Anabella’s Pov.The sting burned before I could even process it.Daniel’s hand had never touched me this way before. Not once, not even back when we were engaged, not even in the heated arguments that marked the end of what we had. He had been cold, cruel with his words, merciless with his betrayals—but never this.My cheek flamed, the echo of his palm imprinted on my skin, and the shock rolled through me like a tidal wave. For a moment I couldn’t breathe. My body froze as though my heart itself had stopped beating.It wasn’t just pain. It was disbelief.The Daniel I once thought I loved—a man who moved like the world bent beneath his feet, who carried himself with arrogant elegance, who looked at women as toys but at least carried the decency of not touching them in violence—had raised his hand against me.Had I dreamed it? Had my mind twisted reality to punish me more than life already had?I blinked once, twice, but the ringing in my ears confirmed it. The silence that fell after
Anabella’s Pov.The morning light streamed through the tall glass windows of the mansion, golden rays spilling over the marble floors, softening what still felt like a prison to me.Peter’s laughter echoed faintly across the hall. He was crouched near the fountain inside the garden, tracing his fingers through the water, his small voice humming a tune only he knew. Two guards stood close by, dressed sharply in black suits, their presence constant, suffocating. They pretended not to notice him, but their eyes missed nothing.I sat on the sofa, hands clasped tightly on my lap, back straight, heart hollow. Watching my son laugh should have filled me with warmth. Instead, the sound was a knife twisted inside my chest. Because I knew he was laughing in a cage, his innocence fenced in by men with guns, his childhood stolen by Daniel’s obsession.Every time I looked at the guards, at the locked doors, at the walls that looked more like chains than safety, I wanted to scream. But I stayed qui
Daniel's Pov.The house smelled of roses and candle wax, but beneath it all lingered the faint, choking scent of desperation.Mia had filled the dining table with dishes, polished the silver until it gleamed, lit every candle she could find. She wore silk—red, clinging, her hair swept up as if she were preparing for a night worth remembering.But when I walked in, none of it mattered.Her smile faltered the second she saw my face. She could tell. She always could. I wasn’t here for her. I was simply here.She fussed anyway, her hands trembling as she carried trays and offered words I didn’t listen to. I shrugged out of my jacket, tossed it on the chair, loosened my shirt, and sank into the sofa.Her eyes searched me, wide, frantic, begging for something—anything. Approval. Affection. A glance that meant more than tolerance.I gave her nothing.Because all I could see was Annabella.She haunted me now, more than ever.The image of her in the mansion wouldn’t leave me—her lips pressed
Mia's Pov.The house smelled of loneliness.The maids all run far away from me.I sent them off to their apartment, I needed to be left alone.I had spent all day preparing, scrubbing, polishing, cooking, dressing, painting my face in colors I hoped he still remembered liking. My hands still stung from the heat of the stove, my knees ached from kneeling across marble that didn’t shine enough for me. I had placed his dinner on the long table, lit candles until the air was heavy with wax and smoke, arranged the cutlery exactly as he used to like.Every detail whispered notice me.But when Daniel finally stepped through the door, the air shifted like a storm rolling in, thick and sharp.He looked tired, but not the kind of tired that begged for my care. His tie was undone, his shirt slightly creased, his jawline shadowed with stubble that should have screamed exhaustion. But his eyes… his eyes weren’t weary. They were alive. Awake. Fixed somewhere beyond me.Always beyond me.“Welcome
Anabella’s PovThe iron gates groaned as they closed behind us, sealing my fate with a sound that echoed in my bones. The Hilux rolled into a vast courtyard, the tires crunching over gravel until we halted beneath the looming shadow of the stone structure. I clutched Peter closer, his small body trembling against mine though he tried to be brave.The doors of the Hilux were pulled open, and Daniel’s men ushered us forward. Their expressions were blank, unreadable, yet their very presence reeked of menace. I stepped out cautiously, my knees weak, clutching Peter’s hand so tightly he whimpered.The castle—or mansion, whatever this place truly was—towered above me. Cold, grey walls stretched high into the night, windows glowing faintly like watchful eyes. It wasn’t a home. It was a fortress. A cage built to trap me under the guise of safety.Inside, the halls were wide and grand, lined with chandeliers and gleaming marble floors. Every corner spoke of wealth and power, but to me, it all
lAnnabella povThe black Hilux’s doors slammed shut with a heavy thud, the sound echoing like the final nail in the coffin of my freedom. I sat stiffly in the back seat, Peter pressed tightly against my side, his small hand clutching mine as though he already understood that something was terribly wrong.Daniel slid in beside me, his scent of rich cologne and expensive leather filling the car, suffocating the already tense air. His presence was like a chain—polished and refined on the surface, but heavy enough to crush me if I dared resist.Two of his men sat at the front—one driving with both hands steady on the wheel, the other with a radio in his palm, murmuring codes I didn’t understand. The night outside was a blur of headlights and shadow, the city lights shrinking until they were nothing but faint stars in the distance.“Sir,” the man with the radio said suddenly, his voice carrying an edge of alarm. “We’ve spotted tails. Could be spies. Orders?”My heart jumped into my throat