Married to the Devil

Natasha’s POV The music was too loud. I wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. The pounding bass that pulsed through the nightclub drowned my thoughts. On the other hand, the flashing lights and the bodies pressed against each other on the dance floor made everything unbearable. I lifted my glass and took another sip of the whiskey I didn’t even like. At least it made me feel something. Everyone looked expensive, except me. I’d thrown on a red slip dress, the one that revealed my back. It clung to my curves like a second skin, careless and unplanned. My hair was pulled into a loose bun, strands falling around my face. “Natasha, take it easy!” my friend Ananya shouted over the music, leaning closer so I could hear. She had practically dragged me out here to ‘clear my head.’Take it easy? What a joke. Nothing has been easy since my boyfriend Lucas died. I was in New York when I received the phone call that broke my heart. “Lucas is dead.”The words still repl

Natasha’s POV I glared at him. If looks could kill, this man would have been dead by now. “I don’t recall giving you permission to call me that.” His smile didn’t fade. If anything, it deepened, like he was enjoying every second of my irritation. “I don’t remember asking for permission, cariño.” “Call me that again, and I’ll throw myself off this yacht.” He chuckled. “That’s cute, but I’d hate to ruin such a wonderful evening just to play lifeguard when you and I both know you’re not jumping anywhere.” He gestured toward the other side of the yacht. “Come. We should sit. This conversation might take a while.” I hesitated for half a second before following him. It wasn’t until I crossed the deck that I became fully aware of just how quiet the yacht was. The whole place felt carefully prepared, almost too perfect for a conversation like this. We reached a dining area set up near the back of the yacht. A small table, candles, two glasses, and a bottle of wine already waiting. Th

Natasha’s POVI shut the door behind me and leaned against it. My gaze drifted across the room. It should be comforting, but it only reminded me of how little control I actually had over my life. Marriage. To a man I barely know? My worst nightmare. I pushed away from the door and kicked off my heels carelessly before sinking onto the edge of the bed. My phone sat beside me. For a moment, I stared at it. There were several missed calls from Ananya. I hadn’t responded to her texts from this morning, nor had I returned her calls. Then I picked up the phone and dialed. It didn’t even ring twice. “Natasha?” Her voice came through immediately. “Finally! Do you know how many times I’ve tried calling you?”I let out a quiet breath. “I’m fine.”“Don’t ‘I’m fine’ me,” Ananya snapped. “You disappeared after the club. I was literally looking for you everywhere.”“I left.”“I figured that much. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t think to call me. I was worried sick.”“A lot happened in

Natasha’s POV. The house was quiet when I got home after my meeting with Tristan. I went into the kitchen and set the kettle down harder than necessary. I leaned against the counter while it heated, my mind refusing to stay still.The kettle clicked off. I poured the water and watched the coffee dissolve, and stirred slowly, the spoon circling like it might give me answers my thoughts didn’t.What was I thinking, agreeing to the marriage? It was a failing company. Why would anyone need a marriage to stabilize it?I stopped stirring. The spoon clinked against the mug. I took one sip that burned slightly and set it down. It didn’t help.I headed to my bedroom. It sounded almost unreal when I said it out loud at the cafe. Even now, standing in my room, it still didn’t feel entirely real. There was no point standing there thinking about it. Not when I needed to get back to work. Maybe somehow, I could figure out a way to get us out of this mess rather than getting married to some rich

Tristan’s POV Daniel and I stepped out of the study, the door closing silently behind us as we headed downstairs.Abuela sat comfortably on the couch, Patricia’s head resting against her lap. “Where’s Natasha?” I asked, my eyes scanning the room. Patricia looked up first. “Oh. You just missed her.” My brows furrowed. “Missed her?” “She said she had to leave,” Abuela chimed in. “Something came up.”I narrowed my eyes. “Did she say anything else?” Patricia sat up. “No. Just that she needed to go.” “Okay,” I said. There was a brief pause. “Didn’t she tell you she was leaving?” Abuela asked with a frown. “Tell me she was leaving? I left her with you downstairs.” “I thought she came to your study,” Patricia said. “She came to my study?” Abuela nodded. “Yes. She said you mentioned some documents.” I didn’t move. My mind replayed the last few minutes. A quiet curse slipped under my breath. “Shit.” My eyes flicked to Daniel. He was watching me quietly. Something unreada