LOGINWhen her brother’s life is buried under a crushing gambling debt, Alina Dusk agrees to marry Dorian Vale—the ruthless black-market king feared across the underworld. The bargain is simple: her brother’s freedom in exchange for her hand. But from the moment their vows are spoken, Dorian reveals a terrifying truth—he has been watching her for years, and now she is his to cage forever. What begins as a marriage of convenience spirals into a dangerous game of obsession, secrets, and betrayal. Alina tries to run, only to discover that Dorian knows her darkest secret: the night she killed a man. Caught in his grip, she becomes both his queen and his prisoner, forced to navigate a world of blood and power where nothing is what it seems. When Alina learns her brother’s debt—and even his betrayal—were part of Dorian’s design, her world shatters. Yet, amid the manipulation, she finds herself carrying his child. As enemies close in, a spy infiltrates her trust, and a tragic miscarriage ignites a mafia war. Torn between love and hatred, freedom and chains, Alina must decide: is Dorian Vale truly her monster—or the only man who can keep her alive
View MoreI crossed my arms. “You can’t just say you’ve been watching me for fifteen years and then laugh about it.”He tilted his head, studying me like I was the one saying something absurd. “You think I could just… ignore you?”“Plenty of people have,” I shot back.“I’m not many people.” His voice was low now, softer, but each word landed heavy. “I saw you once, Alina. That was all it took. And after that, I couldn’t not look for you. Couldn’t not know where you were, who you were with, if you were safe.”I swallowed, my pulse picking up. “That’s not exactly normal, Dorian.”“No,” he agreed, leaning forward until the shadows hid half his face. “It’s not normal. It’s mine. You’re mine. And I wasn’t going to wait for the chance to bring you to me again.”My fingers tightened around the edge of the table. “When was the first time you saw me?”His eyes locked on mine, unblinking. “You were twelve. Standing outside that old bookstore on Greenhill Street. It had just started raining. You didn’t ha
SHIFT SCENE —The day began the way he wanted, not the way I planned.By the time I’d showered and dressed, Dorian was already downstairs, sitting at the head of the long dining table like a king in his own castle. His suit was charcoal, crisp, paired with a dark tie that made his eyes look sharper, colder.“You’re late,” he said, glancing at the watch on his wrist. “It’s eight in the morning,” I muttered, sliding into the chair farthest from him. “And yet, I’ve been waiting thirty minutes for my wife.”I almost reminded him we weren’t married in the way that mattered, but I bit my tongue. That argument would only feed his smugness.A maid appeared, setting a plate in front of me. Eggs, toast, fresh berries — the kind of breakfast that looked better than it tasted, because it reeked of control.“So where exactly is this ‘date number one’ happening?” I asked, stabbing a strawberry. He took his time answering, sipping his coffee like it was the most important decision he’d ever made.
The penthouse was quiet when we came back from the party.Too quiet.“I would be back,” he placed a kiss on my forehead. Dorian disappeared into his office without a word, leaving me to peel off the black dress and toss it over a chair. The echo of whispers from the ballroom still clung to my skin. The Vale bride. Poor girl.I wandered through the halls, trying to memorize the layout. The place was huge—cold glass and dark wood, built to impress but not to comfort.That’s when I found the other office. The door wasn’t locked.It wasn’t like Dorian’s main office, all polished surfaces and legal contracts. This one felt… personal. A single desk, stacks of old books, a globe with yellowed maps.On the desk, under the dim light, was a picture frame. I picked it up.It was me. Fifteen years old, standing outside my school gates, wearing my uniform, my hair in a messy braid. I remembered that day—at least, I thought I did. But I didn’t remember anyone taking my picture.The edges of the
The wedding took less than ten minutes.No flowers. No music. No white dress. Just a lawyer in a grey suit, a fountain pen, and the sharp smell of Dorian Vale’s cologne filling his penthouse office.The view behind him stretched over the whole city, all glass and steel, but my eyes stayed on the table between us—the contract, the marriage license, and a single black pen.“Read it if you like,” Dorian said, his voice low, almost bored. “The terms are simple.”I didn’t need to read it. I already knew the terms:Elias walks free.His debt is erased.I became Mrs. Dorian Vale. Forever.My hand trembled as I picked up the pen. “Why me?”His gaze lifted from the paper to my face. “Because I want you.”The way he said it—calm, certain, like it was a fact carved into stone—sent a shiver down my spine.I signed. My name looked too small beside his bold signature.The lawyer gathered the papers and left without a word. Now it was just the two of us.Dorian leaned back in his chair, studying me












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