33. Hate

Innessa groaned. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her head throbbed with a light ache. It took her a couple of seconds to force her eyes open. She blinked several times to adjust her vision.

Her brows furrowed, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. Since when did she get a chandelier in her dorm?

Her eyes widened as everything came rushing back to her, and her heart tumbled to her mouth. She abruptly sat up straight, staring around her to find herself in a luxurious room. She felt dizzy as she held her head, trying to massage her temple.

Where was she?

Innessa groggily got off the bed. Her feet touched the cold marbled flooring as she pulled herself to her feet, still clutching her head.

She searched her pockets for her phone, but it wasn't there; of course, he must've taken her phone.

Her eyes darted around, looking for an escape. She hurried to the first door, but it was a walk-in closet. Innessa scrambled to the door to her right and twisted the doorknob, but the door was locked. She tried thrice, and it didn't open, so she stopped. She didn't want Issac to come after her after hearing the noise. She had time to escape if he thought she was still passed out.

The fear and anxiety were clutching her heart with full force because she didn't know what was going through Isaac's mind. How in the world did he find her, and that wasn't just it. He abducted her so daringly as if he wasn't scared of the consequences, which disturbed her even more.

She hurried to the huge window on the other side of the room. Innessa pushed the curtains aside, and her stomach churned at the sight of the vast ocean as far as she could see.

Her gut feeling was screaming at her that she was doomed. She just hoped that they were not so far away from her sister's home, but as far as she knew, the ocean was too far away from Faina's house.

Innessa fumbled with the window lock, and to her surprise, it was open. She opened the window and was instantly hit by the dry, chilling breeze of the ocean.

She felt dizzy, but she wanted to get out of this place. Her fingers were quivering in the anxiety of the unknown.

Innessa stared down. She was on the second floor; if she jumped from there, she'd surely end up with a couple of broken bones.

Hurrying back into the room, she grabbed the sheets from the bed and dashed to the door. She pushed the recliner in front of the door so he wouldn't be able to get in so quickly.

Her heart was pounding wildly. Her mind was running a marathon with all the jumbled thoughts.

Innessa twisted the sheet, trying to make it work like a rope; she tied one end to the foot of the bed tightly and yanked at it. The bed didn't even budge; it was a huge king-sized bed.

Innessa was trembling as she sat at the edge of the window. Just staring down was making her have a panic attack. But she had to do it. She was scared of Issac more than she was scared of falling and breaking her bones, yet it took her so long to muster up the courage to climb out of the window.

Her hands were shaking as she held the sheet tightly; she was barefoot. She tried to keep her weight on the sheet and use her foot to balance her down but the bed must've moved because her footing slipped and she screamed, the sheet slipped through her hands, burning her palms with the abrupt jerk as she closed her eyes, screaming involuntarily, her heart coming to her mouth as she waited for the impact on the floor but just when she was about to slam down on the ground, strong arms grabbed her and she was tackled down on the floor.

It was after a couple of seconds that she realized that there was no severe pain in her body. She opened her eyes only for them to widen, noticing a very familiar tattoo peeking through the shirt on the chest of the man who was on the floor under her, breathing heavily with his arms tightly wrapped around her.

Her head shot up, and her eyes met with the dark cognac brown eyes that were engraved in the core of her very soul, and all the blood drained from her system out of fear of being caught by the very man she was running away from.

"If you want to die so badly, you should've told me. I can make it easier for you," He growled so viciously that his chest rumbled under her palms and bosoms, causing a shiver of fear to rake up her spine.

Innessa was tongue-tied, not a word escaping her lips as a ball of emotion clogged her throat.

She tried to get off him, but his hold on her didn't let her move much. Her heart was beating so wildly she was sure he could feel it against his chest.

Innessa again tried to get away, and this time he let her go. She jerked away from him and scrambled to her feet. Issac watched her coldly as he got to his feet, glaring daggers at her.

The scrutiny of his gaze was so cold that she took a step back and then another before she swiveled on the balls of her feet and began to sprint down the pathway.

"You think you can outrun me, baby?" He boomed behind her, causing the hair at the nape of her neck to rise as tears gathered in her eyes. Innessa fastened her pace, not caring that the small rocks and pebbles were hurting her feet. She just wanted to run away so Issac wouldn't catch her.

She quickly examined the place and dashed in the other direction, hoping to find people around who could help her. Behind the mansion, she could see a huge boundary wall miles away. She sprinted in that direction; Innessa wasn't a sports person, so there was so far as she could before her pace slowed down.

She looked over her shoulder only to scream when his hand reached forward, and he grabbed her.

Innessa screamed and tried to pry off his hand, but his hold was tight. He grabbed her arm and yanked her to him roughly, causing her to crash against his chest as a muffled yelp left her lips.

Innessa began to struggle to get out of his hold, but he only tightened his grip on her arm, causing her struggles to die down as she whimpered in pain. He loosened his hold, glaring daggers at her.

In one swift move, he dived down and hauled her up on his shoulder. She shrieked, her world turning upside down as she grabbed his shirt in tight fists, afraid of falling.

"I should've kept you in a basement!" He growled, and her stomach twisted up in dreadful knots, her body tensed, and her shoulders shrank in raw fear at his words as he began to walk back to the mansion.

Tears of helplessness brimmed in her eyes, but she didn't give up. There had to be someone close by who could help her.

"HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Please! Someone, help me!" She screamed with all her might but stopped abruptly, feeling his arm around her legs tighten.

"Do not enrage me, Innessa. It will not end well with you!" He growled, his chest and shoulders rumbling as she trembled, a sob leaving her lips. She tried not to cry, but she was scared out of her mind.

Terrified was a simple word. She couldn't express her fear in words. It was too consuming. Blocking her rational thoughts and clouding her senses with raw anxiety.

Issac walked down the path back to the mansion. Storming inside, he headed up the stairs, taking three stairs at a time, and had her on the verge of having a heart attack in fear of falling as she clung to his shirt tightly.

He walked down the hall towards the last huge mahogany door, he opened it, and stepped inside. Kicking the door closed, he locked it before walking further into the dark room.

He tossed her on the bed, causing her body to bounce on it thrice as she quickly gathered her bearings and scrambled out of the bed. The lights illuminated the room as she stood in the corner watching him with an alert gaze.

Issac stood on the other side of the bed, glaring daggers at her. He was wearing a beach shirt with shorts, his hair was combed back with his fingers, and he was wearing a silver chain that sparkled because the first three buttons of his shirt were open.

She noticed a road rash on his elbow and arm. He must've gotten that while saving her.

Issac wasn't saying anything, but the way he was glaring at her so coldly had her heart shivering in fear of his intentions.

"W... What is the meaning of all this?" She asked with mustered-up courage.

Issac tilted his head, still glaring at her so maliciously it felt like he was skinning her alive with that cruel gaze of his.

"Stupid of you to think you can escape me," he said in a deadly low voice. His deep British accent was prominent. He sounded just like the calm before the storm.

"I... I didn't escape you," her voice was small and cautious.

"Don't f*ck with me, Innessa!" He growled lowly, causing her to flinch back when his tone was octave high.

"You gave me hope, and then you f*cking fled. Am I a f*cking joke to you?" He sneered, rounding the bed and looking into his furious eyes. Her body reacted on its own and climbed on the bed and jumped on the other side as he glared at her.

"S... Stop," she stammered, her chin quivering.

"Y... You've no right to kidnap me like this. I can sue you-" She stopped abruptly when a sinister smile donned his lips.

"Sue me? Oh, Innessa, you'd want to kill me after I'm done with you," he thundered, and her heart lurched to her mouth.

"W... What has gotten into you, Issac?" She let out a sob as he clenched his jaw, glaring at her.

"Nothing, sweetheart. I'm just introducing you to the real me," he said icily before walking to the door.

"Don't try to run away if you don't want me to chain you," He warned her darkly before stepping out of the room as he locked the door behind him.

Innessa ran after him, slamming her fists on the door. "Please, Issac. Let me out!"

She banged her fists on the door, not caring that it was hurting her. "Issac, please, at least let me talk to my sister. She'd be worried sick for me, please!"

Innessa kept banging on the door, begging him to stop, but he didn't listen at all. She slid down the door, sobbing and hugging her knees to her chest, weeping like a baby.

She was so scared.

She tried to console herself to give herself strength; to stay strong, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't do it.

An hour later, she heard footsteps outside the door as she hurried to her feet and stepped away from the door. A second later, the door opened, and Issac stood there with a cold, ruthless look marring his face.

He prowled towards her without uttering a single word as she walked back, afraid, but Issac didn't stop. He stalked over to her, grabbed her wrist in a tight grip, and began to drag her out of the room.

"Let go," she demanded, trying to free her wrist, but he only tightened his hold to the point he blocked her blood supply.

She winced, and his hold instantly loosened enough not to hurt her.

Issac stopped near the entrance into the hall and faced her. "Don't utter any nonsense and just willingly sign the papers," he warned before dragging her into the hall.

Her body went rigid, and she tensed under the scrutiny. She noticed a terrified-looking priest first, and then her eyes darted to the huge man sitting on a single sofa with his legs crossed. His sharp blue eyes pierced right through her soul. His rugged, sharp features were those of a warrior. He looked ruthless. She instinctively grabbed Issac's arm, moving closer to him. He was the only person she knew, even though he was scaring her.

He made her sit on the sofa and sat beside her as he faced the man.

Victor forwarded the file to Issac, and he grabbed it.

Issac placed the file on the table in front of Innessa as he handed her a pen.

She stared at him, dumbfounded as he opened the file, her eyes fell on the heading of the contract, and her heart ceased to beat then and there as she blinked at the marriage contract. Blanched.

Issac grabbed a pen and forced it into her trembling hand as she stared at the papers, horrified.

It was a marriage contract for Issac and Innessa. There were so many clauses written down, but she was too shocked to comprehend anything.

"Just for your peace of mind. We have the priest to proceed with the marriage as well, sign the papers first then we'll take our vows," he told her calmly, but her mind was in pure chaos.

She shook her head, raising her eyes to meet his cold gaze. Innessa shook her head again, her body trembling as his jaw ticked.

"I'm being nice here, don't make me force you," He whispered near her ear after leaning dangerously close to her.

Big fat tears blurred her vision as she stared at the papers, she blinked and the tears trickled down. Innessa couldn't stop her tears; she was silently crying. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest.

She glanced at the priest to help her, but he stared at her helplessly; he seemed so scared.

Issac forced her hand on the file as she sobbed, struggling.

"No! Stop it!" She wailed, yanking her hand out of his grasp as she got to her feet, ready to run away, but her heart jumped to her mouth when Issac retrieved a shiny black gun and rested the end of the barrel on the priest's temple, who stiffened.

Innessa's shoulder tensed, and she froze on the spot. All the blood drained out of her face as she stared at the gun aghast.

"Dare to take a step forward, and I'll blow his brains out," Issac seethed in a menacingly low tone.

Her chin wobbled as she stared at Issac. His gaze was unwavering as he removed the safety of the gun. Poking the gun further into his temple, jerking the priest's head with a little push to emphasize the situation.

"P... Ple... Please..." She stammered; her voice croaked.

"Sit. The. F*ck. Down!" He boomed, causing her to sit back down Instantly. Her hands shook so violently as she gaped at the priest in horror, who had tears of fear in his eyes.

"Sign the papers," Issac commanded.

Innessa stared at the pen on the file as she shakily grabbed it. Her eyes darted to the man with sharp blue eyes.

He sat there silently watching the whole scene. Innessa locked eyes with him for a fleeting second in the hope that he'd help her, but he retrieved his gun and rested it on the table in front of her as he leaned forward.

Her heart quivered; she felt surrounded by vultures who wanted to snatch her soul out of her body.

Innessa was so scared that she could hear her wild heartbeat in her ears. She was hiccupping and weeping nonstop; the tears wouldn't stop streaming down her cheeks. Her mind was blank with the blinding fear that clutched her soul.

"Sign them," Issac said calmly. She met his eyes, and there she saw it. A flicker of emotion in his cognac eyes before he masked them, and coldness swept into his dark eyes as he stared at her with a void look.

Cruel.

When Innessa didn't make any move to sign them. Issac pulled the gun inches away from the priest and fired a shot.

She screamed, her eyes closing shut in raw fear as the priest gasped, trembling.

"S... Stop. Please, stop." She cried out, wiping her tears profusely as she blinked rapidly to stare at the papers. Her tears stained the papers as she signed the first page with quivering hands.

She hurriedly signed the next couple of pages until there was no page left for her to sign.

The pen dropped from her trembling hand as Issac put the gun on the table and signed all the pages; they got married, but that wasn't it.

He grabbed her arm, causing her to flinch as he made her sit on the table in front of her. His knees on either side of her thighs as he held her small, pale, trembling hands firmly in his big ones.

"Proceed, Father," Issac said as the priest quickly began to speak.

The priest asked them to say the vows as Issac watched her like a hawk.

"I promise to love you till my last breath. I promise to always keep you as mine. No power on earth could take you away from me. From now onwards, Innessa belongs to Issac. Innessa Knight. I'll cherish you and make you a queen of my dark heart. In sorrow or joy, you'll be forever mine," he rasped.

Issac sounded like a possessed psychopath as he said his vows. She was terrified out of her mind by each word that slipped through his lips.

The priest stared at her, hoping for her to say her vows so he could get it done with and run away, but Innessa's throat was clogged up. She has no words.

Issac's hold on her hands tightened slightly, urging her to say anything, but she was so scared and out of her wits. She said the first thing that came to her mind.

"I... I hate you," she whimpered, and his jaw clenched before a sadistic smirk teased his lips.

"Of course, precious," he said lowly as the pastor said you may kiss the bride.

Issac grabbed the back of her head in a dominant grip and pulled her closer, pressing his lips on her quivering, cold petals as the girl shivered.

Her body went ice cold, giving up on her as black dots danced in her vision.

Innessa closed her eyes, embracing the darkness with open arms as she passed out in the arms of her tormentor when the priest declared them husband and wife.