Chains of duty

The wedding wasn’t a fairytale—it was a funeral dressed in white.

The church was silent, filled with shadows instead of prayers. Gold crosses glimmered above our heads, but God had long abandoned this place; the men in attendance were not believers, they were killers.

I stood at the altar, the lace of my gown heavy on my skin. My hands trembled beneath the veil, but my face remained composed. In this world, weakness was a death sentence.

And then he appeared.

Adrian Vasilev walked down the aisle with the confidence of a man who already owned everything within sight—including me. His black suit was immaculate, his gray eyes cold, but when they met mine, something flickered there. Hunger.

He stopped in front of me, and the priest began to speak. The vows were hollow, lifeless. Words like honor and forever sounded more like chains and execution.

“Do you, Adrian Vasilev, take this woman—”

“I do,” he interrupted smoothly, his voice steady, commanding.

The priest turned to me. “Do you—”

The words stuck in my throat. My father’s glare burned from the front pew, his eyes a warning.

Adrian tilted his head, lips curving in a faint smirk. “Say it.”

The command was soft, but it slid down my spine like a blade.

“I… do.” The words tasted like poison.

The rings were exchanged, icy metal sliding onto my finger. Then came the kiss.

His hand caught my jaw, tilting my head up, and before I could breathe, his mouth claimed mine. It wasn’t tender. It wasn’t sweet. It was a vow, a threat, and a promise all in one. His lips moved against mine with the authority of a man who would never let me go.

The church erupted in applause, hollow and deafening.

And just like that, I was no longer my own.

I was Adrian’s.

Bound not by love.

But by chains of duty.....

The reception was a blur of champagne and whispers. Men toasted to alliances, women eyed me with envy, and all I felt was a cage tightening around me.

Adrian hadn’t left my side. His hand rested on the small of my back, firm and possessive. Every time I shifted, his fingers pressed harder, reminding me exactly where I belonged.

I hated him.

And yet… my body betrayed me.

At one point, he leaned close, his breath brushing my ear. “Smile,” he murmured. “They’re watching.”

I forced one, though my teeth ached from the pressure.

“Good girl,” he praised, low enough for only me to hear. Heat flared in my cheeks.

Later, when the crowd thinned, I escaped to the terrace for air. The night sky stretched endlessly, and for a moment, I could almost pretend I was free.

Until I felt him behind me.

l freezed.....

Running away already?” His voice was a dark caress.

I spun, ready to spit venom....but...the words died as l saw him.....

he was behind me looking at me l felt something....which l can't explain......

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