Chapter 4 - "You Belong to Me Now.”

RUYI WYNTER ❦

The towering man neared me, his hands grabbing my arms so sharp my heart stopped for a moment, he slid his sturdy leg in between my weak shaky legs from behind, spreading it farther, until I instinctively grabbed hold on a chair for support for my upper body.

And when I felt Jules’ body move closer behind me, I forced my throat to say something… Anything I didn't know made sense.

“Would you dare sully what belongs to your lord so impertinently?” And I felt him stopped almost immediately,

I looked straight into Lucien’s eyes, my voice shaking.

“You said I’m yours. That I belong to you because I owe you.”

“So tell me… why would you hand me to someone else when I don’t owe them anything?” I said, my entire body shaking, but I tried staying steady,

Lucien’s face was expressionless, seemed colder, but he paused, didn’t sip and didn’t puff… and Jules halted to wait for instruction.

This seemed like a good thing, but it was in fact deadly, this was me giving desperate consent to a Mafia Lord that I accept that I am his property.

Lucien waved a hand and Jules backed off.. And Lucien stood up, prowled towards me slowly, his hands raised my chin to finally face his ocean blue eyes, his scent was godly, earthy and plainly masculine…

“Go back to your regular life. Live like nothing happened, do not breathe a word of today to a living soul, I will come for you when I need you.” He said.

My heart dropped as I heaved a deep sigh of relief… as long as I make it out of here alive, I can run, I can run away from this state… start all over in anywhere that is not within this city.

I was thinking inwardly, until his voice dropped as if he could hear my internal thoughts.

“Understand that even if you disappeared off the face of the earth, I’d find you… and when I do? it’d be cruel.”

❧❧❧

The car dropped me back to my street, standing alone in the cold and darkness.

And by the time I removed my blindfold, I twisted around just in time to see the black car at the far end of the road, driving away like nothing ever happened.

My heart lurched as I looked down to the floor where the debt collectors were shot dead right in front of me, and it was clean, no trace of blood, it was as it used to be.

For a moment it felt like I was dreaming, it’s barely even three hours after Jace’s stabbing betrayal, and I’ve experienced all these horrors which felt like it’s been three years of bad experiences.

It seemed like I was free, but I was too traumatized to even feel it, especially when Lucien said he would find me anywhere I run too,

I climbed the stairs back to my floor and when I entered my room, I was shocked that the room that was just destroyed by the debt collectors was filled with newly arranged furniture, new appliances, and everything that was damaged by the men.

Was he sending a message? Telling me I didn’t really owe him money? That I owed him my life?

For some reason, I was too terrified to feel the pain of the injury in my heart, the one from Jace. I dropped my bag, tears welling my eyes, I collapsed onto the bed, as I cried myself to sleep.

❧❧❧

I woke up the next morning with familiar arms wrapped around me, hot cigarette breath ghosting against my neck, an erection pressed hard against my buttocks.

It was Jace.

Anger surged through my blood, my heart racing like it might explode, but he held me tightly, forcefully—locking me into his body like a cage.

“Let me go, bastard!” I cried. But he answered by stamping a wet kiss against my skin.

I felt angrier. I felt nothing else. I was dry, Like sand.

“You shouldn’t be dramatic, Ruyi,” he murmured. “I was trying to help us. Even if the way I did it hurts you. You have to endure this so we can escape this mess, pay the mafia off, and run away…”

My heart skipped. The mafia?

The one who said we never owed them money?

The one who said I owed him life instead?

Before I could speak, his rough hand slid urgently into my loose shirt, cupping my bare breast… too hard.

Pain flared where Lucien’s fingers had already pinched me cruelly.

I swallowed, still resisting, a broken sound tearing from my throat as tears spilled again.

“Why are you being such a bitch?” he snapped. “I’m the man. I’d do anything to protect you. Remember when you said we’d have a decent home? Somewhere quiet… waterfront, trees, flowers, nature?”

His voice rose desperately and sharply.

“How do we get that if I’m stuck on a two-thousand quarterly paycheck and you’re killing yourself working three jobs? How do we pay off five million dollars? And I don’t want you getting old… and cold.”

My heart raced wildly as tears streamed harder down my face. I couldn’t stop crying.

All the doubt I’d buried clawed up at once—would he still love me when I wasn’t young anymore? When I wasn’t beautiful?

I didn’t have the strength to keep fighting him.

My body went still as his hands wandered lower, slipping between my thighs, his fingers explored my sheath, whilst he moaned against my neck.

My body surrendered, my eyes wet with tears.

All those plans we made as teenagers. All the times he promised me. Reassure me. Fought for me.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous and tight, Ruyi… fuck,” he groaned. “You know you are better than her?” He asked, I was silent, choked with tears, and hurt in my heart.

“Why aren’t you responding? Are you still angry at me? Fuck—you’re just lying there like a log.”

Then he cursed, pulled away, and stood abruptly, stalking into the open kitchen and chugging whatever he could get his hands on.

I remained where I was. Empty.

❧❧❧

I had dressed up for work that morning, once again buried my pain with a fake smile.

People say love requires sacrifice. Maybe this pain is mine.

As I made myself some coffee and tea for Jace, he strode lazily out of the bathroom naked, with a towel around his neck.

He hugged me from behind, his penis pressed against my behind, I clenched my fist, but I swallowed my rage.

“I’d eat your breakfast today… remember I was only trying to help us here, and maybe you’d rethink and you’d see that you are actually overreacting.” He said, my heart twisted.

Maybe I’m overreacting. Love isn’t meant to be easy… maybe it’s meant to be endured.