LOGINDamien thinks he broke me yesterday. He doesn't know that I spent the night with the only man capable of helping me reduce him to dust. I am beginning to study Gabriel Arnaud with an observant eye. Each article and each company profile confirms what I sensed at the club and felt in his bed. He built Arnaud Enterprise from the streets, calculatingly and mercilessly crushing anyone who stood in his way. He had been eyeing Laurent Dynamics for two years. Damien blocked him at every stage, using schemes, old fortunes, relationships and secret arrangements. Gabriel neither forgives nor forgets. He hits and fucks even harder; he's the kind of man Damien should have been. Gabriel Arnaud is exactly the weapon I need.
View More"Slut"
"Whore"
"Bitch"
"Scary witch"
"Look at how ugly she is. I don't know what the prince sees in her?"
"Too bad, we cannot see what she hides under those hideous clothes"
Taunts and curses followed me everywhere in the 'Windsor high ' which is meant for the Royals. They look at me like I am a bad omen. I am completely out of place among the rich and spoiled Royals. I cover my face with my tangled and frizzy reddish brown hair. My clothes are loose and ill-fitted. They have holes here and there. But the kids around me are wearing branded clothes and look beautiful and stylish, unlike me, who is a slave. I don't want to be here. But my opinion doesn't matter. I have to do everything he wants me to do. If I don't,
'You have to bear the consequences '
His words echoed in my mind. His deep and strong voice gives me chills. His handsome face is a permanent part of my nightmares. Whenever his naked body touches mine, it makes me hot and wet. I don't want to, but my body has a mind of its own when he is concerned. I have to warm his bed every night. But nobody would believe me if I tell them that I am still a virgin.
One year ago, my life turned from bad to worst in a single night. It's my own mistake, I cannot blame anyone but my fate.
I am brought back to my present when I collide with someone and tumble backward. I would have fallen down on my butt but righted myself at the last moment.
"Watch where you are going, Whore" someone cursed me.
I recognized that voice. It belongs to Tasha. She is the princess of the Agnes clan. There are four dragon clans, Raven, Agnes, Nester, and Ernest. Ravens are the dark dragons, while Agnes is a purple dragon clan. Ravens are the most powerful among the other dragon clans.
I didn't dare to raise my head and look her in the eyes. She doesn't like it. My body cannot take another beating like she gave me yesterday, or the day before, or the one before that. She hates me more than the others. She finds mundane reasons to hurt me every day, like now.
Quietly I picked up my books to make my escape, but Tasha pushed me with so much force that I flew and fell a few feet away. Kids around me began to cheer with excitement and laugh at my misery. They are happy to see Tasha bullying me.
A kick landed in my stomach, which made me double over with pain. But that's the starting. She kicked me and punched me until she is tired.
"She will die, Tasha. Let her go" one of her friends stops her.
I could feel her glare from over me.
"Let her" The arrogant princess muttered venomously.
"The Raven prince wouldn't like it" her friend reminded her.
Tasha would have killed me if she could. Death might be much better than the life I am living.
"I don't know what he sees in her. She shares his bed and his room every day. That's my place. I am his future wife. I thought he wouldn't take slaves or mistresses, it is not his style. But I don't know what he sees in this creep" she muttered.
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to tell her that I would leave him gladly if I could. But he will never let me, and even if he did, I won't leave the Raven palace.
The bell rings and the students clear out of the halls and rush to their respective classes.
'I thought I could be free after my eighteenth birthday. But I became a slave on that day' she thought sadly.
I gathered myself and slowly walked towards the class. The teacher gave me a pity-filled look but otherwise didn't comment anything. The day passed like any other day for me. More insults, more taunts, and thankfully no run in's with Tasha.
I walked two miles back to the Raven palace. That is my prison. That is where I am being trapped by him. This is the place where I am paying for my mistake. As I enter the gates of the Raven palace, the tall walls feel like they are closing in on me. My flight instinct is so strong, that I have to push that urge back down with a lot of effort. There is no place in this world where I can run away from him, even if I wanted to run. But the sad part is, I can't leave this palace, at least, not yet.
I finger the opal pendant that is hanging to a gold chain and sitting on my color bone. I am bound to him with this gold chain, and its key is hanging around his neck. This is his claim over me. Anyone who sees this pendant would know to whom I belong to.
The repercussion of my actions would be something that I would regret as long as I live. I am forced to serve him naked every Night because I disobeyed him once and didn't go to school because of the bullying. He warned me that he would sell me in a slave market if I try that again. He wants to make my life as miserable as he can, and I know I deserve it.
Raphael Ravan might be many things, but he is not a liar. He will stand by his word.
"Wash these dishes" a maid pushes me in the general direction of the kitchen, where a mountain of dishes is waiting for me. I am a nobody here. My status is lower than a maid in the palace. Quietly I walk towards the dishes and begin to work. After the dishes, I clean the huge kitchen and eat some leftover food that is waiting for me on the floor. I am only allowed one meal per day. After that, I walk towards his chambers. With each step I take near his chamber, I shudder with fear. But I have to do this.
I reach his chamber and start cleaning. I straighten the bedding, clean the floor, and then the bathroom. After I am sure that there is not a single speck of dust anywhere, I rush to the servant quarters to clean up. I have to come back before he would come back. I have to prepare his bath, serve him food, and then the worst thing, become his bed warmer.
(Claire POV)I blink a few times as his question sinks in. It hits me hard and I suddenly understand the mess I have just created for myself. Did I really just ask him if he knows who I am? The words came out before I could stop them. Anger took over and now I feel exposed, I get up from the bed right away because I need some distance from him. I have done a good job hiding who I really am all this time and I refuse to let it slip out now.My bare feet touch the cold marble floor. I stand there facing him and brush my hair away from my face. “I think I should leave, Gabriel,” I say.His eyes grow wide with surprise. He stands up too and closes the space between us. “You cannot just leave. We are right in the middle of this situation.”He reaches for my hand but I push it away gently. “Look, I cannot stay here and watch my whole life fall apart. I need to be out there doing something about
(Claire POV)I had not been asleep all this while. I heard everything Gabriel said over the phone, every single word etching itself deeply into my memory with sharp and unrelenting clarity that refused to fade.Gabriel paced the length of the room as he spoke, his footsteps steady and heavy, filling the otherwise quiet space with restless energy that mirrored the unease growing inside me.“I asked a simple question, don’t keep me waiting.”“Boss, the message says, it’s only the beginning.”My heart pounded fiercely in my chest, the rapid beats echoing loudly through my body, thundering in my ears, but I remained completely still as I feigned to be asleep, willing my breathing to stay slow, rhythmic, and convincingly even.“Damn,” I heard him curse under his breath, the single word heavy with irritation and barely contained worry that slipped out despite his efforts.Something struck me in that instant
(Gabriel POV)A wave of anger hit me but I try to stay calm for her sake. I sit on the bed with Claire by my side, none of us said anything. Different thoughts cross my mind, I know what it took me to convince to be with me, now everything is spiralling out of control.Claire’s head rests gently on my shoulder, I can hear the steady rhythm of her breath. The weight of her against me feels like the only real thing in a world that just tried to tear us apart. For a long while I don’t move, letting the warmth of her body calm the storm building inside me. Then I ease a thick cashmere blanket over her, tucking it gently around her shoulders, and press my lips to her forehead. She murmurs something sleepy but doesn’t wake.I slip away and walk down the long hallway to my private study. The second the door closes, the mask drops. The loving man who held her moments ago disappears. Cold focus takes
(Claire POV)I press my back harder against the bedroom wall, my heart hammering so loudly I fear they might hear it from the living room. My breath stays trapped in my throat as I strain to catch every word. The peaceful bubble Gabriel and I created today feels like it is about to burst.“Boss, someone leaked a photo,” Leo says in a low, serious voice. “It’s Claire, dressed seductively in what appears to be a yacht. The caption is malicious. It says 'Looks like the boss has a new toy while her husband is still fighting the divorce.’ It’s spreading fast in certain circles.”My stomach drops violently, a cold wave washes over my entire body. That dress, the one I wore for the party, is being twisted as something else. How did that even happen? I thought phones and pictures were not allowed.Did Damien pay someone to take a photo of me? Now I feel like a prey caught in a game.I feel exposed, ashamed, and angry












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