When Mila runs away on the day of her wedding, she knows it's the only choice she has. But when the flight she's about to board is hijacked and brings her back to where it all started, she quickly realizes that the marriage arranged by her stepbrother was a trap, and that the man she was set to marry is even more of a monster than she had thought. While Mila wants to stay as far away as possible from her new husband, the mysterious Mr. Zakharov seems intent on having her for himself. "You're mine, Mila," he whispers into her ear as he presses her against the wall, her back against his chest, his hand over her mouth so she doesn't alert anyone. "Your body," he adds, sliding his other hand between her thighs and finding her panties wet for him. "Your mind," he continues, pushing the hem of her dress up over her hips. "Your fucking soul."
Chapter 1 0001
Mila stood in the middle of nowhere, her stomach twisted, her face set in a deep frown, and her mouth filled with cuss words for the whole world.
"Fucking asshole!" she growled, stomping down the road and shaking her head. "This has to be a joke. Ugh. Why is my fate so terrible?"
It was the perfect plan. Perfect.
All she had to do was buy a staff uniform, which she did, change into it after her stepbrother's men escorted her to the changing room-which she did-and slip out of the room at the first chance she got-which, again, she did.
Outside the hotel, her best friend Lia was supposed to be waiting for her with a packed bag, a fake identity, and enough cash to get her to the destination she had planned.
Everything was going right. Everything.
Until the cab driver she had boarded for the airport turned out to be an asshole and started hitting on her. She told him-politely, at that-to mind his own fucking business. But maybe it was her tone or the fact that he was a drunk who took it as an invitation, because the next thing she knew, the driver was pulling over to the side of the highway.
At first, she thought he was going to hit her or, worse yet, force her. But to her surprise, his eyes widened when he saw the ring on her finger-a giant ring with a huge diamond and a band studded with more diamonds. She thought he would steal it-which would've been fine as long as she reached the airport-but the fucker surprised her yet again.
His face paled, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead in the fucking cold winter. He stared at the ring as if she were a ghost, then started stammering, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"
Then, he gently tugged her and her bag out of the cab and took off without another word.
"What the hell is wrong with people?" she growled, staring at the taillights of the cab. "Fucking psycho."
"Great, just fucking great," she muttered, tugging her bag along the empty road. "First, my stepbrother's men, now a psycho cab driver. What's next? A fucking meteor shower?"
She shook her head, walking backwards and trying to hitch a ride, but none of the cars stopped, zipping past her as if she was nothing but dust discarded along the roads.
"Come on!" she shouted at the passing cars, her voice raw with anger. "Stop, you fucking idiots! Can't you see I'm trying to get out of here?"
Glancing at the time, another growl rumbled at the back of her throat.
If I don't get a ride soon, I'm screwed.
She sighed, frustration boiling over. "You know what? This is it."
She let go of her bag and took another deep breath, her mind racing with what-ifs.
When she saw the next car rushing towards her, she stepped forward and stood right in front of it, her arms outstretched, ready to stop it.
"This is the only way," she muttered to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. "Please, just stop."
The car's headlights were blinding, and the wind from the vehicle whipped her hair wildly. She could hear the brakes screeching, the tires skidding, and then the eerie silence that followed.
She opened her eyes, one at a time, her heart racing. The car was right in front of her, her knees almost touching the grille.
"Shit!" she cried, stumbling backward as the car came to a halt.
The door slammed open with a force that echoed in the quiet night. A tall man stepped out, his face partially obscured by the glare of the headlights. He was clearly furious, his expression a mix of disbelief and anger.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snarled, his voice deep and commanding. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Mila raised a hand to shield her eyes, squinting at him through her fingers. "I-well, I needed a ride. I was abandoned-"
"Abandoned?" he cut her off, stepping closer. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to play these games on the highway? You could've been seriously hurt!"
Fuck. He was probably right. Maybe Mikhail was right-she did hit her head sometimes in the past...
But then again, it's not like she had any other choice.
She rubbed her arm, feeling slightly awkward. "Well, maybe if people actually stopped to help, I wouldn't have to resort to desperate measures. It's not like I planned for this to happen."
Chapter 1 0001
24/08/2024
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