LOGINGraceMy body felt like it was on fire.I was in the massive bed with the luxurious sheets tangled around my legs, but nothing could chase away the bone-deep chill that made me tremble uncontrollably. Sweat soaked my skin even as cold shivers wracked me. My head throbbed with a relentless ache, my throat raw and dry. Every breath felt heavy and labored. The wedding dress was long gone, replaced by one of Adrian’s soft black shirts that still carried his dark, masculine and possessive scent. It only made everything worse.I whimpered softly, curling into myself. The memories of the wedding, Eric’s bleeding face, Adrian’s confession and the forced vows -they all crashed over me in waves of guilt, fear, and overwhelming loneliness. I had no one. No escape. Just this fever and the monster who now called me his wife.Suddenly, the door burst open. Adrian stormed in, his face a mask of dark fury and something deeper- raw, obsessive concern. “Grace!” His voice was sharp, commanding. He b
GraceThe heavy wooden door of the master bedroom clicked shut behind me with a finality that made my stomach twist. I stood there in the middle of the lavish room, the beautiful white wedding dress clinging to my body like a second skin made of lies. The lace was exquisite, the delicate floral patterns that shimmered under the soft lighting, the bodice hugging my curves perfectly, the long train pooling around my feet like spilled moonlight. I looked like a princess from a fairytale in the full-length mirror across the room. A moon goddess wrapped in silk and diamonds. But I felt like a prisoner.Suffocated.I tugged at the bodice, trying to loosen it, but the dress was tailored too perfectly. Every breath felt shallow, restricted. My chest rose and fell rapidly as panic clawed its way up my throat. I’m married. The words echoed in my head like a death sentence. I had just said “I do” to Adrian Valente in front of everyone. The man who bought me. The man who killed my uncle. The
GraceTears blurred my vision as I stared up at the man I had just been forced to marry.“You killed him,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “You really killed my uncle… over a stupid ring?”Adrian’s dark eyes burned into mine with that terrifying intensity. He didn’t look guilty. He looked proud. His large hand came up, wrapping around my wrist where I gripped his collar, pressing my palm harder against his chest so I could feel how steady his heartbeat was.“Yes, bunny,” he said, voice low and calm, almost intimate. “I killed him. Matthew thought he could steal the ring I had chosen for your finger. After I paid him a fortune to sell you to me, he got greedy. Tried to take what was mine. No one steals from me, Grace. Especially not something that belongs on your hand.”A broken sob tore from my throat. I shook him by his collar, my bandaged hand throbbing with pain. “You’re sick! You destroyed my entire family just because you wanted me? You manipulated him into selling me like I was
GraceMy heart was hammering so violently I thought it would crack my ribs. The beautiful white wedding dress that had once looked like a dream now felt like a cage of lace and lies. Eric’s words were still ringing in my ears- He killed Eric’s father. He planned everything.I couldn’t breathe.I twisted violently in Adrian’s arms, the silk train of my dress tangling around my legs. Tears streamed down my face, ruining the perfect makeup the maids had applied. My bandaged hand throbbed as I reached up and grabbed the collar of his expensive black tuxedo, fisting the fabric so tightly my knuckles turned white.“Did you kill him?” I screamed, voice cracking with raw pain and fury. “Did you kill my uncle, Adrian? Tell me the truth! Right now!”The entire hall went deathly silent. My friends stared in horror. Eric, still forced to his knees and bleeding, watched with devastated eyes. Adrian’s men shifted uncomfortably, but no one dared move.Adrian looked down at me, his dark eyes burni
GraceThe world stopped the moment I heard his voice.“GRACE!”Eric stood at the entrance of the grand hall, chest heaving, eyes wide with desperation and fury. His face was already bruised, clothes torn like he had fought through hell just to get here. For one desperate second, my heart soared. Eric- my cousin, the only person who had ever truly tried to protect me. The one I had secretly loved in that quiet, safe way for years. The one I had been desperately searching for….I lunged forward without thinking, tears already spilling down my cheeks. “Eric!”Suddenly, Adrian’s arm snapped around my waist like a steel trap, yanking me back hard against his chest. His grip was bruising, possessive and so furious. The beautiful white wedding dress rustled as I struggled in his hold, the lace train tangling around my legs.“Let me go!” I cried, voice breaking. “Adrian, please! That’s Eric! Let me see him!”“No,” Adrian snarled low in my ear, his voice dark and venomous. His fingers dug dee
GraceThe mirror reflected a girl I barely recognized.The wedding dress hugged my body like it had been sewn onto my skin by the devil himself. Pure white silk and delicate lace flowed over my curves, the sweetheart neckline pushing my breasts up in a way that felt sinful. Intricate beading and tiny diamonds caught the light with every small movement, making me sparkle like moonlight on water. The long train spread behind me like a queen’s cape. My hair was styled in soft waves, pinned with pearls, and my makeup made my eyes look bigger, my lips fuller.I looked like a moon goddess. A princess from some unreachable realm. Unreal. Ethereal.But my eyes were empty. Dead. There was no joy, no blush of a happy bride. Only a hollow girl staring back at me- the girl who had been bought, broken, and forced into a dress that screamed forever when all she wanted was escape.“You look breathtaking, Mrs. Valente,” one of the maids whispered, voice filled with forced awe.I didn’t answer. I co
GraceAdrian carried me up the stairs like I was already his bride, his strong arms holding me securely against his chest. I didn’t fight this time. My body felt heavy, drained from the emotional storm, the forced breakfast, and the way he had played with me like I was his favorite toy. When he pu
GraceMy heart slammed against my ribs the second I saw him.Adrian stood at the kitchen entrance like he owned the entire world with arms crossed over his broad chest, leaning casually against the wall with that dark, predatory smirk on his face. His eyes locked onto me like I was prey he had bee
Grace I was still trembling, my panties soaked and ruined, when Adrian lifted his head from my shoulder. His dark eyes burned with raw hunger as he stared down at me. The realization of what I had just done hit me like a slap- I had come apart because of him. The man who owned me. The man who had
Grace “Oh my God, girls, it’s been forever since we did this!” Stella squealed and clinked her strawberry margarita against mine so hard pink liquid dropped over the rim. “No boyfriends, no drama, no curfews, just us, tequila, and terrible decisions.”Laila leaned back in the booth and twirled a s







