CHAPTER TWO

LENA’S POV

The first sound that wakes me is the click of Edward’s shoes on marble. My chest tightens immediately.

“Up,” he says. Not a request. Not a question. Just the word, sharp and final. I try to ignore the bruises from yesterday but the motion of standing makes every muscle scream. Edward circles me like a predator examining prey. “You’re quiet today,” he mutters. “Don’t get comfortable.” I don’t answer. I never do. Silence is my only shield.

He walks past the windows, drawing the curtains with a flick of his hand. “Business is messy today,” he says. “Someone crossed me. Someone will pay.” His voice is low, calm, but every word carries threat. “And you,” he snaps, turning to me, “you’ll watch and learn. And be grateful you’re still alive.” I swallow hard. I nod.

Edward’s world isn’t just dangerous it’s a maze of lies, power, and cruelty. I know it because I’ve seen it. Men in expensive suits move through his estate carrying messages, guns, threats. Every call he takes echoes with danger. One wrong word from him could destroy a life or mine.

“Come here,” he says, suddenly close. His hand slaps my cheek, hard this time. I stumble, clutching the arm of the sofa. Tears sting, but I blink them away. I’ve learned the fastest way to survive is to stay small, stay quiet.

“You exist only because I allow it,” he hisses. “Every meal, every dress, every soft bed you owe it to me. You forget and I remind you.” I nod again, swallowing bile.

Then he pulls me into the bedroom. The moment the door closes, the weight of him presses into me. I try to step back, but he’s faster. He grabs my wrist, spins me toward the bed.

“You’re mine,” he says softly, dangerously. “All of you. Every inch.” I close my eyes, bracing. He doesn’t ask. He doesn’t warn. He forces himself on me, rough, unrelenting. Every nerve is aflame. My hands dig into the sheets. I taste blood from a cut on my lip.

I want to scream, to fight but I’m powerless. He doesn’t care. Pain mixes with humiliation. Every touch reminds me: I married him because I had no choice. My father’s debts his death, my mother gone years ago. This life, this abuse, is the cost of safety from the men who would have come for me. Edward became my only protection from the debt of my father.

Afterwards, he leaves without a word, adjusting his jacket, his calm voice back in place as if nothing happened. I lie there, shaking, my body betraying every ache and bruise.

A soft knock at the door makes me flinch. I put myself together “Come in,” I whisper. Ethan steps in, cautious, careful. He doesn’t say much. He never intrudes, just watches. His eyes take in my state: the red mark blooming on my cheek, the way I curl slightly into myself, trying to make myself smaller.

“You okay?” he asks quietly. Not concern for Edward, not questions about loyalty just me. “I’m fine,” I murmur, though my voice wavers.

He nods once. That’s all. But the simple recognition of my pain, without judgment, makes something shift inside me. Just a little.

Ethan doesn’t leave. He waits. Silent. Protective. I feel it, even if I don’t acknowledge it.

Hours pass. I get up from where I was sitting and I decide to take my mind off everything by keeping myself busy in the house, walking through rooms I’m not allowed to enjoy alone, looking out at the gardens I can’t touch, the city I can’t visit. The mansion feels like a gilded cage.

A knock came from the service door. Quick. Urgent. I freeze. The door opens before I can react. A man in a dark hoodie lunges toward me, hands tight on my arms.

“You will pay for the crimes of your husband,” he says in the most angry tone . Panic slams into me. I scream, but the sound is muffled. Ethan appears in a blur, moving faster than I can think. In a heartbeat, he’s between us, grabbing the man, twisting, forcing him back. He shoves the attacker to the ground, his eyes never leaving me.

“Go!” Ethan says. “Run!” I don’t argue. My legs carry me as he fights off the kidnapper, every second stretching into eternity. He’s fast, precise, controlled. He doesn’t touch me roughly, doesn’t overstep just clears the danger.

I hear the man groan and then silence. Ethan finally looks at me. His jaw tight, chest rising and falling. Not a word about what happened, not a lecture, just this: he sees me. He sees that I survived and he made sure I did.

I clutch his arm. “Thank you,” I whisper. It comes out shakier than I expected. My chest hurts, my body still trembles from Edward, from the attack from the adrenaline.

He nods, subtle, almost dismissive. But I know it’s different from the others in Edward’s world. He cares.

I turn back toward the house and take a moment to take everything in, how I could have been made to pay for Edward’s crimes. I glance at the driveway. Edward’s car just drove in. He’s unaware. He suspects nothing. For the first time, I feel the possibility of hope, fleeting, fragile. But it’s there.

Then I hear it a car door slamming, a vehicle pulling into the driveway. Edward’s voice carries from the front steps. Calm, but sharp. Dangerous as ever. He’s home.

I freeze. Ethan glances at me, eyes dark with warning and steps closer. Not to interfere with Edward he would never but just to shield me.

Edward’s gaze sweeps the room. Stops on me. Stops on Ethan. His eyes narrow. “What happened while I was gone?” His tone is soft, almost casual. But it carries a weight that makes the air heavy. I swallow. I know better than to speak.

Edward notices nothing about the bruises, the terror, the near-kidnapping. He assumes his rules are followed, that his wife is safe. I bite my lip to stop a shiver. Ethan doesn’t speak. Just watches. His presence is steady, protective.

“What happened?” he asked again now angrier.  Ethan doesn’t hesitate. “Attempted abduction,” he says evenly. “One man. He didn’t get close enough.” Edward’s brows lift slightly. Interest, not concern. “Explain.”

“He came through the service entrance,” Ethan continues. “I intervened before he could cause any harm to Lena.”

Edward looks at him for a moment. Long. Measuring. Then he nods. “Good that is what you are paid for” That’s it. No shock. No questions about me. Just approval.

He turns to me. “You see?” I flinch without meaning to. “This,” Edward says, gesturing toward Ethan, “is exactly why I hired him.” His voice is calm, almost pleased. “People don’t play with what belongs to me.”

Ethan says nothing. Edward walks closer, tilts my chin up with two fingers, inspecting my face like property that almost got damaged. “You’re alive,” he says. “That’s what matters.” He lets go and straightens his jacket. “Good work,” he tells Ethan. “Stay sharp.” “Yes, sir.”

Edward walks away, already on his phone, already moving on. I stand there, heart pounding, body still shaking from what almost happened. Ethan steps back into position. Silent. Professional. Like nothing changed. But everything has. Edward thinks this proves his power. I know the truth. I was almost taken. And the only reason I wasn’t… is standing right here.