Married To A Blind Stranger

Chapter Two

RAIN

I was a fool. A damn fool for believing Reina, my stepsister, was actually pregnant. That had been her excuse for backing out of this marriage, and I swallowed it whole. But the bigger fool in me had believed my stepmother’s drama too—the wailing, the clutching of pearls, the “Rain, you must save our family!”

There was no doubt now. They knew. They knew this man—the stranger standing next to me at the altar—was blind. And that was precisely why they shoved me into this mess instead of their precious Reina.

Lies.

All of it.

There was no confusion, no hesitation on their faces when he—this stranger I was supposed to call my husband—reached out blindly, his hand searching the air for mine. His fingers fumbled, missing my hand even though it was right in front of him. My stepmother and Reina didn’t flinch, didn’t blink, didn’t act surprised like I was. Why would they? They knew he was blind. That was why I was here. That was why they pushed me into this marriage instead.

I forced my trembling hand back into his, and his fingers closed around mine. His grip was firm, steady, as if he wasn’t the one drowning in the dark.

But I was. I really was.

The priest continued speaking, his words blurring into a dull hum. My chest tightened with every passing second. This wasn’t what I had imagined. Not the man. Not the moment. Not this.

When I imagined the man I wanted to get married to, I imagined him to have the pair of eyes that whispers love and affection, a man who would look at me like I was his entire world. But this man had none of that… he didn’t even see me. All I could see in those eyes of his were darkness and stillness.

The priest turned to him first, asking him to recite his vows.

“I, Enzo Salvatore DeLuca, take you…”

His voice hit me like a fist to the gut, low and rough, like whiskey poured over gravel. It was a voice that could make promises sound like sins and sins sound like salvation. The kind of voice that made my stomach twist into tight knots, an ache pooling low in my belly. It was the kind of voice I had imagined whispering sinful things in my ear as strong hands pinned me to a bed. The kind of voice I imagined growling dominating commands to me.

But now… now the bearer of the voice was blind… saying vows. Marriage vows. To me.

This was a nightmare. A terrible one.

He finished, and I realized I had been holding my breath all along. I felt his hand squeeze mine gently, as though he knew I needed the reassurance. But it didn’t comfort me. It only terrified me.

The priest looked at me then, his expectant gaze pinning me in place.

“I, Rain Williams…”

I started the vows, but my voice shook. My hands were clammy, my heart pounding so hard I was afraid it would burst. I stared into Enzo’s eyes—dark, pale, and unseeing—and my throat tightened. Did he even know who he was marrying? Did he even see me, or was I just another obligation to him, the same way this marriage was to me?

I hadn’t even known him until today. I had thought, maybe… just maybe I could accept this, try to make the best of it. But he was blind. He was fucking blind. How would I cope with that?

Pain clawed at my chest as I recited the vows. Each word tasted like ash, bitter and wrong. My voice faltered, cracking when I promised to love, honor, and cherish him. Love? How was I supposed to love a man I was only seeing for the first time? A man who would never see my face, never know my needs, never know the life I had been forced to give up for him?

The priest’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. “Do you, Rain, take Enzo Salvatore DeLuca as your lawfully wedded husband?”

This was my chance. My one shot to stop this. My mouth opened, but my stepmother’s cold, piercing gaze locked on mine. She didn’t have to say anything; her expression said it all: Don’t you dare embarrass us.

The words slipped out before I could stop them. “I do.”

The priest smiled, oblivious to the pain clawing at my chest. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

My body went rigid.

I braced myself, expecting him to fumble again, his hands blindly searching for my face. But instead, he moved with precision, pulling my hand to his chest.

My breath caught as I felt the solid, unyielding heat of his body beneath his tailored suit. His chest rose and fell steadily, the scent of his cologne—smoky, earthy, intoxicating—wrapping all around me.

Before I could process it, his lips were on mine.

It was nothing like I expected, nothing like I had imagined.

It felt perfect… felt good. So good that my panties immediately felt damp to my skin.

His kiss was passionate and commanding, his lips moving against mine like he had done this a hundred times before. Heat flooded me, and I hated how my body betrayed me, how my knees weakened, how my fingers gripped his jacket for support, and how my hands almost wandered through his body.

I hated how his kiss made me feel.

When he pulled back, I was breathless, my cheeks burning with shame and something I couldn’t admit.

He took my hand again, and I followed him down the aisle, my steps heavy with dread.

He slipped his dark shades back on, pulled a small stick from his pocket, extending it into a long cane. The crowd murmured as we walked down the aisle together, his cane tapping softly against the ground with each step.

Pain stabbed at my chest.

I glanced at him again—his sharp jawline, his perfectly combed dark hair, the confidence in the way he walked despite the cane—and a lump formed in my throat.

He was the kind of man I’d dreamed of, he was handsome, crazily gorgeous. He was a good kisser too. But none of that changed the fact that he was blind.

And me? I would never get past it. No matter how much I wanted to ignore it, I couldn’t.

I had always dreamed of the perfect man. And no matter how many knots his voice tied in my stomach, no matter how weak his kiss made my knees, I couldn’t see past the disability that would chain me to this life forever.

I was now a married woman, but to a blind man, to a man that would never see me, a man I knew absolutely nothing about.

We reached the end of the aisle, with my hand still tucked in Enzo’s. My stepmother and Reina hovered close, their faces pulled into masks of false sympathy. Reina even cleaned her dry eyes with a lace handkerchief, but her smirk gave her away.

They watched us leave, they watched this stranger take me away without saying a word.

We stepped outside, my legs shaking and almost kicking against each other. My breath hitched when I saw the car waiting for us. An Aston Martin Valkyrie. A car I’d only ever seen in movies and never thought I’d ever see in my entire existence, talk more of sitting in one. It was too sleek, too expensive to even dream of.

He let go of my hand and headed towards the car. There were men dressed in all-black suits standing by the car, and they opened the door as we got to it. He entered the car with the help of one of the men, and I followed.

The leather seats felt like clouds beneath me, but my chest felt tight, my mind continued to race. Everything felt unreal, but the biggest part was me being married to a total stranger, and a blind one at that.

Enzo sighed, and without looking my way, he repeated the words that made my skin prickle.

“Let’s go home.”

But I knew for sure… where we were going would be no home for me. It would be another hell, and another layer of bondage.

The ride was silent as a grace and it stretched for what felt like eternity, until the car finally came to a halt. My breath hitched as I looked up to see where we were.

It wasn’t just a house, but a fortress with towering gates stretched high into the sky, guarded by men in suits. My mind raced with questions. Who was this man I had married? A man with an aura that made me weak to my stomach. And does he not have a family? The only people who were at the wedding venue were the men wearing black suits.

The gates opened soundlessly, revealing an estate so huge it could swallow a small town. The driveway was lined with beautiful flowers and lit fountains, leading to a spacious garage filled with cars I’d only seen in magazines.

I glanced at Enzo, his eyes still shielded with the dark shades. How could someone so intimidating live in such wealth yet choose to marry me? A nobody. Why would he want to spend the rest of his life with me?

We stepped out of the car, into the mansion. It was sleek, modern, and imposing. As I stepped out of the car, my heels clicked against the polished marble entrance and I almost slipped, but quickly regained my composure. There were men dressed in black suits patrolling the property, their vigilance adding to my unease.

I followed gently behind him as we headed in, the massive doors swung open, revealing a staff lined up in tailored uniforms. They bowed, murmuring, “Welcome, sir,” as if they had rehearsed this a thousand time.

He stopped abruptly. “What about the preparations?”

A maid rushed forward, her head bowed so low it seemed almost unnecessary and uncomfortable to me. She was an elderly woman whom I was sure would have waist issues. I couldn’t help but wonder why they acted that way—he couldn’t see them, after all. He wouldn’t even know if they bowed or not.

“All done, sir,” she said quietly, fumbling with the hem of her dress.

“Good,” he replied sharply, then resumed walking.

We stepped further into the overwhelming luxurious building. Chandeliers dripping with crystals cast soft rainbows across the gleaming floors. Everything screamed wealth, power and control. For a moment, I let myself imagine my childhood fantasies coming true—but this felt more like a gilded cage than a dream. I would be away from my stepmother’s rants and Reina’s sly behaviors, but I’d be alone here. The maids were the only one in the house, he didn’t look like one who had a family. If he did, they’ll be there at our wedding, but I saw no one.

Enzo’s deep voice shattered my thoughts. “Keep up,” he ordered.

I flinched, my legs almost kicking against each other as I hurried to follow him. He moved with surprising ease despite his blindness, his cane barely making a sound against the floor.

He wasn’t the type of blind man who fumbled with their hands against walls or made loud, clumsy noises with their cane. Instead, he moved with ease and confidence that even a man with perfect vision would envy.

We finally stopped at a door on the second floor. Enzo pushed it open and gestured for me to enter.

I did, following silently behind him. The room was massive than any I’d ever seen. There was a cozy king-sized bed draped in dark silk sheets right at the center of the room. It was inviting, and the thoughts of what could happen in that bed invaded my mind, but I shoved them away as quickly as they came. I didn’t even know this man yet.

“Take a bath,” Enzo said flatly. “A dress is in the closet. Change into it. We’re meeting people soon.”

“I don’t—”

The sharp tap of his cane cut me off, freezing me in place. His head tilted toward me, and he removed his shade, tossing them onto the bed.

“I do not like to repeat myself,” he said softly, but his voice sounded more like a warning. He took a step closer, and a shiver ran through me. “You will do whatever I ask you to do, Rain.”

“And what if I don’t…” The words slipped out before I could stop them, my voice faltered off as soon as I realized my mistake.

His gaze hardened and it made me want to disappear from the room. His pale eyes seemed to pierce straight into my soul, sending a tremor through my legs.

He moved closer. “You’ll be punished.” He said firmly. He took yet another step closer, his hand dropping to find my waist. He pulled me against him, so close that I could feel the warmth of his body and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, a contrast to my racing heart. “If you don’t want to be punished, you’ll have to do everything I ask. You, Rain, will take a bath when I ask you to. You’ll be in my bed when I ask to.” His words sent a cold dread filling me, and I froze.

His grip tightened around my waist that it hurt for a moment. His eyes bored into mine as though he could really see me. “You’ll sit when I ask, and won’t stand until I tell you to. You’ll dress how I want, speak when I allow it, and you’ll never—ever—question me.”

My chest felt tight, my breath shallow as his words sank in. I knew this marriage wouldn’t be anything like I imagined, but I didn’t expect it to be like this. Fear clawed at my insides, the weight of what I had been forced to becoming unbearable.

I thought what I’d have to deal with would be looking after a miserable blind man, but I was wrong, I was the miserable one, and this man… this man was far from whatever went through my mind the moment I realized he was blind.

I had been through hell with my family, and always wished for an escape, but this was yet another hell. I wanted to live for myself, I wanted to breathe, to feel, to decide and not be controlled by anyone.

“I’m not a puppet,” I blurted out, my voice trembling. “We… we are married, and that means equal rights. We’re supposed to—”

“Equal rights?” he cut me off, a low, menacing laugh rumbling from his lips. He released me and strode toward the table in the corner of the room. Returning with a brown envelope, he handed it to me without a word.

My hands shook as I tore it open, pulling out the documents inside.

“What… what is this?” I stammered, scanning the pages.

“You have no rights, no say, in this marriage,” he said coldly. “I, Enzo, will decide everything. And if you abide by the rules I set…” He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “You might even enjoy the few months—or year—you’ll stay here.”

“Few months? A year?” I repeated, confusion laced with panic in my voice. “What do you mean by that?”

“Read the document in your hands, Rain,” he replied, his tone calm but cutting. “This marriage lasts only until you’re pregnant and deliver my child. After that, you’ll be paid off.”

“W-what?” The words rolled out of my mouth, my body frozen in disbelief.

“For the next few months, you belong to me.” He whispered. “Mine to touch, mine to claim, mine to fuck whenever and however I want. I’ve paid for you, and when you deliver on your part, I’ll pay even more. So I’ll use you as I want, and trust me, you’ll love every bit of it.”