Chapter 1

Sabrina's POV

Axel Callahan didn't come straight in, instead making another call.

I lay in bed, pretending to be asleep, listening to his voice that was so gentle it didn't even sound like him.

"Raven, don't be mad. My marriage to her is just for show. The only bride I'll be waiting for at the end of the aisle is you."

A sweet, cloying voice came from the other end of the line. The night was quiet, so every vicious word reached my ears clearly.

"But I get furious just thinking about seeing her in a wedding dress, Axel. You have to act faster. I don't want her to be happy for too long."

Axel chuckled dotingly. "Okay."

Raven Winslow sighed again. "Axel, why don't you put her and that bitch in the same car? Otherwise, if her mother dies… knowing Sabrina, she'll make a huge fuss."

Axel went still for a second, and my heart leaped into my throat.

"Axel, why aren't you saying anything? You're not… hesitant to do so, are you? Don't tell me you've actually developed real feelings for her?"

"Absolutely not!" Axel roared.

He instinctively turned toward the bedroom, and only relaxed when he saw I hadn't stirred.

"How could I develop real feelings for the daughter of a murderer? Every time I see that face of hers—so similar to her mother's—and every time I have to kiss her, I feel disgusted!

"It's just that letting her die would be far too easy. Don't you think it'd be more interesting to let her watch her mother die, then as she's shattered by despair, she sees you walk out in a wedding dress, your arm linked with mine?"

Raven was apparently very pleased with this reply, and she laughed until she was gasping for air.

"As expected of Mr. Callahan. You really know how to torment people. If she goes insane afterward, we can just keep her locked up. If she doesn't obey us, we'll hit her. And if she does, we can let her out to serve as our maid. She can hand us condoms when we're making love and be a literal punching bag for our children. That way, your mom in heaven will be happy too."

Axel chuckled indulgently. "Yes, yes. Anything you say."

After hanging up, he leaned against the window, lighting a cigarette, smoking it slowly, thinking about who knew what.

Only after a long while did he stub out the cigarette and return to the bedroom.

"Bri, what are you doing awake?"

"I'm thirsty," I answered with a bitter smile.

After a brief silence, he asked, "When… did you wake up?"

"Just now," I said, lifting my eyes to look at him. "What's wrong?"

Axel shook his head, smiled, and said, "Nothing."

Then he went to pour me a glass of warm water. "Drink this, then go back to sleep. You still need to try on wedding dresses tomorrow."

I took the glass and tilted my head back. The warm water slid down my throat, yet my whole body felt bone-chillingly cold.

As he took the glass from me, he put his hand behind my head and pressed a kiss on my lips. His kiss still carried the faint, familiar taste of tobacco.

After a while, he finally released me, looking into my eyes meaningfully.

"I can't wait for our wedding day. I'm dying to marry you and make you my wife."

If this were before, I would have thought those were the most beautiful and romantic words in the world. But now, I couldn't think of anything more horrifying.

Axel, the man I had loved for seven years, couldn't wait to see my mother, Elaine Pembrook, die on the way to the wedding, and he couldn't wait to see me spiral into despair over her death.

But I truly didn't understand—what had Mom and I done wrong?

Back then, Mom actually hadn't wanted to marry Axel's father, Dorian Callahan, because she was worried I'd be mistreated. It was Dorian who had forced the marriage.

And what I understood even less was—if Axel hated me so much, why had he been so good to me? Why, on the very first day we met, did he grab my hand and call me "Sabrina" so affectionately?

Why, when others bullied me, did he cut off their fingers?

And why, in places where no one could see, did he kiss my lips, grab my waist, and… make love to me?

I exhaled slowly, lifting my head to look at the man in front of me.

"I'm really looking forward to the day too."

Thankfully, the night was dark, so he couldn't see my red-rimmed eyes or my trembling body.

Once Axel fell fast asleep, I immediately slipped out to the porch to call Mom.

"Bri, it's the middle of the night. Is something wrong?"

"Mom, pack your things. We're leaving for Baylandia in five days. A company there hired me, and I've decided to move there.

"Don't tell anyone about this, especially not Axel, okay?"

Mom was startled by my urgent tone, and she stammered out an "Okay."

After booking the tickets, I finally felt my heart settle back into my chest.

…

The next day, on the way to the bridal shop, Axel casually brought up Mom.

"Bri, maybe you should tell Elaine about the wedding. We might not be able to make the ceremony public, but she's still your mom, and she should be there to witness this special day of yours."

I clutched my skirt tightly. "Then… what about Dad?"

Axel froze for a second, an almost imperceptible shadow crossing his face.

"Let's leave Dad out of it for now. He's old-fashioned. We can tell him when you're pregnant, and everything's set in stone."

I stared silently out the window and nodded. I knew that once Axel made a decision, there was no changing his mind.

The only thing I could do was run.

But… when I was pregnant? I couldn't help but rub my hand across my belly, and the pain in my heart deepened.

The truth was, I had already found out I was pregnant a week ago. I was already three months along.