Chapter 4: The Pain of Knowing

{Naomi POV}

“You heard me,” he replied. “You want to stay out of jail? Then sign it. Be my wife. That’s the only way you’ll work off one hundred million under my control. Otherwise—” he stood tall again—“the police are a phone call away.”

I stared at the paper, my tears soaking into the corners of my lips.

MARRIAGE CONTRACT AGREEMENT TO ENZO VITALE

I felt a rush of nausea rise in my throat as I slowly looked away from the paper and met his eyes. The coldness in his gaze was enough to freeze me solid, talk less of staying under the same roof with him.

I tried to imagine the horror, but my brain refused. I shook my head quickly. “No, please. I can’t.”

He turned from me and walked over to his chair, sitting down like a king about to give judgment to a criminal. “Then you’ll go to jail,” he said flatly. “I’ll make sure of that.”

My head ached so badly I thought it would split in two. I didn’t know what to do. My heart screamed for help, but no one was coming. I suddenly wished Chloe was here… no. It was better she wasn’t. If she was, this whole thing could have been worse.

I bit down hard on my lower lip and looked at the paper lying beside me on the cold floor. My eyes scanned the page, and I paused when I saw a line written in bold.

FULL RESPONSIBILITY OF A WIFE

“Full responsibility of a wife?” I whispered to myself, lifting my gaze slowly.

The moment our eyes met, a chill ran through my spine. Enzo’s stare was so intense, so sharp, it felt like it could slice right through my skin.

I had never met anyone whose presence could suck the air out of a room. His face was unreadable, not a flicker of warmth, not even a hint of mercy.

“What… what does that mean?” I asked, my voice shaky. “Full responsibility… what does that mean?”

He leaned forward, his eyes still locked on mine. “You don’t know what it means?” he asked, his voice laced with mockery. “Do you want me to explain it to you?”

He didn’t wait for my answer. Instead, he picked up his phone from the desk, lifting it slowly as his finger hovered over the screen.

“You know what? Forget it. You’re going to jail.”

“No!” I shouted quickly, my voice cracking. I pushed myself up from the floor, wiping the tears from my cheeks. “I agree! I’ll do it—I’ll be your wife.”

He paused, lowering the phone with the same cold expression.

One of the men in black handed me a pen. My hand trembled as I took it, my fingers damp with sweat. My legs barely held me up as I walked to his desk, leaning on the surface for support.

My eyes stared blankly at the contract. My vision blurred, not just from the tears, but from fear. I had never imagined this… never imagined my life turning this way. But I had no choice.

I scribbled my name at the bottom, right next to his, and the moment I lifted the pen, I felt something inside me break.

My hands dropped to my sides. My whole body went cold. I was now the wife of Enzo Vitale.

Feeling helpless, I backed away slowly from the desk, the pen still clutched in my fingers. I tried not to fall apart again, but the tears came rushing back, blurring everything once more.

I had no idea what kind of world I had just walked into.

My eyes landed on a line I hadn’t noticed before, my name written in bold next to another chilling sentence.

"Naomi Ray is to be the legal wife of Enzo Vitale until Enzo no longer wants her. She is to fulfill all marital duties, including his sexual desires."

I gasped quietly.

My chest tightened, and the room began to spin. I couldn’t breathe. My hands shook as I pressed them against the desk, trying to steady myself.

Sexual desires?

I stared at the words again, horrified. What would it be like to lie next to a man so heartless? So cold? My stomach twisted at the thought.

Enzo took the paper off the table and looked at it before handing it to one of the men in the room. He stood up from the chair and walked past me, signaling for one of the men to step forward.

“Take her to one of the rooms,” he ordered his men, his voice low but firm. “And tell the maids to get her ready for the evening party.”

With that, he walked away. I stood there for a while, lost in my thoughts and regret. Why didn’t I listen to Chloe? What have I gotten myself into?

“Miss Ray, please follow me to your room,” a manly voice broke into my thoughts. I sniffled and wiped my tears, trying to steady my racing heart as I followed the man.

We made our way out of the study, with the man leading the way. I wrapped my arms over my chest, following him obediently. We stopped at a door with a knob similar to the one in the study. The man pushed it open, revealing a lavish bedroom.

The room looked like something out of a palace, soft cream walls with gold accents, velvet drapes that touched the floor, and a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. A king-size bed sat in the middle, with carved wooden posts and royal blue sheets that looked untouched. A gold-trimmed vanity stood in one corner, and across from the bed, mounted on the wall, was a black security camera blinking faintly. Another one sat at the top corner near the entrance door, silently watching.

“This is your room. The maid will be at your service soon,” the man said in a stern voice.

I stepped into the room, my eyes locking on the camera near the bed before turning to the man, who was already starting to leave. “Why is there a security camera in the room?” I asked, my voice soft but uneasy.

The man looked at it briefly, then looked back at me. “If you have any questions, I’ll suggest you ask Enzo.” With that, he walked away.

I stood there for a while, staring at the room, wondering why everything felt like it had already been set up, like it was all waiting for my arrival.