Author's POV

The sound of boots striking against the wet ground echoed in the night. The rain was still going, and it just started to rain more heavily. The little light coming from the outside lamp lets them see each other's faces in the dark.

Two bodyguards emerged from the shadows, their silhouettes sharp beneath the dim streetlight. Between them, a man's wrists caught tight in their grip, his feet barely touching the ground.

Trying to free himself from their grip, thrashing desperately and continuously screaming, “Leave me!” but their faces showed annoyance as they dragged him forward, their hold unrelenting, until they threw him at Xavier’s feet.

He tried to lift his head, but one guard pressed a hand to his neck, forcing him down again, his voice low and threatening.

“If you want your head to stay on your shoulders, keep it down. But if you wish to lose it, go ahead and look up.”

The man's whole body screamed terror with their threat as his whole body froze with fear. He didn’t dare to move his head.

The others stood in a line, silent, stiff, obedient.

Everyone was there, but not even a single person looked in her direction. They didn’t even try to see her feet, ignoring her like she didn’t exist for them, because if they acknowledged her existence, they would not exist in the world.

Her hands were trembling, and nervousness tightened her throat with emotion, stealing her breath. She tried to twist her hand, trying to get free from him, but he only tightened his hold stronger.

Her body was weakening, breath shallow, her mind barely holding on.

He pulled her toward him in a swift motion, and he yanked her closer until she was trapped against his chest. She was in his arms, wrapped around those tattooed hands, veins popping out from the anger he was trying to control.

“Let me go.”

She whispered the only words she could tell from the moment they had met, the words barely audible, breaking through the cold rain and fear.

His eyes burned into hers, brown and dangerous, his fury radiating like fire ready to consume.

“I thought I could go easy on you,” he said, his tone low and venomous. “But you brought this upon yourself.”

“You can’t even imagine what I’m going to do to you.”

A shiver tore through her body. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as fear clawed its way up her throat.

He lifted his hand, his thumb brushing against her lips. She flinched instantly at his touch.

His gaze darkened, heavy with restrained desire, landing on her lips, dry, trembling, broken from everything she had endured.

“We’re getting married,” he ordered coldly. “And after that…” He leaned closer, voice turning rough and possessive. The words hung in the air like a death sentence; the meaning sank in her mind like a nightmare.

“I am not-....” she mumbled more to herself than him.

He grabbed her jaw, forcing her to look up. His breath tangled with hers as he leaned closer.

“Behave, little one,” he murmured, his tone dark and deliberate. “This is just the beginning. How much you’ll suffer depends entirely on you.”

His thumb brushed her trembling, dry lower lip.

“You’ll be mine in the next few seconds,” he added, his voice lowering to a growl. “And after that, I’ll show you what punishment really means.”

Her hands shook, her face pale with fear. The tears on her cheeks were a cruel reminder to herself that she was about to marry the monster she had tried so hard to run from.

As nature turned merciless, the cold air cut through the night like a sharp knife, biting against her skin. The dim glow from the streetlamp only made everything more haunting.

“You can’t do this……my father-”

But she couldn’t finish the sentence before he interrupted her.

“Yes, father-in-law,” he said mockingly, “how could you forget? But don’t worry, they’re here.”

He pointed his finger, and there they were, her parents standing like statues. She was so drowned in her pain that she didn’t even notice the car stopping or her parents getting out.

The rain was merciless, falling hard to the ground, making everything drown along with her.

They stood still, unmoving, as if their daughter wasn’t being dragged away by this criminal and forced into something she never wanted. She still held a small hope for her father, maybe, just maybe, seeing her like this would make him pity her.

But his hard, emotionless face showed otherwise.

She knows her father, but her mother… she had hoped. Yet, when their eyes met and her mother looked away, it was a cruel reminder that she had no one left to stand beside her.

Her lips trembled. Her body went cold as she stood there, letting destiny decide what she had been forced to choose.

The priest, the same man the bodyguards had dragged in moments ago, was trembling in fear. One of them stepped forward, yanked him from the ground, and forced him up from the ground.

“Eyes down,” the bodyguard ordered coldly. “Start the marriage.”

He was like a fish pulled out of water, gasping, and terrified.

Were they serious? They actually wanted him to conduct a marriage under the relentless downpour of rain.

He was afraid for his life, gulped down his hesitation, and started the vows. 

His wet clothes clung to his body, the cold rain mixing with terror dripping down his face. He dared not lift his eyes.

As his trembling voice filled the air, he asked for their names.

“Na-names, please,” he whispered, barely audible over the storm.

Xavier’s cold voice cut through the sound of rain, “Xavier Stone and Iris Ashford.”

The names echoed into the cold environment as the priest froze, and his pants got wet, liquid sledding down to his feet, leaving its trace, his knees almost giving up as realization struck him, eyes widened in horror.

Tears formed at the corners of his eyes.

Xavier… Xavier Stone.

The monster.

The silence trapped the environment.

A gunshot rang out, followed by a scream that echoed through the surroundings, sending shivers down the night air.

Iris flinched hard, clutching her clothes in a tight fist, her eyes squeezing shut as terror coursed through her entire body.

Xavier had shot the priest in his thigh.

The priest fell to the ground, grabbing his knee as blood poured onto the wet ground.

“Fucking do it fast!” Xavier growled, irritation clear on his face.

The priest was smart enough not to cry out loud, afraid to make Xavier angrier. His voice trembled, weak and broken with terror as tears streamed down his face while he whispered,

“Xavier Stone… do you take…”

The priest was on his knees, trembling, his thigh bleeding heavily, the rain every drop echoed on the ground, mixing with blood.

The pain was making it hard for him to form the words as he forced himself to form them.

“Xavier Stone……do you take Iris Ashford as your lawful wife?”

His eyes stayed locked on her, sharp and burning. “Yes,” he said, voice low and deadly calm.

 “I do.”

The priest’s hand trembled as he turned to Iris, his voice barely a whisper,

“Miss Iris Ashford… do you take Xa-vier St-one as your lawful husband?” 

Her lips trembled, but she forced those words out, “I… do.” 

The priest was on the verge of fainting, but he tried to hold himself together, knowing that if he did faint, he would never wake up again.

“Now… you both are lawful husband and wife,” his voice barely holding steady.

“You… may kiss the bride.”

She felt the force of his lips crashing down upon hers. Curling his arm around her waist, he drew her closer and kissed her hungrily. It wasn't gentle; it was a rough, punishing collision of his mouths. 

Her lips seared with pain as he bit down roughly, breaking the delicate skin. She can sense his anger, his madness in the kiss, but her heart was numb, not caring about anything, but it was also twisting in pain.

It was a kiss of declaration that she belonged to him. This kiss sealed her fate.

He kissed you harshly and deeply, his tongue dominating her mouth. His kiss was so rough  that she started to feel lightheaded. The kiss was not only the reason for her lighthead it was all happening from the morning. She started seeing black spots as he kissed her deeply, his tongue conquering your mouth aggressively. 

Her body gave up as he felt his lips part away from her, his saliva line stinging on her lips, eyes closed. 

She felt numb in his arms as he looked at her with a blank face without any emotions or expression, but there was something in his eyes. ‘Proud’

“You’re mine now,” he whispered, but powerful.

Her mother’s heart ached seeing Iris’s pale face and numb body. She stepped forward toward the center, where Xavier stood holding Iris in his arms, his eyes fixed on her lifeless face.

She mumbled softly, “Please… let me see her.” The fear was clear in her voice, but she needed to know if her daughter was okay.

Xavier’s gaze broke from Iris and landed on her mother as he said flatly, “You don’t need to worry. She’s mine now.”

He lifted Iris effortlessly into his arms. “And I know how to take care of my things,” he added coldly, before walking away.

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ID is krisha..