Chapter 15 BRIANNA’S POV The next morning I woke up earlier than usual. The endless sprouts of dark thoughts that filled my head had kept me up throughout the night. Preparing as fast as I could, I rushed down to the back garden. I didn’t want Sebastian to arrive before me. It’ll be wrong for someone considered a slave. I had to walk a few distances before I could make it to the back garden. It was a stone's throw away from the back of the castle. On reaching the garden, Sebastian was already there. I noticed he was wearing a pair of wireless earbuds and looking at the garden, the expression on his face peaceful and calm. The garden was a beautiful site to behold as the soft rays of the morning sun bathed it. It was a haven of vibrant colours and intoxicating scents. The blooming flower beds, fluffy carpet grass, delicate vines and shrubs, colourful butterflies and bees that pollinated the flowers, the lovely tunes of the birds and the gentle rustlings of the leaves in the wind we
Chapter 16BRIANNA’S POV*****After Hermes deflowered me mercilessly, I felt broken. So broken I could barely walk. My womanhood stung with so much pain that seared my waist and thighs. Blood smeared my thighs. I had managed to wash them off before slumping into the bed.I huddled and buried myself on the bed, whimpering uncontrollably as my tears wet the sheets, the scenario replaying in my head like a horror movie even though I tried hard not to think of it.Days passed and even weeks. I wasn’t sure since he locked me up in his hell hole. My daily routine was to wake up, wallow in agony, nibble on the food brought by the castle maids, knit some pieces and watch the rise and settling of the sun from the window. The last two were the only activities that managed to untangle me from my web of gloom. It's been a bit long since I saw Hermes. And I was happy about it. I wished I’ll never see him again. But my wish didn’t come true.One evening while I was peacefully watching the sun dip i
Chapter 17(CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS CHAPTER)BRIANNA’S POVDespite everything that happened, I still couldn’t bring myself to dance for him. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t picture myself swaying, twisting, and wriggling my body just to impress him and make his cock rise. It seemed absurd to me.I could feel his glare burning through me. I could feel his anger spreading like a pandemic across the room, threatening to wreck it apart. But I was adamant. I will give anything to leave his disturbing presence. Anything! Anything but dance.The song finished playing and in an instant, he rose, his devilish gaze already melting me to ashes. Sheer black fright swept through me. What was he planning on doing to me this time? In this state, I could barely survive another round of his defilement and ill-treatment.“I warned you, Brianna,” he threw his words at me like stones. “I made it all clear to you but you still stayed stubborn. Now you’ll suffer the consequences of your action.”I watched as
Chapter 18SEBASTIAN’S POVThis garden held a special place in my life and heart. It held memories that are forever stuck with me like glue. Almost every morning, I like to come here, play my music and let the serenity envelope me. I let the calmness take care of me. Pamper me. It was more than a garden to me. It was my antidote. My escape from the world threatening to swallow me whole.In our two years of marriage, Catherine never knew of my special connection to this place. No one knew. Except... Brianna. Now that I've brought her here and told her.I had brought her here, thinking perhaps the music and serenity will wipe away every pain. Every trauma. Yesterday’s dreadful scenario at the cocktail party. Wipe away everything that burdened her. But I was wrong. The moment I saw those glistening tears on her pale, heart-shaped face, I knew it did more harm than good. Perhaps, it was a mistake bringing her here. Perhaps, I shouldn’t have plugged those buds in her ears. But the song was
Chapter 19BRIANNA’S POVHis surprised, pitiful gaze lingered on me and at that moment, I wished I had a shell I could coil back into. I wished I hadn’t told him. I could have just collected the book and when I got back to my chamber, left it there.“Didn’t you go to wolf school?” He leaned in closer to me, his thick, sleek brows drawing in questioningly.“I’m sorry,” I turned away from him and tried to put the book back on the shelf. “I shouldn’t have told you that.”“No,” he reached out and stopped me. “It’s okay. You can tell me. We’re the only ones here. You don’t have to be ashamed... or afraid of anything. Okay?”Ashamed? I wasn’t ashamed. I just wish I hadn’t told him. I didn’t want him to know anything about me. About my background. My childhood. Everything I had been through. He was my master and telling him all that was unnecessary.Seeing how reserved I was, he collected the book from my hand, kept it precariously on top of the arranged books and tried coming closer. But fro
Chapter 20 SEBASTIAN’S POVIt baffled me to know she couldn’t read like everyone else. I had always thought every wolf went to school while growing up. But I just learnt that wasn’t the case. After she told me her story, I felt for her. She had been through a lot. Witnessed so much pain that I so desperately want to erase. As she told me her story, her fragile soul was threatening to drown in the sea of her pain and sorrow. But I didn’t let that happen. I pulled her out immediately by promising to teach her to read when I get back from my business trip. She raised her head and her beautiful, grey eyes sparkled with a vivid gleam. That was when I knew I had succeeded in making her feel better. But the business trip was a cover-up. I was going away for three days but it wasn’t for a business meeting or trip. I was going to make Nolan pay for what he did to her at that cocktail party. I vowed to myself never to let anyone hurt her as long as she was with me. But Nolan did hurt her. And
Chapter 21BRIANNA’S POVOn a beautiful summer morning, I saw myself lying on a soft carpet of green grass. Sebastian was lying beside me, his fingers cool and smooth as they held mine. An easy smile was playing on the corners of our lips as we were captivated by each others’ presence and by the beautiful sky above, painted with vibrant hues of blue and wisps of fluffy white clouds. We were happy. So happy. That was the kind of happiness I longed for. But in the blink of an eye, all that vanished. The sky turned black and the ground beneath me began to quake. Afraid, I turned to Sebastian so we could get up and run to safety. But then, I realized he wasn’t Sebastian. It was Hermes. His hold tightened around my hand and he tried to pull me closer to himself while I struggled with everything in me.“Where do you think you’re going to, princess?” his devilish smirk overtook his features as he stared at me. “What did you think? You can get away from me forever? We’re forever stuck togeth
Chapter 22BRIANNA’S POV“Since you’re living under my roof, you’re to abide by my rules,” Catherine’s voice was cold, territorial and exact as she screeched the paper to me. “On the first page of the paper are the rules and your tasks and in the back is the plan of the castle to help you find your way around. You’re to obey my rules with your life and carry out your chores diligently. Anything asides that will attract punishments. Severe punishments,” she stressed, her gaze growing colder and sharper by the passing moment.Her words bore through me and I drew in a subtle breath, wondering when punishments will end in my life. Breathe Brianna. Just breathe. I tried to calm myself as my gaze dropped to the sheet and carefully, I picked it up, eager to know what my tasks and her rules were. Squinting at the millions of incomprehensible words scribbled on the paper, I swallowed a lump and tried to remain steady. Seeing it made me wonder if the other maids were also made to go through s