Chapter 2: He was...gentle?

“Let’s get her to the hospital first, then we’ll drop her off at the house,” James said as he started the car.

Betty sat beside Karina, carefully holding her in her arms as they drove off into the night.

The ride was painfully quiet.

Darkness stretched endlessly around them, broken only by the occasional streetlights flickering along the empty road. Not a single car was in sight, though it wasn’t surprising considering how late it was.

James kept glancing at Karina through the rearview mirror, worry etched across his face.

“She’s still breathing, right?”

“Barely… but yes,” Betty answered softly.

A strange smell suddenly filled the air.

Betty frowned, scrunching her nose.

“Roll down the windows. Something’s wrong.”

James met her gaze through the mirror and immediately pressed the button beside him.

Nothing happened.

“It’s not working,” he said, panic creeping into his voice as the smell grew stronger.

“Pull over. Quickly.”

Thankfully, the brakes still worked.

James swerved the car to the side of the road before they both frantically tried opening the doors and windows.

None of them budged.

Silence filled the car.

Then Betty slowly looked up at James.

Their eyes met with immediate understanding.

They had been set up.

Karina stirred weakly in Betty’s arms, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“W-What happened?” she mumbled, her vision blurry.

“N-Nothing,” Betty stammered, tears filling her eyes. “We just want to rest for a little while. Go back to sleep.”

“Mmm…” Karina responded weakly before drifting off again.

“Yeah… just a short nap…” James muttered, his eyelids growing heavier.

Moments later, he slumped over unconscious.

Betty’s body slowly weakened too.

She tightened her arms around Karina and pulled her closer.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered before darkness consumed her as well.

Karina slowly opened her eyes and raised a hand to shield herself from the sunlight pouring into the room.

A sharp pain shot through her head the moment she tried to sit up.

“You’re awake?”

A maid hurried over and closed the curtains before quickly leaving the room again.

“Where am I?” Karina muttered in confusion as she looked around.

The last thing she remembered was being in the car.

Did they already arrive at the house?

“She’s stable for now. As long as she takes her medication, she should recover quickly. Just make sure she doesn’t go through too much stress,” the doctor advised, concern evident in his voice.

Karina slowly moved toward the door.

The moment she heard her father’s voice, her eyes widened in shock.

She was back home.

And they were… treating her?

“Good,” her father said from the other side of the door. “We need to make sure she arrives at the ceremony looking presentable.”

Karina couldn’t make out the rest of the conversation before hurried footsteps approached the room.

She quickly rushed back to the bed just as the door burst open.

Jade walked in, staring at her with a smug expression.

“Did you really think you could escape?” she scoffed as she sat beside her.

Karina shrank deeper beneath the blankets without replying.

Jade suddenly grabbed her hair and yanked her forward.

“Let me go!” Karina cried, struggling weakly against her grip, but she had no strength left.

“Sis,” Jade mocked softly, “you love us, right?”

A cruel smile spread across her face.

“So this should only be a small favor for you. Hmm?”

She paused, enjoying the terror written all over Karina’s face.

“Besides…” Jade leaned closer. “You wouldn’t want anything happening to those servants from earlier, would you?”

“Don’t you dare—”

“Enough!”

Her father stormed into the room angrily.

“Nothing must happen to her if we don’t want anyone getting suspicious.”

“Tch.”

Jade released her hair and stepped back.

Karina lowered her head silently, gripping the sheets tightly as strands of hair fell messily over her face.

“And you,” her father snapped, pointing at her, “you’d better cooperate and get dressed. Otherwise, it won’t end well for any of you.”

With that, he turned and walked out.

The room fell silent.

Karina’s shoulders trembled violently as broken sobs escaped her lips, her chest tightening so painfully it felt like she could barely breathe.

She pushed her hair back shakily and stared at her reflection in the mirror beside her.

Everything was a mess.

“I don’t deserve this…”

The moment the words left her lips, she collapsed onto the bed and cried helplessly.

After that, everything became a blur.

They dressed her up and shoved her into a car before taking her straight to the courthouse.

By the time they arrived, the building was almost empty except for the official waiting inside.

Karina was led toward the front while her parents sat several rows behind her.

She frowned slightly.

Where was Jade?

Surely she wouldn’t miss the chance to mock her on a day like this.

Karina tightened her grip around the bouquet in her hands as she struggled to hold back her tears.

A veil covered her face, and she had been strictly warned not to remove it until after the ceremony.

She knew the man involved would probably be furious once he discovered the truth.

But when she thought about Betty and James…

She stayed silent.

One hour passed.

Then another.

Still, there was no sign of the groom.

Her parents grew visibly anxious in their seats.

“What if he changed his mind?” her mother whispered nervously as she grabbed onto her husband’s arm.

“There’s no way,” her father hissed, slamming a fist against his thigh. “He’s probably just late.”

Then his gaze drifted toward Karina.

“We’re selling off that wench today no matter what,” he muttered bitterly.

Karina’s eyes burned red as she overheard his words, her grip around the bouquet tightening painfully.

Two more hours passed.

Just as her parents were about to leave, someone suddenly rushed into the hall holding a document.

“Mr. Russell asked me to deliver this,” the messenger said breathlessly. “He apologizes for not making it in time.”

He handed the document over before quickly leaving again.

Karina slowly walked toward her parents as they opened it.

It was a marriage certificate.

And Devon Russell had already signed his part.

“This is perfect. Sign it,” her mother said impatiently, shoving the document against her chest before grabbing her bag and leaving the hall.

“And make sure you write your real name instead of Jade’s,” her father barked before following after her.

Karina stared down at the paper with trembling hands.

Tears blurred her vision as she slowly signed her name, then handed it back to the official.

And just like that…

She got married without ever seeing the groom.

The official stamped the document before clearing his throat awkwardly.

“You may wait here for him if you’d like. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

After years in the profession, marriages like this no longer surprised him.

Karina nodded weakly and sat back down, staring blankly at the marriage certificate in her hands.

She was really married now.

Hours passed until night finally fell.

Cold wind swept through the empty hall as Karina slowly removed her veil and rubbed her freezing hands together for warmth.

Exhausted, she curled up weakly against the bench.

Then suddenly—

The door creaked open.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the empty hall.

Karina’s breath caught in her throat as her fingers tightened around the veil in her hands.

Someone was finally here.

Slowly, she rose from the bench and turned around.

The man walking toward her looked nothing like a groom.

His tie hung loosely around his collar, the top buttons of his shirt undone carelessly.

There was blood staining the edge of his cuff.

And despite the exhaustion in his eyes, his presence alone made the entire hall feel suffocatingly small.

The faint scent of alcohol lingered around him, causing Karina to wrinkle her nose as she struggled to make out his face clearly in the darkness.

“This is the man people fear?” she whispered under her breath.

Then he stepped beneath the light.

Karina froze.

He looked nothing like the monster she had imagined.

But somehow, that only made her more nervous.

His unfocused gaze lingered on her before drifting toward the tension in her trembling shoulders.

“You… didn’t leave,” he muttered softly.

Before she could react, his body suddenly gave out.

Karina gasped as he collapsed forward, barely managing to catch him in time.

Her heartbeat quickened instantly.

She could feel the steady rhythm of his heart against her chest, his warm breath brushing against her neck as she struggled to support his weight.

“G-Get off…” Karina stammered shakily.

He was too close.

“Don’t… leave yet,” he whispered against her ear, his voice low and rough as one arm slowly wrapped around her waist.

Karina’s breathing turned uneven.

Her body stiffened the moment he pulled her closer.

Without another word, his lips crashed against hers.

Karina’s eyes widened in shock.

She immediately tried pushing him away, but his grip around her waist tightened instead, pulling her impossibly closer as the kiss deepened.

The scent of alcohol surrounded her completely, dizzying her senses as his lips moved desperately against hers like he was afraid she would disappear the moment he let go.

His hand slipped beneath her dress just as they were interrupted.

“Boss, we need to leave.”

Leon stopped mid-step the moment he saw the scene before him.

Devon barely lifted his head.

“Take us home,” he muttered hoarsely, tightening his grip around Karina’s waist.

“And don’t let anyone in tonight.”

Leon glanced at Devon, whose face was buried against her neck, his breathing uneven and his cheeks slightly flushed.

“The drug is already taking effect,” Leon murmured under his breath.

As he drove, he caught Karina’s reflection in the rearview mirror.

Their eyes met briefly.

Leon quietly cleared his throat before stopping the car in front of the manor.

“We’re here,” he said softly. “Just head inside. Someone will take you to his room.”

Karina gave a small nod.

Devon’s arm remained firmly wrapped around her waist as they stepped out of the car together.

“Why did she look so frightened?” Leon wondered quietly as he drove away.

An elderly maid led Karina upstairs before stopping in front of a large bedroom.

The moment they entered, Devon shut the door behind them and locked it.

Before Karina could react, he gently lifted her into his arms.

A small gasp escaped her lips as he carried her toward the bed and carefully laid her down against the sheets.

His fingers found the zipper behind her dress and slowly pulled it down.

Karina trembled as she instinctively tried to pull away from him.

Devon paused.

Then, surprisingly gently, he brushed away the tear rolling down her cheek before lowering his head near her ear.

“I’ll be gentle,” he whispered softly. “I promise.”

Karina searched his eyes nervously.

Even in his drunken state, there was no brutality in them.

Slowly, her resistance weakened.

She shut her eyes tightly, bracing herself for whatever would happen next.

Devon slid the dress from her shoulders before leaning down to kiss her deeply.

Karina’s trembling fingers moved shakily toward his chest as she began undoing the buttons of his shirt.

His lips trailed slowly along her neck before he pressed another kiss against her skin.

Karina’s breathing became uneven.

“...Jade,” Devon breathed against her skin.

Karina’s eyes snapped open instantly.

Her hands fell limply from his chest.

That single name shattered the fragile illusion she had almost allowed herself to believe in.

For one foolish moment, she had nearly forgotten why she was there.

Why he had chosen her family.

Why she was standing in her sister’s place.

Devon seemed to notice the sudden change in her mood, but in his drunken haze, he misunderstood it completely.

He pulled her closer again as his lips captured hers once more.

Silent tears slid down Karina’s face.

The room slowly disappeared into darkness, filled only with uneven breaths, muffled sobs, and the sound of a heart quietly breaking.

And that night, the walls Karina had spent years building around her heart finally closed completely.