The car took Sebastian and Carol straight to the airport. The drive there was a quiet one, with both of them lost in their thoughts. Carol did not speak because she was tired and just wanted the day to be over, while Sebastian really did not know what to say to her. In a way, he felt sorry for her and could not imagine how she must be feeling right now. It was clear that she was the pushover of the family if she let them prevail upon her to marry a stranger in the space of some hours. He could not say he had been exactly shocked to see her walk down the aisle instead of her sister as he had sort of expected the stunt that the sister pulled this morning.Sebastian wondered what sort of hold his uncle had on her parents to make her consent to this, but he did not really care as it was actually none of his business. He would never understand what his dear uncle stood to benefit from his marriage to any of his friend’s daughters, but that was his uncle’s business, not his. All that m

Carol woke up by six the next morning feeling very refreshed. It seemed that the events of the day before had not even happened at all, but there was the diamond-crusted ring on her hand and the fact that she woke up in this insanely huge bedroom to remind her that it all happened and that she was now Mrs. Sebastian Jones. Stretching fully, she got up and went to take her bath, before changing into presentable house clothes and going downstairs to get breakfast. It felt weird, but not necessarily unpleasant having someone else prepare food for her. Usually, she just grabbed something to eat to and from her way back from work, as she could not cook to save her life, but now, there was someone to make meals for her immediately she indicated her desire to eat.This time around, she ate with gusto compared to the previous night when she lacked appetite. She was on her third piece of toast when Sebastian walked into the dining room all dressed in a suit. At first, he looked surprised

Jessica Matthews whimpered softly where she was tied like a dangerous wild animal in a cage that could barely contain her. Her joints were stiff and her bones ached from where she had been folded into an impossible position so that she could fit into the cage. Looking at her, one would never believe that she had once been one of the most beautiful women in America. Now, she was all skeleton and bones and her dirty hair hung limply from her skull of a head.“Are you hungry yet?” The man guiding her asked, baring his brown and disgusting teeth at her in a sickening smile.“Yes, please,”  Jessica replied humbly and feebly. She could feel the hunger pangs gnawing at her stomach as it had been doing ever since she got here. They had never given her enough food to satisfy her. Instead, they gave her just enough to make her live and suffer. She would have gladly killed herself a long time ago if she could, but she was watched and guided like a hawk and there was hardly a single

“Now, let me make one thing very clear to you. You are now my wife, in as much as you and I resent that fact. Do you know what it means to be a billionaire’s wife? I…”“I can’t say that I do, but from the little I’ve seen, apparently it means having to act like a puppet and do everything you’re told without being allowed to have a mind of your own.” Carol cut in angrily. Who did he think he was to talk to her like that?“Well, if you want to put it that way, I can’t say that I’d stop you. However, the fact remains that were in very dangerous times, and you wandering off on your own just because you feel like it is not in any way a wise move at all.”“Meaning what exactly?”“Meaning that you could easily get kidnapped or something equally bad just because you’ve chosen to be pigheaded and then someone else will have to bear the cost of your stubbornness. Now, don’t go thinking that I’d be willing to fork out a shit ton of money if out of stupidity and a desire to show tha

“No, ma’am. I can’t say that I do.” Jessica said, lifting her chin in defiance, but she was unable to control the small tremor that shook her bony frame. How on earth did this woman know about it?“It wouldn’t have to do with the fact that you were shagging a man who was old enough to be your father while dating Sebastian all because you wanted quick cash and the man promised you heaven and earth until James got wind of what you were doing?”At this, Jessica’s eyes filled with tears and she averted her gaze from that of Charlotte.“Are you going to tell him then? Is that how you plan to hurt him?”“No, of course not. I am no tattletale. Sebastian has done no wrong to me so I have no wish to hurt him at all. It is the uncle I’m after. Besides, who am I to judge you? We’ve all done things we’re not proud of at one time or the other. In your case, I know you needed the man to break you into the modeling world and that was why you did what you did. That’s a noble reason if y