sweet Bella

Episode 7

Bella's pov

Pain, That was the first thing I felt and a dull, relentless pounding behind my eyes, as if my skull was too tight around my brain. My limbs were heavy, pinned down by something warm and solid.

I tried getting out of bed, but I couldn’t.

Then, I realized.

A heavy arm was draped across my waist.

Panic shot through me like lightning. My eyes snapped open at once. The room was unfamiliar, grand in a way that reeked of wealth. High ceilings, a chandelier casting soft, golden light. The sheets beneath me were impossibly smooth and luxurious. Everything screamed wealth.

And then I saw him.

Scout, he was laying beside me.

His dark hair was tousled against the white pillow, his face at ease in a way I had never seen before. Peaceful. Almost human. But I knew better. There was nothing soft about Scout Cromwell.

A strangled gasp escaped my throat as flashes of last night came rushing in,disjointed, mess, wine, dancing. My pulse racing with anger.

My breath hitched as I looked down at myself. The wedding dress was gone. In its place was a silk nightgown that clung to my skin. My stomach twisted. Had something happened? Had he…?

I swallowed hard, nausea creeping up my throat. I had to stay calm. Panicking wouldn’t help. I needed to get away from him, from this bed, from this whole nightmare.

Carefully, I slipped out from under his arm, moving as though I were trying to escape a sleeping beast. My feet hit the cold marble floor, and I stood, my legs shaky beneath me.

The wedding dress lay crumpled on the ground, a cruel reminder of what I had been forced into. My fingers curled into fists. I wasn’t supposed to be here. I wasn’t supposed to be married to him. But what choice do I have? I have nowhere to go , and I can't possibly go back to the family that hated me.

I turned back towards the bed. Scout was still asleep, his breathing steady.

For a moment, something inside me twisted. If I didn’t know him, if I were just an outsider looking in, I might have thought he was just a man resting after a long night. Maybe even someone I could have loved in a different life.

But I did know him. And there was nothing gentle about him.

A shiver ran through me. The idea that he might have touched me while I was unconscious made my stomach chun violently. But worse than that was the uncertainty. I didn’t know if he had.

I needed to get out.

I moved toward the door, my steps careful, measured. My hand trembled as I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob.

Freedom.

And then—

"Where do you think you're going?"

I froze.

His voice cut through the silence like a blade.

Slowly, I turned. My heart pounded against my ribs as my eyes locked onto him.

Scout stood beside the bed ,his body partially exposed, broad shoulders, toned chest, muscles shifting beneath his skin. He wore only boxers, and the sight sent unexpected heat rushing to my cheeks.

I had never seen a man like this before.

But the moment slipped away.

Because he was watching me like a predator sizing up his prey.

He started walking towards me, slow and deliberate.

I took a step back, my hands instinctively lifting as if that could stop him. "Stay back," I said, my voice unsteady.

He ignored me.

With every step he took, the air between us grew heavier. My breathing became shallow, and my limbs became tensed.

Desperation took over.

I shoved him hard, my palms pressing against his chest with all the force I could muster.

It was like trying to move a wall.

Scout barely flinched. Instead, he let out a low, amused chuckle.

I hated that sound.

Before I could react, he was suddenly in front of me, closing the distance in a way that set my heart racing. He backed me up against the wall, his body pressing against mine, his heat suffocating.

I struggled, but it was useless. He was stronger. He had always been stronger.

His lips brushed mine, just a whisper of a touch. Then, sharp and teasing, he bit my lower lip. I gasped, shoving at him again.

My heart slammed against my ribs. I turned my face away. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?" I hissed, fury and fear tangling inside me.

He smirked. That damn smirk.

"I didn’t know you were the sweet type," he murmured, his voice deep and husky. "If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered with Ella."

I went still.

"What do you mean?" I demanded, my voice shaking.

But he just smiled, but I could tell the smile was dangerous.

"You’ll find out soon enough, my sweet Bella," he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. "You'll find out."

Then, just like that, he stepped away.

As if nothing had happened.

As if he hadn’t just left me breathless and trembling against the wall.

I hated how he treated me like something he could claim anytime .

He walked away, his back muscles flexing with each step, leaving me standing there, confused,and shaking, full of questions I wasn’t sure I wanted the answers to.

I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing. My mind raced, and memories from last night scattering like broken glass.

Had he done something to me while I was unconscious?

I didn’t know.

And that terrified me more than anything.

But one thing was certain, this wasn’t over.

Scout might think he had won, that he had me exactly where he wanted me.

But he was wrong.

Because I would fight back.

I would escape this marriage, this prison he had locked me in.

And when I did…

He would regret ever thinking he could own me.