(End of flashback)
Present
"Welcome home, honey."
That voice dragged me back to reality. My eyes fluttered open, dazed, the scent of leather still heavy in the car. I couldn't believe I'd fallen asleep.
The Lamborghini's door lifted, and I stepped out — straight into a world that looked too perfect to be real. The mansion loomed before me, vast and gleaming like a palace. It was twice the size of Luis's estate, but instead of awe, I felt an ache deep in my stomach. All that wealth. All that glory. And none of it made me happy.
"Come on," Xavier said softly, his hand wrapping around mine. He pulled me close — too close — and leaned in until his breath brushed my ear.
"Listen carefully," he whispered. "Not even the maids or your personal attendant must know this is a contract."
Before I could respond, voices broke the tension.
"Welcome, sir. Welcome, ma'am!" A group of young women in crisp uniforms greeted us at the entrance, smiling brightly. Their kindness should have warmed me — but instead, it stung. Their laughter, their innocent joy, reminded me of everything I had lost. Everything I had given up just to become someone's pawn in a game I never agreed to play.
"Have you prepared our rooms?" Xavier asked, his tone calm but commanding.
"Yes, sir," one of them replied, bowing slightly.
"Good." He didn't let go of my hand as he led me up the sweeping marble staircase.
The bedroom took my breath away — a cascade of rose petals scattered across satin sheets, scented candles flickering in corners, the moon spilling silver light through glass walls. It was beautiful… heartbreakingly so.
And yet, as the realization struck, my chest tightened.
Tonight wasn't just another night.
It was our wedding night.
My pulse quickened. I couldn't breathe.
"I'll shower first," Xavier said casually, heading into the bathroom.
The moment the door closed behind him, I felt my world closing in. What happens after the shower? The thought made my skin crawl. The last thing I wanted was to give myself to him — not now, not ever.
I turned toward the window. The moon hung there, cold and watchful. My reflection looked like a stranger — trapped, silent, and breaking inside. I didn't even notice when Xavier slipped out of the room.
---
Xavier's POV
I sat behind my desk, the light from the chandelier glinting off the frame in my hand. Her smile — Micah's smile — stared back at me. So radiant. So alive.
"Micah," I whispered, my voice trembling with something between grief and rage. "You know I've finally made progress. The plan is working. She's here, in our room."
My hand clenched around the picture frame.
"I can't stand the sight of her. I hate that she wears your ring. But just a little longer, my love. A few more weeks, and I'll finish what I started. Luis will finally learn what it feels like to lose everything."
He leaned back, exhaustion weighing on him. The glass of whiskey beside him sat untouched.
"Can you hear me, Micah?" he murmured as his eyes began to close. "Just one word from you… just one sign that you're proud of me."
Sleep claimed him — the picture of his dead wife still resting on his chest.
---
Luis's POV
"No!" The roar echoed through the office as papers went flying. Files crashed to the floor, scattering across the polished marble.
Luis's chest heaved with fury. "Xavier Stone," he growled, pacing back and forth. "How dare you? I thought I ruined you years ago. How could you have the audacity to steal my golden key?"
His employees froze at the doorway, wide-eyed.
"I'll destroy him," Luis hissed, his voice low and venomous. "I'll take back Rachelle, and I'll make him regret the day he ever crossed me."
No one dared move.
"What are you all staring at?" he barked.
They flinched.
"This time," he muttered, eyes dark as sin, "I won't just take what he loves… I'll erase him from the face of the earth."