I Married into a Family of Monsters

I stiffened against the hand covering my mouth. A cold weight settled low in my gut.

Julian.

I remembered the night he had entered my bedroom while I lay pretending to sleep. At breakfast the following morning, I had recognized his voice when Arthur introduced him as his cousin. Now he was standing behind me again, with one arm wrapped around my waist and his palm pressed firmly over my mouth.

I grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away, but he tightened his hold, and the pressure forced my lips against my teeth until I tasted blood inside my cheek.

“Don’t make a sound,” he whispered, his breath touching my ear.

My eyes darted toward the study, where Arthur was still on the phone, completely unaware of what was happening a few steps away. I tried to turn toward the doorway, hoping to get his attention, but Julian pulled me in the opposite direction, his arm tightening around my waist while my bare feet slipped against the polished floor as I struggled to keep my balance.

When he finally let go of me, we were far enough away that Arthur couldn’t see us from his doorway, and I spun around and backed away until my shoulders hit the wall.

“What are you doing?”

Julian looked almost amused by my reaction. “That’s an interesting question, considering what I just caught you doing.”

“I wasn’t doing anything.”

“You were listening outside Arthur’s study.”

“I was going back to my room.”

“Then why did you stop outside his door?”

I glanced toward the study, but Julian stepped between me and the doorway.

“Don’t look over there,” he said. “I’m talking to you.”

I forced myself to draw a steady breath. The last thing I wanted was for Arthur to come out and find me standing here with Julian, but I couldn’t trust the man in front of me either.

“You came into my bedroom,” I said, keeping my voice low. “That night. You had no right to do that.”

His expression changed slightly, though he didn’t look surprised.

“So you remember.”

“How could I forget?”

“Yet you said nothing.”

“I didn’t know who you were.”

“Well, now you do.”

“What do you want from me?” I asked. My voice shook despite my efforts to control it.

“First, I want to know what you heard.”

“Nothing.”

“Sophie.” He said my name with a patience that felt more threatening than shouting. “You were standing outside that door while Arthur was talking to Elena. Don’t insult my intelligence by pretending you heard nothing.”

I had hoped he hadn’t noticed how much I had overheard, but there was no point pretending otherwise now.

“It’s none of your business,” I said.

Julian gave a quiet laugh. “You really haven’t understood your position in this house, have you?”

I looked at him without answering.

“Arthur has made his arrangements, and you have your place. Whatever is going on between him and Elena has nothing to do with you.”

“He’s married to me.”

The words came out before I could stop them, and Julian looked at me for a moment before smiling as though I had said something amusing.

“Is that what you think matters to him?”

Heat crept across my cheeks, but I refused to look away. I already knew Arthur didn’t love me, since I had seen enough between him and Elena to understand that, but hearing Julian dismiss my marriage so casually still hurt, especially when he seemed to know exactly how little power I had.

“Stay out of their business,” he continued. “It will save you trouble.”

“I wasn’t trying to interfere.”

“Then you should have kept walking.”

I moved toward the space beside him, hoping to get back to my room before Arthur finished his call, but Julian caught my wrist, his fingers digging painfully into the bone.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Back to my bedroom. Please let go.”

His grip tightened, and I winced.

“You need to listen carefully. If you tell Arthur that I entered your bedroom that night, I’ll tell him I caught you spying outside his study. I’ll also tell him exactly what you heard.”

“He’ll believe you?” I asked.

Julian’s smile returned. “Who do you think he trusts more? His cousin, or the wife he already believes is nothing but trouble?”

I had no answer, because Arthur had never needed much reason to blame me, and Julian knew it. If I denied spying, I’d have to admit what I’d overheard.

“Now, are we going to have a problem?” he asked.

I shook my head, though I hated having to do it.

“Good. Go back to your room.”

He released my wrist, and I rubbed the sore spot, noticing the red marks his fingers had left behind before I moved away from him and headed down the hallway.

I wanted to run, but a scene could bring Arthur out before I reached my bedroom, so I walked toward the East Wing without looking back.

Arthur’s voice carried through the hallway. His tone had softened again, and I didn’t need to hear his words to know he was speaking to Elena.

The thought followed me all the way to my bedroom, and I had barely stepped inside when I heard Julian behind me.

“Don’t forget what we discussed.”

I glared at him and shut the door without a sound.

I heard the lock turn, followed by his footsteps moving away down the corridor. I tried the handle, but the door wouldn’t open. He had locked me inside.

Julian had been in my bedroom before, and now he knew I had overheard Arthur speaking to Elena. He could use either fact against me.

I sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at my hands, which shook once before I pressed them flat against my thighs.

I had spent so much time trying to survive Arthur’s cruelty that I hadn’t considered what it would mean to have someone else in this house threatening me.

Beyond my bedroom, Arthur was still talking to Elena, and I wondered whether he would come back and pretend nothing had happened, just as he had done before.

I couldn’t stay locked in that room forever. I still needed to find a way off the estate, but I would have to be more careful. Julian had caught me once, and I couldn’t afford to make the same mistake again.

I lay down without changing out of my clothes, keeping my eyes on the door. Sleep came in short stretches, and whenever I heard what sounded like footsteps outside, my body went rigid and I held my breath, but the lock never turned and no one came in.

By morning, I knew Julian’s threat wasn’t going to stop me from finding a way out.