4

Aspen

“…..she looks just like her. The resemblance is uncanny. I already sent her blood sample to Andrea.” Those were the first words I heard once my eyes fluttered open. My vision blurred as I struggled to process what he was saying.

“Has everything been put to place? Good. She is ready and I will send the signatures to you once everything is finalized. That should be enough proof that I'm married and settled down. It is convincing enough.”

“Words should not get out about Aspen’s identity. No one needs to know who my bride is. Nothing should go wrong.” I heard a beep sound and then I flinched.

I was in a bed. In a room. The last thing I remembered was getting drugged by Killian and then I woke up with a very bad headache to hear him making a call. A call that was about me.

I quickly stood up and ran out of the bed like I had been zapped by electricity and lo and behold, Killian was standing by the door of the room that I was in.

“Where am I?” I demanded. I knew that I was in a different house. The ceilings were high and the room looked very exquisite and different.

“In your new home. You are now mine, Aspen. Your father already sold you off and I wrote him a check of $500k exactly three hours ago. So behave.” I felt a tight feeling in the depths of my stomach and I silently wished that I was still sleeping and that everything was a dream.

“Don't do this. You did not give me any money. You gave my father the money. Settle yourself with him, not me!!” I yelled and it was then that I realized that I was barefoot. My shoes? My money? I hid my $2k there.

“Where are my shoes? I had money there. Where are my shoes??” I yelled at the top of my voice. I needed that money.

“I don't accept trash in my house. I threw it away, along with those rags that your father brought. How do you wear those?” I fumed, almost turning red. A lot of things happened when I was asleep.

“You drugged me!!” I screamed. I would never have allowed my father to accept that money if I were awake.

“You were being too loud and I will be tempted to tie you up if you misbehave. Start getting used to this place. And I can show you the papers where your father signed that he willingly handed you over as your guardian. Speaking about signatures—” he pulled out some papers that I didn't even notice that he had been holding.

“I want to leave.” He ignored my words, but instead threw the papers at me, and then he threw a pen as well. My brows furrowed at him. I caught the papers.

“I said that I want to leave. Did you ever hear me requesting stupid papers?” I hissed at him, anger evident in my eyes.

“You should at least read it.” He sounded so full of himself. So cocky and insolent. Like he owned and controlled the world.

I angrily opened the papers that were bound together and my eyes almost fell out of the sockets. It was truly a marriage certificate.

“I know that you are not dumb Aspen. Sign it!” I stared down at the paper and then I began to read the words. It was a marriage certificate between Aspen Vale and Killian Davenport.

“You have to be joking.” I began to tear the paper into tiny pieces. “You take me against my will and then give this to me. You should be at a joke house.” I threw the papers at Killian. He smirked.

“I have two. I knew that you would do this.” Just when he finished speaking, a man walked to the entrance of the room and he was holding a file. He gave it to Killian and then left.

“You are going to sign these papers. It's either you get married to me or I kill you.”

I scoffed. “Then kill me!!” He took me against my will and then expected me to just agree to marry him. It would never happen even in a million lifetimes.

“Sadly, I don't want to do that.” There was a sly smile on his lips. “You will sign these papers, Aspen.” He sounded so confident in himself. “I'm not a nice man. Don't push this. I can use very dangerous methods to get what I want.”

“And what do you want that you are doing this?”

“You.” came his reply. He could literally get any woman that he wanted.

“Sign these papers or I'll kill your mother.” He said the words so casually and sweat broke out on my forehead. “You are too precious to die.” He spoke like a maniac.

“Your mother is not. Sign those marriage papers, live with me or I'll kill her. Just a phone call and my men will kill her.” he stated and I just kept blinking in disbelief.

“You cannot do this.”

“I will not do it if you sign the papers." Then he threw the said papers at me. I did not catch the papers, but they fell to the ground.

“I am not signing them!” I stood my ground. I did not want to get married. I was not ready to get married. Especially not when I was just 20. I still had a whole life ahead of me.

Killian shrugged, “We both know who will pay the price. I will kill your mother and bring her corpse right here to watch you cry over her before I ask my men to take her away and dump her body. I still will not let you go and your father will be left to enjoy all that money.”

“You are stuck with me for now.” I glared hard at Killian. He looked like a monster. One who had lost his mind. There was no humanity in his eyes.

“I hate you.”

“Feelings really don't matter sometimes, Aspen.” he smiled wickedly. “If I return and those marriage papers are not yet signed, your mother dies.”

“I suggest you start thinking. I might return in the next 29 minutes.” He began to walk away but I ran after him.

“Killian, come here!!” He never stopped and I did not stop either. I ran after Killian but after the bastard stepped out of the room, he slammed the door in my face. “Killian!!!”