chapter fifteen

"You see, Bella, your father is not whom you think he is, unfortunately. He’s just a wolf a cold-blooded monster, almost like me, but far worse. Because of his cold-hearted greed, he turned me into the man I am today. Yet, I must give him credit for that, or else I would have been a pathetic, weak man. He saw danger coming, yes, but it came with deadly consequences, didn’t it, Mr. White?" Riven asked, his tone sharp, his stare dead as he walked toward Bella and stood close too close, enough to irritate Mr. White.

“Step away from my daughter, Riven. She has nothing to do with this,” Mr. White muttered through clenched teeth, his fists tightening.

“Oh, oh—” Riven mockingly gasped. “It’s unfair, isn’t it? Unfair because now it’s happening to your daughter, mmm? You’re just lucky I’m only ruining her life. Otherwise, I would have ruined you and your entire bloodline just as you destroyed mine. You eliminated my whole family, and it’s unfair, Mr. White! Every action you take has its consequences. Your childishness will bear your sins, and I will make sure of that!” he yelled, the last line echoing with venom that made Bella flinch in fear.

What are they talking about? What does this mean?

My father isn’t capable of such things. He would never... He’s a goofy man, a good man. Bella thought to herself, her heart refusing to accept the truth but one look at her father’s face, and fear crept in.

“Tell her, Mr. White. Tell her how you destroyed my life. Tell her how all of this is your fault! Tell her!” Riven shouted, unable to control his emotions as flashes of his past tore through his mind the night Mr. White slaughtered his entire family and left him bleeding on the floor. He could still see that smirk on Mr. White’s face before throwing the empty gun at his feet and walking away.

The atmosphere thickened.

“I said, tell her, Mr. White! Don’t waste my time!” Riven roared, pulling out a gun from his waist and pointing it at Bella. His hand grabbed a fistful of her hair, forcing a small cry from her throat as she whimpered in pain. Instantly, all of Mr. White’s soldiers raised their guns at Riven.

Ace stood swiftly, his reflex sharp, pointing his own gun straight at Mr. White.

“Tell them to put their guns down, or we all go down,” Ace muttered, his tone low, deadly, commanding.

At that moment, Mr. White knew he was defeated.

“Put the guns down,” he ordered. His voice trembled, and his eyes were bloodshot with rage and fear.

Riven smirked coldly. “I see you won’t tell her, will you?” He clicked the gun, ready to fire. Bella’s trembling hands clutched her chest as she cried, her face pale, her body shaking.

“Wait—wait, please, please! I’ll talk!” Mr. White shouted desperately.

Bella’s world felt as if it was falling apart. Her heart, her soul, her spirit all shattered. She felt forsaken, lost, abandoned by her God. Why am I here? Why me?

“Bella, my princess…” Mr. White began, his voice quivering.

Riven rolled his eyes.

“I… I am a mafia man. I’ve killed, destroyed families all so I could give you gold and riches, everything you wanted…” His words broke mid-sentence. Bella took a shaky step back, the small distance closing between her and Riven. The moment her shoulder brushed his arm, Riven’s heartbeat stumbled. His pulse raced.

“Tell her how you destroyed my family, Mr. White. Tell her!” Riven snapped again, his gun still aimed at Bella. His grip was iron, but Bella was beyond feeling pain now. She was numb.

“I… I killed his entire family. But my princess, if I didn’t, they would have destroyed us. Please… please don’t be angry, my princess. Please…” Mr. White begged, tears streaming down his face.

Riven slowly loosened his hold on Bella. Mr. White tried to step closer, but Riven’s voice stopped him cold.

“Don’t you dare step closer to her. She belongs to me now,” Riven said firmly.

Bella turned to look at him, disbelief washing over her. Belongs to him? I’m nobody’s property.

“Your father must have forgotten to tell you, since old age clouds his memory,” Riven said mockingly, pulling out a folded document. “Here the marriage certificate. Your father agreed to it. You’ll see his signature right there. You don’t have a choice, Bella. You either sign… or your sister dies.”

My sister? Bella’s eyes widened. Lilly?

Riven’s voice dripped with venom. “You see, Mr. White, I’m always ten steps ahead. I knew she might refuse, so while you paraded with your thousand guards, I made sure a few were left behind to protect your sweet, naïve daughter Lilly. But it wasn’t that hard to find her. She’s as easy and foolish as you are.”

Riven smirked darkly.

“So, Bella, you have a choice. Sign the papers… or say goodbye to your sister.” He placed a phone on the table. The screen showed Lilly blindfolded, tied to a chair, trembling in fear.

Bella collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Ace looked away, guilt twisting in his chest. This wasn’t what he’d signed up for. Riven had promised no harm just fear, a bluff to make Mr. White crumble. But this… this was cruel, even for Riven.

Yet how could he stop his best friend? Riven was consumed by vengeance, by pain, by a pride that had devoured his soul.

“You have two minutes, Bella,” Riven said coldly. “Decide your sister’s fate. Tick… tick…”

Bella stared at the contract through her tears. This wasn’t just a paper it was a chain. Signing it meant agreeing to live in darkness. To belong to a monster. To sacrifice her freedom for her sister’s life.

Betrayal crushed her heart. Her soul screamed. How could she eat, sleep, or breathe in a house built on innocent blood? How could she marry the man who ruined her family or was he just the mirror of the monster her father once was?

“One minute, Bella,” Riven said, his voice low, impatient. “Tick… tick…”

She thought of Lilly her twin, her mirror. They fought often, yes, but Bella knew pain made Lilly cruel, not hate. Deep down, they still loved each other.

“Sign it, Bella, or both of you are gone,” Riven warned, raising his gun again.

Bella no longer felt fear. Only heartbreak. Her hands trembled as she picked up the pen. The ink trembled with her tears as she signed her name.

A forced marriage.

A broken vow.

A shattered soul.

This was not how she ever imagined love to begin.

“Good,” Riven said, his voice emotionless. “Ace, see that these people leave the mansion. And Mr. White—” his smirk returned “nice doing business with you.”

He turned and walked away.

“Bella—” Mr. White started, but Ace cut him off sharply.

“You heard him. I’m sure she doesn’t want to see you. Please, leave.”

Mr. White glared at them one last time. “This isn’t over,” he muttered, his voice shaking with hatred as he turned and walked away, his men following behind him.