A Wife For Seven Days

Tiana's palms scraped against the cold marble as she clung to the wall, struggling to keep herself upright.

Everything was against her.

The corridor seemed to be titling ahead to her dismay and her legs were not helping either.

Her breathing was fast , coupled with innate fear; her heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.

Tiana blinked, but the lights above swam and blurred into starbursts.

“It’s useless, my dear niece. The drug is already in your blood. Soon you won’t even know where your mind ends. And your body..." her uncle scoffed," You can run, but you’ll end up in this room only and in my arms.”

Just behind her, Tony's voice sliced through the door she had just slammed.

He was right: the drug was no longer subtle. It was in her blood now, hot and relentless. Her skin prickled as though charged with electricity.

Tiana could hear the echoes of his vicious laughter. Its menacing tune wormed its way into her spine.

The hallway was empty — as it had been since her 18th birthday celebration began around 10pm.

The Richardson Hotel, her family's pride and the empire her father had spent decades building, now felt like a hollow shell.

The chandeliers still burned gold and the plush carpet gleamed under the lights, but there were no guests, no staff , only... silence.

It was all part of Tony's plan. She should have realized it when he insisted on inviting only "close family" and "trusted friends".

Now she understood:his friends, their escorts and her — his prize.

"Tia--na... daddy is com--ing to get you princess..." Tiana's chest twitch with fear. Her breath fogged the air as she staggered down the corridor.

Every closed door felt like a face turned away, smirking at her helplessness.

"O...open the door... anyone..." Her voice was barley beyond whisper.

Even in her hazy mind, she could hear the footsteps of her uncle approaching.

She turned every door knob but all were empty — except—one.

That felt strange. Every reservation had been cancelled according to her uncle and the doors were locked.

But this one ?

Her instincts screamed to question why but her legs swiftly made the decision for her. Tiana stumbled inside, slamming it shut with her fingers trembling on the knob.

Her vision blurred and the walls seemed to close in. Yet, the air inside was warmer and felt safer than outside, faintly tinged with the scent of smoke and whiskey.

Whoever had been there before had left a presence in the room—or perhaps it was the man now sitting, gazing at her with sharp briskness.

“You’re finally here.” Ocean-blue eyes locked onto Tiana, his voice rough, clearly affected by the whisky he had drunk.

She barely noticed it until he stepped closer.

His large, rough hand clamped around her waist before she could pull away.

“What... no one told you I hate waiting?”

A gasp tore from Tiana's lips as he drew her forward, her body crashing against not a wall but the solid, unyielding strength of muscle beneath a white silky fabric.

The heat from him rolled into her. Her hands searched for steadiness, landing on firm surfaces—chest, ribs, the subtle rise and fall of breath.

“I... I’m not— who...” Her words caught.

He chuckled and the sound low yet vibrating through his chest to her hands.

“He said you’re beautiful, but I wasn’t expecting…” His voice faltered as his eyes dropped briefly, then returned to meet hers.

A door slammed outside. Tony’s footsteps drew nearer. She could hear him calling out her name in anger. "Where the hell is she?! Find her!"

Now she was caught in-between. Tiana could do nothing but tremble in vain.

"Do I make you tremble?..." Close to her cheek, his breath was warm, tinged with the sting of alcohol.

His fingers grazed her jaw, tilting her face upward. His eyes were shadowed, inscrutable, though unlike Tony’s, not predatory. Glassy and unfocused, he was drunk—perhaps more than drunk.

She should pull away. Every shred of sense told her to run, to scream. But her limbs felt weighted, her pulse thrumming too fast. The heat in her veins wasn’t fear alone — the drug was twisting her senses, making his closeness feel like solace rather than threat.

“I was told to expect someone... different,” he murmured, “but I suppose the night had other plans.”

Tiana's heart leapt. Was he waiting for her? Or was she a mistake—an intruder stepping into someone else’s fate?

Now, she understood the looseness in his posture. The way he held her—not violently, but possessively, as though he had long awaited this moment.

Somewhere deep inside, she knew she had seconds before she lost whatever grip she still had on reality. Seconds before the drug would make every choice for her.

“I'm... I'm Tiana. I'm not—” she began, but his face was already close, his breath mingling with hers.

“Nice name,” he said, almost absently. “But it’s not needed.”

His voice trailed off as he leaned in shutting Tiana up before she could say anymore. His nearness overwhelmed her.

The warmth he radiated disoriented her. Her mind screamed that this was wrong, yet the drug urged her to stay. Her skin tingled beneath his touch melting into the bittersweet comfort of his presence.

His hand slid from her arm to her waist, steadying her as her knees threatened to give. His thumb brushed lightly against her hip through the thin fabric of her dress and it sent shivers spiraling upward, scattering her thoughts.

“You’re still trembling,” he whispered, and this time, she silenced him.

Tiana pulled him in leaving no space for air to pass in-between their lips.

It was a moment of hunger, need, and something deeper—his loneliness clawing for solace, her drugged veins begging for release.

Her fingers were swifter than it's ever been unbuttoning his shirt.

Within seconds, fabric slid from his shoulders, pooling at his feet, and her arms wrapped possessively around his neck.

When he guided her into the room, her legs moved because his hands told them to but her mind was ready to go anywhere he asked her to.

Beyond the pounding of her pulse, she caught the faintest sound— her uncle was raging outside.

No fear, no hesitation. Only the storm of sensation—the press of his lips, the heat of their skins—only the pleasures from the lips that explore every inch of her skin on the bed was within reach.

The drug whispered lies to her nerves, making her believe this was safety.

And then —

Darkness, not of unconsciousness, but of a mind slipping beneath the tide.

His arms around her, holding her steady. His scent in her lungs. The low rumble of his voice close to her ear, saying words she couldn’t quite catch.

The rest dissolved into sensation, into the blur between danger and comfort and her uncle's voice trailing into the dimness.

And Tiana, still caught between fear and something she couldn’t name, knew the night wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.

****

When Tiana woke up the next morning, he was gone. Not even a clue to the man who had just taken her purity.

But, he left a trace: a bundle of money and a note that read,

"You suck at your job!"