The man at the altar

I stared up at him from the cold floor, my mind completely numb. This could not be happening. The man looking down at me in an expensive dark suit, radiating pure danger, was Liam. The same gentle, sweet guy who used to carry my books in high school. The boy who brought me soup when I was sick, who held my hand softly under the porch light, and who I left broken and waiting at the church altar four years ago.

"I said get out," his cold voice echoed through the dim room.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Terrified that he was talking to me, I scrambled back onto my bare knees, trying to stand up and run down the dark hallway.

"Not you, dumb ass," he barked, his sharp tone cutting through the air like a whip. "The rest of you, get out"

The remaining guards, girls, and wealthy guests did not wait for a second warning. They practically tripped over themselves in a desperate rush to leave the lounge, slamming doors behind them until the massive room fell into absolute silence.

I stood there, alone in the middle of the purple neon lights, suddenly hyper aware of my own skin. The tiny, ridiculous strings of fabric wrapped around my wide hips and full chest felt practically invisible under his heavy gaze. I pulled my long hair over my shoulders, trying to cover my body, my cheeks burning with a hot wave of intense shame.

"Liam?" I whispered, my voice trembling so badly it barely made a sound. "Is that really you?"

He stepped closer, towering over me until his shadow completely swallowed my frame. Up close, his dark eyes were completely dead, devoid of any of the warmth I used to know.

"Shut up," he said flatly.

I snapped my mouth shut, taking a small step back until my heels hit the edge of a velvet sofa.

"Did you run away from me for this, Kate?" he asked, his gaze sweeping slowly down my exposed body, resting on the raw purple bruises covering my back and thighs. "Did you steal from me and leave me at the altar four years ago just to wind up sold off as a cheap sex toy to a room full of dogs and illegal dealers?"

"No That is not what happened" I choked out, tears stinging the back of my eyes. "I had no choice back then, My family was falling apart, and tonight my father forced me"

"Shut it Kate, I didn't ask for an explanation," he interrupted, his sharp jaw clenching tightly. "And do not call me Liam. My name is Lorenzo. Lorenzo Moretti."

The breath completely left my lungs. I stumbled back against the sofa, staring at him in complete disbelief. "Lorenzo? No. That is impossible. Wait, you lied to me? The whole time we were together, you lied about who you were?"

"That's some high level of hypocrisy Kate, you lied too, stole my money and ran away, agreed to marry me only to run off," Lorenzo said, taking another heavy step forward until he was standing right in front of me. "I offered you a quiet future away from all of this. But you threw it back in my face on our wedding day. You broke your promises first."

I looked away, unable to meet his piercing eyes, my head spinning from the shock. My father had ruined my life, but looking at Lorenzo now, I realized I was trapped in something far worse.

"My father owes three million dollars," I stammered, my voice breaking as I tried to make him understand. "Worse he gambled it all away, He gave me to the guards tonight to clear his debt, I just want to do my job and leave please..."

Lorenzo let out a low, dark chuckle that sent a sharp shiver straight down my spine. "I know."

I lifted my head, blinking back my tears. "Of course"

"I am the one who lent him the three million, Kate," Lorenzo murmured, leaning down slightly so his mouth was inches from my ear. "I made sure every card game he played was rigged. I made sure he lost every single penny until he had nothing left to give me except you."

My stomach dropped into a bottomless pit. Cold sweat broke out across my forehead as the horror of his words sank in. "You... you did this?"

"I made a promise to myself the day you left me standing alone in that empty church, the day I returned home to see you'd stolen every penny I had in cash," Lorenzo whispered, his voice dark and laced with absolute malice. "I promised I would hunt you down, ruin your world piece by piece, and take back what rightfully belonged to me."

I stared at him in pure horror. The sweet, innocent boy from my past was completely gone, replaced by a ruthless mob boss who had spent four years planning my downfall.

Lorenzo reached out, his long fingers wrapping firmly around my chin, forcing me to look straight into his burning, possessive eyes.

"Go to the dressing room and pack whatever trash you brought here," Lorenzo ordered coldly, his thumb pressing hard against my lower lip. "You are coming with me. From today on, you are my personal toy. Nobody else in this city gets to touch you.”