Chapter 5 Marriage Contract

• Anna's POV
• I held my breath, caught between terror and confusion, trying to figure out what had made him stop.
• He sat down in front of me, his eyes fixed on my nearly bare body, save for my torn underwear.
• I quickly tried to cover myself with the shredded fabric, tears streaming down my face, but he barely seemed to notice.
• Lighting a cigar, he took a long drag, letting the smoke swirl around us before his gaze returned to me.
• “You think I’m a bad person, don’t you?” he asked, voice low.
• Anger surged through me. "You're a monster," I shot back, my voice thick with fury and fear.
• He chuckled, a sound without warmth. “A monster?” he murmured, as if amused. “So, that means you’re terrified of me, yes?”
• I clenched my jaw, refusing to respond. Yes, fear was coursing through me, but I’d never let him know that. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
• "Please, just let me go," I whispered, my voice trembling as tears continued to fall. "I'm nothing—just some low-life girl. You don’t need me.”
• He leaned closer, his expression hardening.
• “You're everything to me, Anna. Why do you think I saved you, hmm? Why do you think I paid your mother's hospital bills? Why do you think I chose you, out of all the women in that room?” He blew out a slow plume of smoke, the smoke drifting toward me.
• "You don't just take people against their will. I'm a person, not a thing," I snapped, frustration edging my voice as I glared at him.
• His lips twisted into a cold smile. "Yes, I do," he replied, tilting his head slightly. “Remember? I’m a monster, Anna. And monsters take whatever they want, however they want, whenever they want.”
• He snapped his fingers, drawing my attention as he pulled out a thick document from his bag.
• With a calculated flick of his wrist, he opened it, revealing page after page of official-looking text.
• “This,” he said, voice dripping with finality, “is the marriage contract. And you’re going to sign it.”
• He tossed it in my direction, a pen rolling alongside it. “This is the price of your freedom—your life and your mother’s. I want you, Completely. And once you sign, you’re mine and mine alone.”
• I stared down at the contract, a wave of defiance bubbling up in me. I turned back to him, meeting his gaze head-on.
• "I never asked for your help," I said, "I would've found a way to save my mother on my own. You may think you own me, but I'd rather die than marry you." I turned away, my eyes drifting to the window, wishing for any way out.
• A slow smile crept across his face, a smug, knowing look that sent a chill down my spine. He knew exactly what I was thinking, as if my resistance only entertained him.
• "Look at me," he commanded.
• I reluctantly turned back, locking eyes with him. His face had shifted, his expression darkened, and for the first time, true fury was etched in his eyes.
• "I’ll count to ten," he said, his voice like steel. "If that contract isn’t signed by the time I reach ten, I’ll make the same call I made to pay those bills. Only this time, the instructions will be different. Your mother... your sister…they’ll both be gone."
• He took a breath, settling back as if the threat were a mere matter of routine. "So… ONE!!"
• I swallowed hard, my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Could he be bluffing? No, I'd seen him kill before, seen how casually he turned life and death into sports. He wouldn’t hesitate.
• "FOUR," he counted, voice cold, unwavering.
• My hands started to shake. What could I do? If I signed, I'd be bound to him forever, trapped as his wife. But if I didn’t... my mother and sister’s lives hung in the balance.
• "SEVEN."
• I closed my eyes, fighting the panic rising in my chest. He wouldn’t do it, I told myself. He couldn’t be that monstrous. But even as I thought it, the doubt crept in. I wasn’t sure.
• Then, he hit "TEN" himself.
• He didn’t even hesitate. He picked up his phone and dialed, each second feeling like a countdown I couldn’t control.
• The other end picked up, "Boss."
• he spoke sharply, “Remember the woman whose bills I covered?”
• “Yes, boss. The sick one,” the voice answered.
• “Fresh orders. I want you to—” He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes glinting with satisfaction as I thrust the contract into his hand, my signature inked at the bottom.
• A smile spread across his face, victorious. He didn’t even finish the call. He didn’t need to.
• He hung up and took the document from my trembling hand, examining my signature with a look of satisfaction. His eyes narrowed, a smug smile spreading across his face as he nodded slowly.
• I choked back my sobs, my body trembling, every tear falling felt like it was sealing my fate. But he simply watched, that arrogant smile plastered on his face.
• “Tears of joy, I see,” he sneered, the mockery in his voice sharp enough to cut.
• "I can't have you going around like this. We’ll go shopping," he said, his eyes fixed on my exposed thigh.
• "Just because I signed that contract doesn't mean you can touch me," I snapped, my voice trembling with fury. "I’ll never let you."
• I gritted my teeth, my fists tightening. "You can own my name on paper, but you’ll never own me."
• He was about to say something when one of his men approached the vehicle. Damon rolled down the window, his expression guarded.
• "What’s it?" he asked, his tone sharp.
• "Boss, we have a big problem, and it’s about her," the man said, pointing at me.
• The smile on Damon’s face vanished immediately, replaced by a deep frown.
• His eyes lingered on me for a moment, his gaze cold and calculating, before he turned back to his subordinate.
• "Let’s talk about it somewhere private," he ordered, his voice low with authority. Without another word, he stepped out of the vehicle, leaving me alone, my heart raced, what could be wrong?