002

  CASSANDRA.

  

  I stood in front of the mirror. On my body was a red, curvy, and tight dress. It struck to my body like glue. My hair and makeup was neatly done and now, it was time.

  

  Time to make my appearance in my supposed engagement party. 

  

  “Ma’am, it’s time. Do you wish to be carried, or you want to walk?”

  

  I glared at him, and didn’t bother to respond. 

  

  I walked out the door, and the fresh warm breeze hit my skin. I felt free…at least I had no chains on my hands.

  

  Plenty of guards lined up in the corridor and I walked in the middle until I reached the door. 

  

  It was open ajar and my eyes scanned the hall. 

  People. Not just people, but lots of them. Their gaze landed on me and I could feel them analyzing all the parts of my body.

  

  I stepped into the room, and it even worsened since I could now hear their whispers and murmuring.

  

  “Whose daughter is she?”

  

  “Is the Don’s son really getting married?”

  

  “She looks young.”

  

  I kept on walking, my head high as I locked gaze with one person… Marco. He was standing at the podium, a younger man standing beside him with a frown etched on his face.

  

  Was this his son? That looked like a teenager? 

  

  I swallowed hard and continued walking until I reached the podium and stood beside the younger man. “People, I hereby introduce Cassandra Beckham, my future daughter-in-law.”

  

  They cheered and the sound of their clapping echoed through the hall.

  

  “You’d better put a smile on those faces.” I heard Marco say from behind, but I didn’t care. Instead, I increased the intensity of my frown. 

  

  

  The claps died down, and the guests had started to feast. My mind was already scheming for ways to escape when I felt strong hands grab mine and forced them together with the younger man whom I was yet to know his name. 

  

  

  “You two will behave. Act like couples. Smile. Is that understood?” 

  

  I nodded, but the younger man didn’t say a word or move an inch. “Is that understood, Nathan?” Marco's thunderous voice spoke up again and he nodded.

  

  Nathan. That was his name. 

  

  “Now follow me, let me introduce you to some of my guests.” 

  

  We followed behind him and Nathan leaned towards my ears, “This is just a facade. Always remember that.” He muttered, his voice rough and a frown formed on my face, did he really think I wanted to be with him? Marco glared at us and I instantly plastered a smile on my face. To people it would seem he was whispering sweet-nothings to me, “After this, make sure to stay the hell away from me.”

  

  “The feeling is mutual.” I snapped back, my voice dripping with disdain.

  

  

  We got to one of the guests and the burly man spoke up, “Young lady, introduce yourself.”

  

  

  I cleared my throat quietly before starting, “I’m Cassandra and I’m thri…”

  

  

  “She’s twenty-six years old.” Marco cut in sharply with a laugh and I glared at him.

  

  

  The man nodded, “They are such a good match, 28 and 26. They will make cute babies.”

  

  

  “Yes they will.” Marco responded while Nathan and I kept quiet.

  

  Twenty-eight? 

  What the hell?

  Thanks, goodness gracious this was just a facade.  

  

  “You know for a while we all thought he was actually gay, unknown to us, he had been hiding such a beautiful damsel.” They continued with their talks and my gaze flickered to Nathan who seems to tense up at that topic.

  

  Was he truly gay? 

  Perhaps that was the reason his father forced all this? 

  I heaved a deep breath, none of these were my concern. What I needed was a way to leave these premises. 

  

  We went from one guest to another, and I was already getting exhausted, eventually I smiled tightly before whispering to Nathan, “I need to use the bathroom.”

  

  “Five minutes”. Marco muttered from behind and I resisted the urge to curse at him. 

  

  I had to stay composed, in order for him not to suspect a thing. I walked toward the corridor and when I noticed that no one was behind me, I cornered to the right. While coming to the hall, I had seen people come from there and so there was no harm checking if that was an escape route.

  

  A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I realized it was a staircase, I quickly removed my heels and ran down with much speed. My heart was pounding vigorously as I prayed for no one to recognized me. 

  

  After minutes of running down. I finally reached….a door. 

  

  A smile crept on my face as I opened it. Freedom at last. 

  

  I sighted the gate and quickly ran towards it but just as I was near, I noticed something. 

  

  Guards. 

  Not one…but dozens of them. And on their hands were…armed guns.

  

  I stumbled backwards. 

  Every last hope shrinking from my body. I thought to turn back, and then I hit a hard surface. 

  

  Marco. 

  

  I turned, angry, blazing golden eyes greeted me.

  

  My heart dropped as we locked gaze. 

  

  “What did I tell you about escaping?” He thundered, and a shiver ran down my spine.

  

  “You can’t keep me captive here.” I spat out, before looking around, people were watching, “Your guests are all outside. I’m going to tell them you kidnapped me”.

  

  “Kneel!” He commanded, and I resisted the urge to laugh at the seriousness on his face.

  

  Did he really think I would obey him? 

  

  “I. Said. Kneel!”

  

  “I won’t. What are you going to do about that?” I retorted quickly, my eyes not leaving his. 

  

  He didn’t respond, instead from behind me, I could hear the cocking of guns. 

  

  “They won’t do shit!” I muttered.

  

  “They just need a signal? Do you want to gamble with your life?” He asked, but I still didn’t flinch. 

  

  He wasn’t going to kill me in front of all his guests, that’s what I thought until—Bang!

  

  My heart flew out from my chest as the guard standing next to Marco fell to the ground. I gasped in horror, my heart pounding. 

  

  “For the last time, Kneel!”

  

  My knees collided with the ground, instantly. My hands were trembling as I watched the guards struggle for his life while others watched.

  

  “He is dying.” I voiced out but no one moved an inch. 

  

  They all saw.

  They watched.

  And yet, they did nothing.

  

  I made to move closer to him when guards restrained me and the guard breathed his last. 

  

  A tear slipped from my face, as my gaze returned to Marco. “You killed him!” I said, my voice cracking. 

  

  

  “Oh no. You did. Your stubbornness did. Now, crawl!”

  

  

  “What?”

  

  

  “You heard me,” he said, “Crawl back to the house…like a dog!”

  

  

  Tears stung my eyes, but I wasn’t going to let them fall. I wasn’t going to show him how he was breaking me. 

  

  

  My gaze flickered to the people watching, some of them had smiles on their faces, while other laughed, I could see the eagerness in their eyes.

  

  They were all waiting for me to crawl…like an animal!

  

  The cocking of the gun broke me away from my thoughts and I knew someone else was going to die if I didn’t move. 

  

  

  I bent down on fours and started crawling.

  

  

  Laughters and jeers echoed around me and I put down my head in shame. 

  

  Hatred, anger, frustration filled my bones as their laughter haunted me.

  

  Was this funny to them?

  

  How sick were these motherfuckers?

  

  I reached the front of the house and made to stand when Marco voice echoed from behind me, “Cease her.”

  

  Two guards immediately clamped my arms as they turned me to face him. 

  

  “Chain her. She should sleep in the cold room naked.” He ordered, and my eyes widened in shock, “Please…” I was still saying when he cut me short.

  

  “It’s time you learned the rules. If you don’t have ears to listen, I’ll bend you until you submit!” 

  

  I tried to fight them, I screamed, begged… but it was useless.

  

  The threw me in the room after stripping off my dignity and then…silence