CHAPTER 2: Into the Lion's Den

(Helen’s POV)

Every step down the red carpet of the Chicago Cathedral felt like it weighed a ton. The freezing church air sent chills down my arms and up the back of my neck, but the worst part was the burning in my stomach—my gut was completely tied in knots of pure terror. Beneath the thick lace veil, I tried to control my ragged breathing, swallowing the metallic taste of blood that still lingered from my father's assault.

Why did Genna have to run away right now? Why did she have to leave me behind to pay for this damned debt?

I understood her desperation. Genna had been raised inside a glass bubble, watched over by nannies and molded by my father to be the perfect sacrifice. But not me. I fought to go to a normal school, I made friends, and I saved every penny I could in a secret bank account. I was eighteen years old with a million plans. I was supposed to start college next month, to live, to see the world. Instead, my dreams of freedom were murdered the moment my older sister vanished in the dead of night.

Now, instead of focusing on my studies, I was being forced into a marriage. Worse, I had a two-year deadline to get pregnant by a man I had never seen in my life. I was still a virgin. My entire romantic experience amounted to quick, sweet kisses in the school hallways. I knew nothing about sex, and the thought of surrendering my untouched body to a brutal monster terrified me in a way I could barely express.

Ever since our mother passed away fourteen years ago during the birth of my youngest sister, Bianca, our life under Vittorio Rossi’s roof had been an administrative hell. My father never treated us like human beings. To him, Sienna, Bianca, Genna, and I were just breeding fillies—valuable merchandise kept in his private stable to seal deals with Chicago's high society. He had promised to let me finish college first, but that entire promise had gone down the drain.

I glanced through the lace of the veil toward the front pews. My younger sisters were sitting there, lined up. Sienna, sixteen, and Bianca, fourteen. All of us had inherited our mother's striking features: long brown hair and sharp green eyes, bright as jewels. But today, those green eyes were dull, filled with a deep sadness and held-back tears. They knew I was walking into the slaughterhouse in Genna's place.

But I won't surrender, I thought, gripping the bouquet so tightly my knuckles turned white. I still have my saved money. I still have my mind. Damian Vance can lock my body in his mansion, but he will never rule my soul.

Vittorio Rossi squeezed my forearm tighter, signaling that we were reaching the altar steps. The instrumental music began to fade, and a heavy silence fell over the cathedral.

The man with his back to me finally began to turn around.

My heart skipped a beat. My legs faltered for a fraction of a second. I expected to find a strange, old, or deformed man who matched his sadistic reputation, but reality hit me like a punch to the chest.

Damian Vance was, without a doubt, the most beautiful and intimidating man I had ever seen in my life.

He was massive. While I stood at only 5'5", he easily cleared 6'1", with broad shoulders and a commanding posture that radiated absolute power. The tailored black suit looked molded onto an extremely strong, muscular frame. His face looked carved from marble, with a sharp jawline covered by a dark, perfectly groomed beard.

More than his physical beauty, what truly paralyzed me were his eyes. A gélid, piercing, cutting blue, framed by thick eyebrows that gave him a permanently dangerous expression. There was no warmth in that gaze. There was only a cold arrogance—the look of a predator who knew exactly that he owned everything around him. Including me.

When I stopped before him, the contrast was brutal. I was short, voluptuous, and trembling, while he towered over me like an insurmountable wall. His gaze swept down my body, evaluating the tight wedding dress, before locking directly onto my eyes.

My father let go of my arm, stepping back with a cynical smile, leaving me completely alone in the lion's den. Damian took a step forward, closing the distance until I could catch the scent of his expensive cologne mixed with notes of leather. He raised his large, steady hand, slowly bringing his fingers to the edge of my veil, and flipped the lace fabric back to fully reveal my face.

Our eyes locked. In that split second, a violent shiver ran down my entire spine. He stared deep into my pupils, absorbing my image, and I knew he realized instantly that I wasn't Genna.

Without saying a single word to the guests, he reached out and grabbed my arm to position us before the altar. His fingers gripped the exact spot where my father had dug his claws minutes ago. A gasp of pain escaped my lips before I could stop it. My face contorted, but Damian didn't loosen his grip, nor did he show any reaction. He simply ignored my suffering, keeping his eyes focused ahead.

For the next few minutes, I turned into a statue. A complete block of ice. I was conscious only of the massive presence of the man beside me and the overwhelming fear trying to suffocate my chest.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest's voice finally broke my trance. "You may kiss the bride."

The panic returned with full force. Oh my God, I thought, feeling my hands sweat cold against the bouquet.

I looked up hesitantly. Damian turned to me, his icy blue eyes fixed on my lips. He took a step forward, letting his shadow cover me completely. Before I could react, his large, heavy hand moved up, burying his fingers firmly into the hair at the nape of my neck, pulling my head slightly back.

The kiss wasn't romantic. It was just a firm, hard, possessive peck. The heat of his lips against mine made my entire body tense.

When he pulled away, his hand slid rapidly down to my waist, gripping the corset tightly enough to pull my curvy frame flush against his rigid body. He leaned in, pressing his lips right against my ear. His voice came in a low, raspy, cruel whisper, audible only to me:

"You better loosen up that body, Helen. Because tonight, I’m going to fuck you every dynamic way possible. You are mine."

His words hit me like an electric shock. I paralyzed completely, the air vanishing from my lungs as he pulled back with the same cold expression as before, ready to drag me out of that church like his newest piece of property.