CHAPTER 1: A HUSBAND’S BETRAYAL

"Jeez, Elena… are you getting fat? No wonder Kanan can barely look at you.”

My sister’s voice sliced through the front hall before I even stepped over the threshold. She was leaning against the marble railing, her eyes dragged over my body like I was trash that was being dragged through her perfect world.

“Honestly, you should take care of yourself better, Lena. You know the man you married is hot cake. It’s only a matter of time before he replaces you with a trophy that actually makes an effort.”

I pause with one foot inside my childhood home and let her words slide over me like water on a duck’s back. My older sister has always been like this. She was the spoiled, pretty, and sociable one that everyone liked, but that never seemed to be enough for her, because all my life was filled with trying to belittle me.

“Hello to you too, Bianca,” I murmured, clenching my fist to keep my anger under control.

My mother appeared at the top of the grand staircase, barely concealing the irritation on her face. “Elena, darling,” she said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You should’ve called. I would have told the staff to prepare something… appropriate.”

‘Appropriate. ’ Because I’m a guest in my own home.

“No need, mom,” I replied, as I quickly crossed the large foyer. “I’m just here to see Maria.”

I walked past my father’s study, and he called out to me from the open door.

“Elena. Good thing you’re here. I need to talk to you.” He didn't even look up from the poker cards scattered across his table. “I need you to ask your husband to double the monthly allowance.”

“But dad, he already—”

“I don’t care what he already does,” he snapped, slamming a hand against the table. “Tell him it’s for the Cruz estate renovations or something.”

“Is that what you’re calling gambling debts now?” I muttered under my breath.

“Since you can’t get pregnant, you can at least be useful and get money.” He continued carelessly.

Right… useful.

Because my body, my womb, and my life were all bargaining chips to these people I called family.  None of them cared that I was married to the devil to save their ass. All they cared about was what they could keep gaining from the imprisonment I called a marriage.

I nodded and slipped away from him, bile rising in my throat as I headed toward the only part of this house that ever felt like a home.

The servants’ quarters.

As soon as I push through the side door, warmth hit me like a blanket.

“Lena!” Rosa gasps, rushing over and crushing me in a hug. “We’ve missed you since you abandoned us here for your new home.”

“Don’t give her shit. If I had a man that looked like hers, I would also abandon everything.” Tomas scolded her, pressing a warm mug of ginger tea into my hands even though I didn’t ask. “You look tired, niña. How are you?”

I smiled, feeling myself relax. They have always been my true family.

Maria, the housekeeper, appeared, wiping flour from her hands before pulling me into the tightest hug of the bunch. “My sweet niña,” she murmured. “You look pale. Let’s go to my place.”

Inside her small room, I sat on her bed, rubbing my hands together to fight off the tremor. She was the only one in the house who understood how my marriage really was.

Maria studied me for a few seconds before saying softly, “Tell me.”

I opened my mouth. Closed it, then opened it again. “I’m pregnant.”

She gasped. “Oh, sweetheart.”

Tears stung the corners of my eyes, but I blinked them back violently. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to leave one day after my father’s debts had been settled.”

Maria sat beside me, holding my trembling hands.

“A child ties me to him forever,” I whispered tearfully. And my family…. God, they’ll suck that baby dry before it’s even born.”

Maria cupped my face. “Then run anyway.”

I looked up sharply.

“You still can,” she insisted. “You don’t have to stay with him or this family. You could take the baby and go. Live the life you wanted.”

Hope flickered inside me. She was right, I could abandon all this and go live the life I have always wanted away from all this. The life I buried when I married Kanan Maddox.

Suddenly, the crack of gunfire split the air.

My heart slams against my ribs. “Is Papa having any shooting games today?”

Rosa shook her head. “No.”

There were more shots, this time followed by the sound of dull thuds, and muffled screaming from the main house.

“What the…?”

We ran out of the room to meet chaos.

The door was open, with everyone running out, but as soon as they did, they were shot down.

This wasn't some random attack. Had the council finally decided to ignore the fact that we were under the Harbingers' protection and come to take their revenge?

Before my brain could boot, armed, masked men flooded in.  

My heart stopped when I saw someone wearing a black leather jacket marked with a skull wrapped in flaming chains.

The Harbinger MC insignia.

My blood went ice cold. No. No. No.

Maria shoved. “Run!” Then she grabbed a knife, running at them.

But a bullet hit her before she could reach any.

Her body collapsed, falling into me.

Warm blood gushed across my arms, and I froze in horror. “Maria… no…. please.”

Then something inside me snapped.

I grabbed her knife and hurled myself up towards the attackers, slashing wildly.

I managed to catch one across the throat, then, using the distraction, I ran breathlessly back toward the main house.

There were bodies everywhere.

Servants. Guards. Even the pets. They spared no one.  

I skid to a stop as I burst into the living room. My mother was dead on the stairs, my father lay just by his office doorway. And  Bianca… God… Bianca’s face was slack, shock frozen on her face forever.

A fresh shot rang behind me, and something punched through my back.

I stumbled as pain slammed into me, I slipped on my father’s blood and fell to the floor.

As I lay there, my vision blurring in red haze, one of the assassins came and stood over me, unmasked.

I stopped breathing.

It was my husband, Kanan.

His face was cold, devoid of any emotion as he looked down at me, his gun pointing to my head.

“Kanan...” I choked out, pressing my bloody hand to my stomach as I thought of my baby. “Please… stop. I’m pregnant.”

He paused and tilted his head, then a dark, devilish smirk painted his face. “All the better.” He said in a cold voice.

I felt the final, catastrophic shock, not from the bullet that was coming, but from the realization that I had wasted my body, my love, and my pain on a monster. “… why?” I whispered, the hatred so pure it burned away my tears. 

He only shrugged then the muzzle flashed.

As the darkness swallowed me whole, the vision of his cold, dead eyes was replaced by the first day I ever saw him… the day he signed the marriage papers and officially took ownership of my life.