Married To His Cruelty, Not His Love

na

ue this charade with Kiarra? Fine. But you will not drag the Chase name thr

th, then closed it. He knew better than to

omething unreadable in his eyes.

t of the room, the door closin

r full attention to me. Her eyes, shrew

ow, but still sharp. "More clever than Clayton gives you cr

he compliment felt hollow

orce. The funds. The connections. My word is my bond.

ed of your background. But I respect strength. And you, Alana, have it i

urse, Sarah, told me he'd been seen looking d

m in a cast, my body still aching. I was driven

t not for her alleged cruelty. Instead, glowing articles about her "philanthropic ventures" and "fashion genius" filled the fee

t to his study. To a public event. A

ophy, to show the world Kiarra' s supposed benevolence. My arm still hurt. My ribs screamed

sistant. It was a deep emerald green, designed to distract from

erficiality. Kiarra, radiant in white, was the belle

uninjured arm possessive. A perfec

. Kiarra swept past us, her eyes flashing with triumph. She whi

of drinks, stumbled directly into me. A c

ied, genuinely distraught. "I am

bt. The echoes of that old university memory, the spilled wine, the

at my dress with a napkin. "It's alright, Al

as if on cue. She led me away, down a

ruined dress, and began to clean the wine fr

dn't recognize, his face flushed, his eye

" he slurred, blocking the door

erced through me. I was

pulling the clean dr

He lunged at me. His hands, ree

face too close. "Everyone knows you're just

flared within me. I was not

nnected with his shin. He

now filled with malice. He l

floor with a sickening thud. The world spun. His we

It all swirled into

ails raked his face. My casted arm,

slapped me. Hard. My head snapped to t

ing. I was helpless. Despair threatened to

the door cr

of motion. The man on top of me was yanked off, sent sprawling

bruised and trembling

urry of camera ligh

Alana

appened

n Chase? Who di

hundercloud of fury. He stood over the

her lips. But her gaze wasn' t on me. It was on the cameras.

vered her mouth with her hand, then leaned into a nearby reporter. "Th

ting me as a victim again. But a weak one. A pathe

or. He saved you, Alana. But he's still min

. All of it. Another public spectacle. Another way to humilia

face softened, a flicker of genuine concern. But it

s. He scooped me up into his arms, ignoring the flashing cameras, ignoring the whispers. He

e of his heartbeat. And then, the tears came. Hot, sil

? To be paraded, humiliated, beaten, and then "res

is worth? Is this the