Forceful Marriage.

The next morning brought an apparent calm, but inside Seraphina's mind a storm never ceased. She tried to organize her thoughts while walking through the hallways of the immense mansion, but Vincenzo's words echoed incessantly. Every gesture of his, every calculated glance, made her even more enraged and at the same time unsettled.

'Jarvis, I'm so sorry... I tried to be strong, but he's breaking me piece by piece. I never imagined it would end like this. Not like this.'

In the main hall, Mathew awaited her with a stern expression.

"Miss Seraphina," he began bluntly, "the boss wants to see you immediately."

She arched an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Isn't it too late for more meetings?"

He insisted. "Call it an order."

Seraphina huffed, but had no choice.

Upon arriving at Vincenzo's private office, he was waiting for her, seated behind the desk, his eyes burning with a dangerous intensity.

"Sit," he ordered with a low and firm voice.

She hesitated but obeyed.

"Your hatred is remarkable," he commented, a bitter smile forming but useless.

"I hate everything you stand for," Seraphina retorted, crossing her legs, "and I won't submit."

"This isn't about submission," he said, standing up slowly. "It's about survival."

He approached her slowly, the scent of leather and masculine cologne invading the space around them.

"Your marriage isn't a choice; it's the payment for your betrayal. You don't own your destiny."

"Too bad for me," she replied, staring at him with disdain. "I'll fight until my last breath."

Vincenzo stopped in front of her, leaning his face so close it almost touched hers.

"And I'll show you that fighting me only increases your pain."

He brushed his fingers along her jaw, tilting her chin up.

"You have a fire in you... I wonder how long it will burn before it turns to ash."

'Every time he touches me, I feel myself slipping. But I can’t give in. I can’t let him win. Jarvis, I’m still holding on... for now.'

The silence that followed was heavy, charged with unspoken threats.

Seraphina stood up, determined. "If you think you can destroy me, you're wrong. I am fire, and my fire doesn't go out."

He laughed, a dark sound. "We'll see how long that fire lasts."

As she left the room, a new certainty filled her chest that marriage would be only the beginning of hell yet to come.

The wedding was scheduled for the evening. The dress hanging on the hanger was the cruel representation of everything Seraphina hated. White, luxurious, with delicate embroidery and a laced veil, it was worthy of a fairy tale. But there, in that locked room, it looked more like a prison uniform.

'How did it come to this? One day I was dreaming of freedom, and now I'm being forced into a nightmare. I'm sorry, Jarvis. I couldn't protect what we had.'

She paced back and forth, her heart burning, her palms sweating. The ceremony was set to happen in just a few hours. There were no guests, no flowers, no promises of love, just a union sealed by Vincenzo's obsession and anger.

"You look beautiful, even against your will," said a voice behind her.

Seraphina turned abruptly. Vincenzo had entered without knocking, as always. He was impeccable in a dark suit, his tie aligned, his gaze as hard as stone.

"I should hate you even more for that," she snapped.

He shrugged. "You can hate me all you want. That doesn't change the fact that, today, you'll be my wife."

She clenched her fists, her eyes glowing with fury. "You think you'll break me? Make me bow my head? You're wrong, De Luca. I'll never truly be yours."

He approached, like a predator, in silent steps.

"Seraphina, you already are mine, from the moment you stepped foot in my mansion. I'm just formalizing what already belongs to me."

He stepped even closer, his hand reaching out to trace the curve of her arm slowly, letting his fingers slide up until they brushed her bare shoulder.

"You can dress in white and spit venom, but beneath all that defiance, you're trembling. I can feel it. And I love it."

She turned her face away, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall. "You may have my body, but my soul and heart remain with Jarvis."

Vincenzo tilted his head, analyzing every feature of her face.

"Do you really think your freedom is something you can hide from me? Even your heart will submit in time. The more you resist, the deeper I'll dig until there's nothing left untouched."

************

Evening came, and hours later, the two stood before a judge. No one smiled. There were no sincere vows exchanged, just dry words and signatures. Seraphina wore the dress. She looked like an imprisoned princess.

Before the ceremony began, she whispered, "Please, don't do this. I'm begging you, Vincenzo. Don't tie me to you like this. There has to be another way."

He leaned down, whispering back with a wicked smile, "This isn't a union, Seraphina. It's a sentence. And you have already served the crime."

"You're killing every piece of me," she said under her breath, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Then consider it justice," he replied coldly.

'Jarvis, I’m sorry. I’m not strong enough. I tried to hold on, but I failed. I just hope you’re safe. I hope you can still breathe where I cannot.'

The judge cleared his throat. "Vincenzo De Luca, do you take Seraphina Hill to be your lawful wife?"

"I do," he said without hesitation, his gaze never leaving hers.

'Mine. Finally,' Vincenzo thought darkly. 'She’s mine now. No one else will ever touch her.'

Seraphina's heart pounded. Her lips trembled. The judge turned to her.

"Seraphina Hill, do you take Vincenzo De Luca to be your lawful husband?"

She hesitated. Her voice broke. "I... I don't want this."

"Miss Hill?" the judge prompted again.

Vincenzo didn't wait. He leaned toward her, his voice dripping with poison. "Say yes, or I swear, your suffering has only just begun. You think you've seen my cruelty? I’ll make sure you live it every single day."

"Why are you doing this to me? I didn’t know anything or anyone named Frank. Please believe me," she whispered, her voice cracking.

“You still wouldn’t say the truth, your hell is waiting. Say yes”

"Why not just kill me and be done with it?"

He smirked. "Because I don’t want you dead, I want you mine; forever."

Her eyes welled with tears. Her voice barely came out. "I do," she choked out.

'Forgive me, Jarvis. This isn't the life we dreamed. This isn't the woman you loved. But I'm still in here, somewhere.'

The words felt like knives down her throat. Her knees weakened, but she stood still, refusing to fall in front of him.

After the ceremony, they traveled back to Manhattan. The luxury car moved through the fading dusk, but inside, silence suffocated the space. Seraphina sat curled near the window, her forehead resting against the cold glass, watching trees blur into shadows.

Vincenzo sat beside her, unbothered and proud; his eyes fixed ahead as though he'd just conquered a war.

'She’s mine now. Bound and branded. 'No one will ever save her,' he mused, a small smirk ghosting his lips.

Seraphina didn’t say a word. Her reflection in the window looked pale and hollow, like a stranger. Her fingers fidgeted in her lap, picking at the edge of her veil.

The closer they got to the city, the more the lights of Manhattan glowed; cold and indifferent, just like the man who now legally owned her.

'I feel hollow. Like a ghost in my own skin. Is this what it means to be his wife? To disappear slowly while the world watches?'

Upon arriving, an entire room decorated like a queen awaited her. Jewelry, clothes, perfumes, everything screamed luxury, but Seraphina only saw a golden cell. She stood in the middle of it, numb.

Vincenzo came to stand behind her, his hand resting on her waist possessively.

"Welcome to your new life, Mrs. De Luca," he said, his voice a blend of mockery and triumph.

She didn’t respond. She simply stared at the mirror, her reflection no longer familiar.

"You look like a dream," he murmured, leaning down to whisper against her ear. "But dreams fade. I don’t plan on letting you wake up."

She finally spoke, voice low and broken. "You can dress me up, lock me in gold, but you’ll never own who I am inside."

Vincenzo chuckled. "Oh, but I will. Piece by piece, Seraphina. One way or another, I always get what I want. And now, I want every inch of you... mind, body, and soul."

She closed her eyes. The storm in her mind never ceased. But one thought remained steady: this wasn’t the end. It was just the beginning. 'I may be trapped... but I haven’t surrendered. Not yet.'