23

"No," Arabella whimpered, her voice trembling with fear and desperation.

With a violent shove, Mason hurled her forcefully to the ground, the impact knocking the breath from her lungs as she crumpled into a helpless heap on the cold floor.

"I won't end you now because we're in the hospital," he snarled, his eyes ablaze with unbridled rage.

Cowering in the corner of the room, Arabella trembled as she braced herself for what would come next. "But know this, Arabella," Mason's voice dripped with malice. "You were on the verge of earning my trust and kindness. Almost. Now, you will endure a hell unlike anything you've ever known in this marriage."

Mason loomed over Arabella, his figure cast in ominous shadows as he prowled around the room like a predator circling its prey. With each step, his presence seemed to suffocate the air.

"You thought you could deceive me, did not you?" Mason's voice was laced with disdain, his eyes ablaze with a twisted combination of fury and satisfaction. "You