All Chapters of Sold To The Ruthless warlord : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Mariana’s POV The maid’s silence stretched across the corridor, becoming heavier with every passing second. I could hear my own uneven breathing as I stared at her, silently begging her to tell the truth. She had been there. She had seen everything. Surely she couldn’t stand there and allow Wren to get away with this.My father stepped toward her, his face twisted with impatience. “What is it?” he demanded, his voice echoing through the corridor. “Who did this to Wren?”The maid flinched.Her eyes moved nervously between my father and Wren before finally settling on me. I watched her swallow hard, her entire body trembling as though she already knew what would happen regardless of the answer she gave. Then, in a barely audible voice, she said, “It was the young lady.”For a moment, I couldn’t understand what she meant.Then Wren’s lips curved into the smallest smile,It was barely there, hidden from everyone else, but I saw it.My heart dropped.“What?” I whispered, staring at the mai

Mariana’s POV The first thing I noticed when the carriage finally crossed into Frostcrest was that nothing about the place looked the way I had imagined. I had spent the entire journey preparing myself to arrive at some dark, terrifying fortress where people walked around with fear written across their faces because their warlord could appear at any moment. Instead, the moment the massive gates opened, I found myself staring at a kingdom that was breathtaking. The palace rose beyond the gardens like something from another world, its tall stone walls decorated with intricate carvings and enormous windows that reflected the afternoon sunlight. Everything looked grander than the Graham mansion, from the wide pathways lined with perfectly trimmed trees to the fountains scattered throughout the grounds. Even the air felt different here, cleaner and somehow calmer, and for a moment I forgot that I had not come here willingly.The carriage stopped at the entrance, and before I could even

He pulled my hand slightly closer.I quickly snatched it away and turned my back to him.“I’m…tired”His quiet laughter followed me through the darkness.And despite everything I had planned, despite the escape bag still waiting somewhere outside his chamber, I fell asleep with the faintest smile on my lips.When I woke the following morning, the other side of the bed was already cold.For a few seconds, I simply stared at the empty space beside me, wondering if I had imagined everything that had happened the night before. But then I noticed the faint scent of him lingering on the sheets, and I remembered everything. Zayan was already gone, apparently called away for a council meeting. Clara confirmed it when she came in with my breakfast, telling me that the Master had left early and might not return until later in the evening.The entire day passed painfully slowly. I had lunch alone, wandered around the palace, and tried to convince myself that I wasn’t waiting for him to return.

Mariana’s POV After Zayan left for his meeting, I stayed in bed for a little while longer, mostly because my body still felt sore and because, for once, I had nowhere I needed to be. But eventually, I grew restless. I pushed the covers aside and carefully got to my feet, stretching my arms above my head before making my way toward the door. The moment I stepped outside, I found Clara waiting on the veranda with a tray in her hands. She looked up, and the second she saw me, a huge smile spread across her face. “My Lady is finally out!” she announced dramatically. I laughed despite myself. “Finally? How long exactly have you been waiting for me?” I asked, and she shrugged innocently. “Long enough to start wondering whether our Lord had finally decided to keep you locked in there forever.” My eyes widened, and Clara burst into laughter before I could respond. “You are becoming very bold,” I told her, shaking my head, but I couldn’t stop smiling.As we walked together, I remembered

Mariana’s POV Zayan didn’t take me toward our chambers as I expected. Instead, he led me through the palace corridors and up the familiar staircase toward the study. I glanced at him curiously as we walked, my fingers still intertwined with his. “Where are we going?” I asked. He only gave me that maddening little smile. “You’ll see.” When we reached the study, he opened the door and motioned for me to enter first. I stepped inside and looked around, confused. “What are we doing here?” I asked. He closed the door behind us. For a moment, he simply stood there, watching me. Then something seemed to occur to him. “Do you remember the night you first came into this room?” he asked. I frowned, searching my memory. “The night you asked me something about Frostcrest?” He nodded. “What was the question?” I thought about it for a few seconds before groaning. “Ugh, that was so long ago. I honestly don’t remember.” A quiet laugh escaped him as he walked toward me. “Of course you don’t.”