears streamed down my face. “Getting rid of your disgusting spawn!”
His grip tightened. “You think I’ll let you? You think I’ll let you take away the one thing securing my legacy?”
I choked back a sob. “You’re a monster.”
His jaw clenched. “Maybe. But you? You’re mine. And so is that child.”
His words sent ice through my veins
That’s when he finally admitted it.
“The baby is the key,” he said coldly. “Once it’s born, Mr. Dawson’s fortune becomes fully mine.”
My stomach twisted in disgust.
Of course. This wasn’t about love. It wasn’t even about me.
It was about power.
I shoved at him, but he didn’t budge. His grip remained firm, his expression unreadable. “Get used to it, love,” he whispered before letting me go.
I collapsed onto the floor. He left without another word.
I curled into myself, sobs wracking my body.
I had to escape.
I tried. Again and again.
I used everything I had learned from my years as a dispatcher—tracking movements, memorizing schedules, studying security patterns.
But Bryant was always one step ahead.
Every time I made it close to the gates, someone stopped me.
Every time I tried contacting the outside world, the phone line was cut.
Every time I thought I was free, I was dragged back.
Weeks passed. My belly started to show. The weight of my reality became heavier. I was trapped.
Then, one morning—I woke up to something different.
A large box sat beside my bed.
Frowning, I reached for it, my fingers trembling as I lifted the lid.
Inside was a wedding gown.
Beautiful. Elegant. White lace and silk, delicately folded.
I sucked in a breath. My pulse pounded in my ears.
There was a note.
I unfolded it, my hands shaking.
"Ready for the wedding?"
I was trapped.
Not just inside Bryant’s mansion but inside a life I never wanted. Days blurred into weeks, my world reduced to the four walls of my gilded prison. Guards surrounded me at all times, their eyes cold and emotionless. No one spoke unless necessary, and I was never allowed to be alone.
There was no phone, no internet, no way to reach the outside world. I was a prisoner in a silk cage.
Instead of fighting, I was forced to learn how to be the perfect wife. Every morning, a well-known etiquette coach arrived, drilling into me the proper way to sit, speak, smile, and obey. I had no choice but to endure it—Bryant made it clear that any resistance would only hurt the people I loved.
And then, the wedding day arrived.