I wasn't going anywhere for the next five hours because after Elisabeth helped me with my morning, just as Rhysand wanted, two more women came into the room. Came with a few bags in their hands, and then introduced themselves as makeup artists. I already know these two people, appearing on beauty-themed reality shows several times. Then again, knowing that Rhysand even paid them to do something to me... pisses me off completely.I wonder what exactly he prepared for me. What event are we going to attend that he forces me to perform as best I can. And to make matters worse, I was annoyed that he didn't even talk to me or say anything about it. Just their arrival lets me know that there's going to be a big event for Rhysand to attend, and somehow I'm dragged along.I don't like everything about this.The control and coercion he put on me.I can't accept this.And I won't be able to do anything even if I want to escape from this place right now."You are very beautiful." Someone's talkin
There weren't many people when the car door at my side was opened by Rhysand from outside.Nausea starts to take over my stomach and threatens to come out, I swallow again and start to stand up and take Rhysand's hand that is reaching out to me. Sending him a brief sharp glance, I gripped his hand tightly, spitting out annoyance I couldn't express, and then I stared ahead. A dome-shaped building loomed before us. So luxurious and towering in the middle of Madrid. I would love to be here if under different circumstances.Not in a horrific situation full of terror, for sure."Fight me, Princess. I always welcome you with pleasure." Rhysand's voice enters my ears, sending chilling shivers that make my spine stiff. One arm wraps around my waist which is covered by the knee-length brown coat he gave me. Even so, it's like skin to skin. The touch is hell and I don't want to fall further down that hell hole.I just glanced at him with the levelest look possible, something I tried to keep eve
"Why did you invite him?" I said sharply when Brando Mikhaleov went to look for his wife.I glanced at Rhysand as flash images of what Reagan was doing in his office came to my head. It was horrible and I was already trying to hold back something that was burning in my chest. Why are the men in my life, besides Maven and dad, so horrible and being a piece of shit?I've never seen Reagan again, and it almost makes me feel good, and then this whole Rhysand thing happened, his presence can send my head thinking about nothing but how Rhysand made a 180 degree turn in my life.I want all of these ends. I want to move to a small village in Canada, and never see any of them for the rest of my life. I want to live a quiet and happy life with the simplicity I've dreamed of, but it feels impossible. The world around me, which was created before I was born, makes me unable to escape from it. I realized that all old money circles, or world conglomerates, have never had a "clean world" in their li
Screams broke out.Mierda, mierda, mierda over and over again like a messed up record with lots of sounds. Alarm came in the air so thick I could feel it on my tongue. And then a gust of air escaped from me as I was brought down to the floor. A heavy body covered me as the glass of the painting shattered in a clear pattern. And then the paintings that were in the frame also turned into an insignificant torn.Shot.My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and I couldn't tell from the bullets flying above me. I know who's lying on top of me, trying to match my breath with his as the chaos continues. A feeling of security enveloped me while this room became a battleground for these mobsters. I cover my ears. It felt like it went on forever, before a silence enveloped the room that carried the echoes of gunshots."Are you okay?"I heard his words, but my mind was focused on red. Blood dripped onto the wooden floorboards in my line of sight.Hands gripping my face, twisting it. "Are you okay?" Rhy
I thought we were going anywhere, anywhere but sitting in this Palace in the middle of this forest.I don't think Rhysand will ever relax, considering what happened to us last night. The building was his too, and the few who were hurt were people who worked for him. That mess was Reagan's doing, and I don't think Rhysand would take one second to relax, But he did things differently. Choose to stay here, and chill with me, even fucking with me a few times and stopped when something inside my stomach screamed for food.I didn't think he could be this relaxed about what happened, and why is he behaving like last night's incident didn't even happen? And that makes me nervous.I stare at the lines of words in the novel I'm reading, even though my mind goes elsewhere. If only we were in different circumstances—where I was living quietly, and Rhysand wasn't some horrible psychopath—then I would be happy to spend time here with him. But that might happen in the otherworldly version, or not at
"You already did, Rhys." My words came out after the silence enveloped us for a few seconds that felt tense.Rhysand's brows pinched, and his face hardened."You did it without realizing it. You've hurt me more than you and I could ever imagine." I said, against everything that tells me to be quiet, or something bad will happen if I do. But, the heat in my chest told me I couldn't hold it in any longer. "You.. with all your manipulations, you've already hurt me.""I already told you, if I don't do something. All of these. You can't be mine. I can't get you.""This is what hurt me... I've only become the object of your obsession, and did you think that injuring someone so easily would make me clap and throw a proud smile at you?" I said. "I would absolutely not do that, Rhys."His eyebrows pulled up, displeasure rose from them, and the aura around me turned into one of discomfort. His domineering side, which I didn't like about him, and then his monstrous side made me uncomfortable and
My breath caught and my whole body froze, I felt my blood recede from my head and I shivered when I saw what was presented in front of me."He's a maniac." I whispered with terror creeping up inside of me.My feet moved and walked deeper into the room. My eyes are glued to the photographs hanging on the walls and the paintings that cover the walls. Pictures and paintings of me, whether when I was still in college, or when I had graduated from college. I reached out and grabbed one of the pictures and stared at it. It was when I was at the college graduation ceremony. I was just alone because there were several photo sessions where I could take photos alone, and with my family. I put the picture down, and then reached for another one. This time it's a picture of me sleeping...Wait. That is my room.Who took my picture in my room? My family has never done it because they think it's pointless. And this.. does that mean Rhysand somehow came into my room and took my picture, before I even
My body stiffens. I breathed heavily, and my heart beat even louder. "In fact, I wanted to show you this place and show you my self-drawn portrait at the right time, but," his voice was still behind me, I heard no steps, that means he wasn't coming any closer. Still there, and talking to me in a relaxed and calm tone. "You've already found it yourself." My heart was beating violently, as was the anticipation welling up inside of me. Tears came out again, wetting my cheeks because the jolt of emotion that was so sharp took over my chest. I don't know what Rhysand will do to me when he see all of this. What I already did. But I'm sure that's a bad thing. Very bad. "And they were crushed." He said again, still in a calm tone that hurt my heart so much, I know that underneath it all, there is a monster that is getting ready to show itself in front of me. "It deserves to be destroyed." I forced out. I've gone into the ocean so deep, denying it won't do anything. Fighting him is the ri