Chapter 58
Nathaniel didn’t return last night but his words were enough to keep me awake the whole night. I kept on turning and twisting in my bed but couldn’t sleep even for the slightest second.
In the middle of the night my stomach churned. My baby was hungry and I decided to feed it something.
I can’t accept the food cooked by his servants but I could make something on my own. With this thought I went to the kitchen and prepared Ramen for myself. After having it, I had some relief.
In the morning, after getting fresh I paced back and forth. My head was still spinning so after around half an hour, I stood beside the window. It had bars or I had ran out of it by now. I pressed my palm against the glass, my breath fogging the surface as I gazed out at the world beyond.
Outside, the world carried on with its usual rhythm, oblivious to the turmoil that raged within me. Birds flitted through the sky gracefully, their wings slicing through the air with a freedom I could only dream of. I envied them, they have the ability to soar above the earth, to explore the boundless expanse of the heavens. They could fly wherever they want. The urge to fly in the sky has only intensified in the current situation. The yearning for freedom in burning like a fire in my soul.
It’s often said that we only truly understand the value of something once it’s been taken away from us. For me, that something was freedom. The simple act of stepping outside, of breathing in the crisp morning air, had become a luxury beyond my reach.
Though it’s been a day but still I am unable to shrug off the words of Luciano.
‘For once tell me if you are being forced into this. I swear, I will make him pay. I will make him suffer for every moment of agony he has inflicted upon you. I will put him on fire and let the street flow with his blood.
They had a deeper impact on me, telling me that there is someone who truly cares about me. The possessiveness and the protectiveness they held had made my heart flutter.
A commotion behind me broke the chain of my thoughts and my heart sank in the pit of my stomach when I saw Nathaniel entering the room. He was looking very excited and energetic.
“Vanessa, come here” grabbing my wrist he pulled me with himself and made me sit on
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Chapter 58
the bed “see what I have brought for you”
I was a bit surprised when he brought out the box from the bag he carried and revealed a beautiful wedding gown. For a moment, I was speechless, my eyes drinking in the sight before me. The gown was a masterpiece of lace and silk, its flowing train cascading like a waterfall of ivory against the rich fabric.
“Do you like it?” He asked
My eyes flicked up to him. His eyes were filled with anticipation and hope. He was expecting a positive answer from me but I how could I be positive with so much negativity around.
“Do you remember this gown?” He further asked, though I didn’t reply to his previous question.
“This is the same gown which you liked first but later on changed your decision because you thought it is but expensive”
Oh!
My eyes once again flicked down to the gown. Yes, it is the same gown which I liked the most while shopping for my wedding with Nathaneil. I remember those days. I remembered those days, the thrill of planning our wedding together, the joy of imagining our future as husband and wife. I was so much excited.
But now everything has changed even the meaning associated with this gown. It represented not love, but captivity. Not joy, but sorrow.
“I think I already made it clear Nathaniel. I don’t want to marry you” I stated looking up at him.
A wave of anger and disappointment passed through his eyes but he soon masked it.
“It is no longer about what you want. It is now about what I want,” he declared, his voice dripping with menace and selfishness.
My eyes were shooting deathly glares at him. I was just talking that my looks could kill him.
“I am so kind hearted that I have decided to let your child live if you cooperate and behave like up normal wife/I want to build a happy family with you. I will give you as many kids as you want and I am ready to give my name to this child if this is what you want but my condition is that you will fulfill your duties as a wife”
Chapter 4
I looked away.
“I have also brought a gift for you and I believe that you would love it” his words once again drew my attention to him.
He made a small call to someone and within two minutes the doors to my room. opened. My eyes widened and my throat became blocked with the emotions.
Clara!” I exclaimed, the emotions welling up inside me threatening to overflow.
Tears glistened in Clara’s eyes, mirroring the helplessness and sympathy that I saw reflected in my own. Without a word, we rushed into each other’s arms, seeking solace. in the warmth of our embrace. Unable to stop ourselves any longer we started crying. into each other’s embrace. The emotions that I was holding for so long came out.
“How are you, Clara?” I asked, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes, my hands. cupping her checks as I searched for any signs of harm.
“I am fine,” Clara replied, her voice barely above a whisper, though the pain lingered in her eyes.
“I am really sorry that you have to go through all this because of me,” I apologized, my voice thick with guilt and remorse.
She looked down. Abruptly I was turned around to face Nathaniel.
“I will be sending the makeup artist who would help you in getting ready” his voice. came out stern and his next words left me stunned “get ready without throwing any tantrums or I will make my men fuck the brain out of your friend right in front of your eyes. Believe me they are like hungry wolves who are actually waiting for my one command to fuck her to death” he chuckled.
Mine and Clara’s body froze at the same time. My breath hitched in my throat because it didn’t sound like an empty threat. He could actually do as he said.
“Understand?”
I was so stunned that I couldn’t make a simple word.
“You better understand!”
With a heavy sigh, he leaned down, his lips brushing against my forehead in a gesture that felt more like a brand than a kiss. The skin that his lips touched burned and I had a strong urge to scrub it with detergent.
helped me in sitting on the bed.
“Are you fine?” Clara asked me.
I managed a weak nod, unable to find the words to articulate the turmoil raging within me. My whole life had become a chaotic whirlwind, a tangled mess of fear and uncertainty. No matter how hard I tried to break free, Nathaniel’s grip seemed only to tighten, ensnaring me further in his web of manipulation and control.
Clara poured a glass of water and offered it to me. As I drank, the cold water slid down. my throat, soothing the raw edges of my nerves.
“Listen to me Vanessa Clara’s words drew my attention towards her “Get ready for the wedding without any reluctance”
My eyebrows drew in confusion as her words settled in my brain.
“Once we’re down there,” Clara continued, her voice low and urgent, “I’ll create a distraction, draw Nathaniel’s men away. It’ll give you the best chance to escape.”
I knew it wasn’t the perfect plan, far from it. But in our desperate situation, desperate measures were all we had left. Our brains had stopped functioning under the weight of our captivity, our only instinct now survival at any cost.
“And what about you?” I asked.
“Don’t think about me Vanessa.” She said.
My heart fluttered. She is ready to face the worst just to save me.
“But they will not think twice before killing you,” I stated the harsh reality, my voice trembling with fear.
“It is still better than dying everyday, knowing that you are suffering because of me” she came back.
“Not me, but it is
but it is you who is suffering because of me”
Closing her eyes, she drew a deep breath.
“No one is suffering because of anyone. Maybe this is my fate. I would happily die if…”
Before she could finish her sentence, my instinct kicked in, and I reached out to cover her mouth with my trembling fingers, silencing her words before they could inflict any
Chapter 38
more pain.
“If anything happened to you, then the sin of it would go to my baby who hasn’t even opened its eyes yet,” I mumbled
Clara’s eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat as she processed my words.
“You… you are pregnant?” she gasped, her voice filled with disbelief.
“L- Luciano?” she asked, her voice breaking with emotion.
With a heavy sigh, I nodded.
“Oh God, Vanessa! What would you do now. Nathaniel would never …” Clara’s voice trembled with concern, her hands reaching out to grasp mine in a gesture of support.
“He isn’t…” I began, my voice faltering as tears welled up in my eyes. “He, in fact, contaminated my food to kill my baby.”
A gasp escaped Clara’s lips, her eyes widening in horror
“He has promised not to harm my baby anymore if after the wedding I fulfil all the duties of a wife happily. I am scared because it is not the matter of just nine months. He would make me a puppet of his hand for the whole life, threatening to harm my baby at every step”
Clara shook her head in disbelief
“Vanessa, I don’t know what is the matter between you and Luciano but he is still better than Nathancil. The last thing I want is your baby to be harmed”
I nodded
“I have faith in God. He will surely send some help, not for us than at least for the little soul in my belly”
