Chapter 7

Eden staggered as she tried to rise, her body trembling in pain, her breath uneven, and tears already streaming down her cheeks. Every part of her ached, but she forced herself upright, clutching the wall for dear life.

Jace stood in front of her with that dark, ice-cold, hollow gaze he reserved for her. He didn’t flinch or soften as he watched her struggle as though she were some lifeless object in his way.

When she managed to stand at last, the words that left his mouth left her frozen in shock.

“Don’t waste any more of my time. Go into the kitchen and prepare the food I asked for.”

Her eyes widened. Pain, confusion, and disbelief fought for space on her mind and face. She was bleeding from her nose, a cut split across her forehead, and blood was trailing slowly down her skin, yet by some miracle, the life inside her remained untouched. And still, even in her broken state, he demanded she cook.

“Please, let me change first. At least let me treat these injuries,” Eden pleaded, her voice raw and desperate. Her lips trembled as tears rolled freely.

“Take your worthless self into the kitchen!” He barked, his voice echoing through the house.

“Please, Jace,” she whispered again, trying to reach whatever humanity was left in him.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” He thundered, his tone laced with threat.

Fear shot through her, and she stepped back instinctively, whimpering.

“I married a beast.” She muttered under her breath.

His head snapped toward her sharply, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

“What the hell did you just say?”

But before she could respond, dizziness crashed over her like a wave, stealing her balance. Darkness enveloped her, and she collapsed heavily to the floor.

***

“Eden!” Jace roared, storming up the stairs. His steps were heavy and impatient, each thud echoing through the big house. When she heard him yelling, she opened the door and waited for him, her slender frame draped in a robe.

“What took you so long?” He lashed out, obviously furious.

“I—I’m sorry,” Eden whispered, lowering her gaze and trying to make herself smaller than she already was.

He glared at her with disdain. This weakness, this constant apologizing, was one of the reasons he despised her. She was too soft and fragile, always ready to take anything, and he hated her for it.

“Make me a cup of coffee.” He ordered and brushed past her, storming away to his own room.

Her throat tightened with unspoken words. She longed to snap back, to tell him to make his own damned coffee, to stop treating her like a servant. But the thought of what he might do to her, and worse, to her unborn child, struck terror into her.

Dragging her weary body, Eden descended the stairs and slipped into the kitchen. The night had only just granted her the mercy of sleep after hours of tossing and turning, and now it was stolen again. Jace wouldn’t let her have peace, nor would he let her sleep. Resentment burned inside her chest, but fear silenced it.

Minutes later, she carried a tray with his coffee, dark, bitter, and unsweetened, just like him. She balanced it carefully in one hand, nudging open his door with the other.

The door suddenly jerked open from the inside. Jace had pulled it so forcefully that she lost her footing, falling hard to the polished wooden floor. The tray clattered, and the steaming coffee spilled across her chest and thighs, soaking her robe.

“Ahhh!” Eden screamed, the burning liquid searing her exposed skin.

Her robe slipped further, revealing the bra and shorts she wore beneath. Blisters rose instantly where the scalding drink touched.

Jace didn’t move or attempt to help her. He simply stood in the doorway, staring down at her like she was nothing, like she was some unwanted stain on his life.

“Move!” He ordered as he brushed past her.

She dragged herself out of his way, her body shaking, tears streaming down uncontrollably. Without another word, he stepped over her and walked away, already dressed to go out, his cologne trailing strongly behind him.

It was at that moment that Tessa rushed up the stairs, her heart dropping at the sight of her boss crumpled in pain on the floor. She fell to her knees beside her.

“My God, Ma’am, your skin is burnt. You’re bleeding too!” Tessa exclaimed, panic and sorrow etched on her face. “I’ll get the first aid box right away.”

Within minutes, Tessa returned, tending to Eden’s burns with gentle, practiced hands. But as the sting of antiseptic bit into her wounds, Eden escaped from her reality and drifted away into memories that were no less painful.

***

It was three days after their wedding, and she had slipped on the marble staircase, fainting from the fall. When she awoke, there had been no trace of tenderness or concern from Jace. She realized that he hadn’t carried her to safety or called a doctor or even attempted to check if she was still breathing. Instead, he had revived her the best way he knew, by dousing her with a bucket of icy water.

Still drenched, her body aching and her wet clothes clinging to her skin, she had been forced into the kitchen. There, sobbing, exhausted, and shivering, she cooked for him, her hands trembling over the pot. Jace ate without speaking to her or appreciating her effort. It should have told her how much misery to expect, but somehow, she hoped for something good from the marriage.

***

Hours later, Jace drove his black Maserati through the night, heading for his parents’ estate. His mind replayed the look on Eden’s face earlier, that broken gaze she had given him as he walked past her on the floor.

Why did it bother him? Was this guilt? And why was he even thinking about Eden?

He clenched the wheel tighter until his knuckles turned white. He wasn’t heartless; at least, he didn’t believe he was. People often mistook his nonchalance and undiluted focus for business as cruelty. But he had always thought of himself as disciplined, not monstrous. So why and how did she always manage to bring out this side of him?

He knew the answer; Eden could never be his wife in any way. She was gentle, yes, and beautiful in a quiet way, but what he needed was a woman of power, a woman who understood and knew how to handle influence. Someone like Sky, sophisticated and commanding, someone with class and pedigree. Eden was painfully plain in comparison to Sky. It was an insult even to compare them.

He rolled his car to a stop near the brightly lit courtyard of his parents’ mansion. When the door opened, he saw that his mother had hired a new maid.

“Good evening, Mr. Jace,” she said a little too cheerfully, and he realized she was another starstruck girl, only that she had some restraint.

“Are my parents in?” he asked curtly, stepping inside.

“In the study,” she replied, eyes lingering on him.

Ignoring her entirely, he made his way down the grand hallway and knocked before stepping into the study. Both his parents looked up, and the moment their eyes fell on him, he saw surprise spread through their features.

“Good evening, Mom, Dad.” He said, sitting beside his mother, who was helping his father sort through files.

What he saw in his mother only solidified his earlier thought: Eden could never be like her. Refined. Educated. A woman of presence.

“What a surprise, Jace,” Gretchen said dryly, making no effort to hide her annoyance. She hadn’t forgiven him for the way he treated Eden, especially after Tessa had called her earlier, worried he might destroy the poor girl.

“Mom?” He said, reaching to clasp her hand. The sincerity on his face startled her. “I’m sorry for what happened the other day.”

Both his parents grew still. Jace had never apologized before, not to anyone, not even when he was clearly at fault, which was often. And now, he spoke with a modesty they had never seen from him.

“Please, I need to talk to you,” he added, his tone unusually pleading.

His father leaned forward, curious to hear why Jace had suddenly turned modest. “We’re listening.”

Jace stood abruptly, pacing. His composure slipped as he raked his hand through his carefully styled hair.

“I think—I’m becoming someone else. I don’t recognize myself, and I don’t understand why.”

“Why do you believe that?” Gretchen asked gently, hope rising in her chest.

“Because of how I’ve been with Eden. I’m always harsh with her; I can’t seem to stop myself. And all I keep thinking is, why her? Why would you force me into this marriage? Out of all the women in the world, why a maid? Why someone beneath us, when you knew I was with Sky?” His frustration was clear.

“Sit down, Jace,” his mother urged. And when he did, she finally told him the truth, the real reason they had arranged for him to be married to Eden.

Long past midnight, Jace drove back home, his mind going over what his parents had revealed. He entered the house quietly, the silence heavy. Still sober and knowing she would be asleep, he checked Eden’s room, quietly opening the door. He found her curled beneath her sheets, her face softened in sleep despite the earlier torment. He lingered for a moment, only staring at her, before he closed the door and slipped back to his own room opposite hers.

***

Jace woke the following morning with a start. It was the buzzing of his phone that woke him. He checked, and it was Kyrell calling.

“Still asleep?” Kyrell asked when Jace finally answered the phone.

“Obviously. What’s so important?”

“Don’t forget tomorrow’s dinner with the partners.” Kyrell reminded.

“Do I really have to bring my wife?” Jace asked.

“Yes. It’s mandatory. Everyone will attend with their spouses.”

“Fine. Have Jane book a stylist.”

“Alright.”

After the call, Jace left his room and knocked on Eden’s door, but got only silence. He opened it but found no one.

He descended the stairs and found her in the dining room, quietly setting the table for his breakfast. Her head was bowed, and stray strands of brown hair came to her forehead. This was the first time he would see her calm, without any fear on her face.

Something in him stilled, and for the first time, he found himself watching her, not with disdain, but with a strange, unsettling ache. He didn’t notice Tessa stepping out of the kitchen until she greeted him.

“Good morning, Mr. Bellamy.”