6.

Lexi’s POV

Quickly, I ran into my room and slammed the door shut behind me as I slid down the door in tears. My life had completely turned around from worse to even more worse.

Clutching my chest, I let the tears flow freely as I tried to wrap my head around what had just happened downstairs. For a moment I could see his eyes burning with anger as he pulled me closer to him.

‘You’re mine now Lexi Finn until I no longer need you.’

His words kept ringing in my head and I’d tried to figure out where I’d heard that voice before because he sounded so familiar but I still couldn’t register it.

My life is a total mess and with the way Ivanović had affirmed that I’m his I knew that there was no way out of this for me anymore.

He seemed completely different from the stranger I met at the club last night and for a moment I’d thought that that stranger was as nice as he appeared to be. To my utmost surprise and disappointment he does not only turn out to be the mysterious son in the Volkov’s family but also a total jerk.

Cleaning my tears and accepting my fate while trying to look at the brighter side of things, I stared at the blank wall for a while before my gaze fell on the picture of my parents that I placed by my bedside.

“I miss you so much.” I sighed as I held the frame close to my chest. I was still wallowing in my self pity and agony when my phone rang.

Picking it up, I sniffled when I picked my best friend’s call. Her cheery voice did wonders and soon I’d already cheered up.

Telling her about everything that had happened and how the person I was supposed to get married to was the man from last night, Camille shouted in shock when I was done explaining it all to her.

“What do you intend to do now?” She asked and I shook my head like she was going to see me.

“I don’t know,” I answered, “but I have no other choice. I signed the papers already and we’re doing this. I just want to leave this house but I can already tell that my future husband hates me.” I explained in the best way I could.

“Hates you?” Camille asked, obviously surprised, “how? You both had sex last night and…” she continued but I cut her off.

I explained everything to her from the way he shook my hand, to the way he spoke to me with so much disgust like he knew me from somewhere and I’m his sworn enemy.

Camille and I were still talking when I heard my stepfather call my name with so much urgency. Dropping the call, I hurried out of my room to see that my in-laws were ready to take their leave.

“We’ll be back in three days and by then all formal preparations would’ve been made.” Charlotte explained and I nodded as she hugged me.

Saying my goodbyes to them, I turned to leave but my step father’s angry voice stopped me in my tracks and I turned to look at the most angry pair of eyes.

“What is the meaning of all these?” He asked, referring to the papers I’d torn to shreds earlier, I gulped down spit as all I intended to say got stuck in my throat.

“You’re really lucky that they didn’t try to dissolve the contract, they’ll send another paper and you will sign it.” He said, his teeth gritting against each other as he approached me and fear gripped me.

“Listen and I want you to listen to me very well,” he started as he stopped in front of me, “you better act right and go through with all of these or I’ll make sure that you don’t see the light of day.” He finished in a threat.

His grip had tightened even more around my neck making it difficult for me to breathe, I was used to his usual torture but what scared me the most was what I was going to go through when I get to Ivanović Volkov’s house.

Tearing up, I promised that I was going to act right and make sure that the planned marriage went as well as possible. He released me and I hit my head on the stair rail as I tried to balance my footing.

Ignoring me and not caring if I passed out, he walked past me and into his room leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I stared at the piece of paper on the table and picking it up, I saw my step father's signature as he pledged to have signed me off to the Volkov’s and have nothing to do with me anymore whether dead or alive.

Quietly, I walked into my room. My vision was blurry due to the tears that were welling up in my eyes and the thought of my step father and Ivanović Volkov disgust me even more.

Getting ready for bed, my phone chimed and I opened it to see that I’d gotten an email from CassianTech. I'd used Camille’s mail to apply and I guess she directed them to me already.

‘Please be punctual and come with the necessary documents on Monday. We look forward to interviewing you.

-CassianTech team.’

Smiling, at least something is going right in my life and by Monday I’ll be going for an interview in the biggest Tech company in the world. That seemed like the only good thing happening in my life.

I really tried to move everything happening to the back of my head but I was unable to do that. His words kept ringing in my head and it wasn’t hard for me to know that he hated me.

If he hates me so much why then did he agree to the marriage?

I had lots of questions running through my mind and I just couldn’t help but ask myself how I was going to live in his house knowing how much he hates me.

“You just need to leave Thomas Matthews house.” I said to myself in a bid to console myself that nothing was as bad as living with my step father.

Closing my eyes, I tried to sleep but the soreness between my legs made it quite difficult for me to maintain one position.

Keeping my eyes open, I watched as darkness plunged deeper into the night and soon I was engulfed in the darkness.