“I want to ask something before we get married, please.” Sophie stood in front of him, her voice trembling slightly as they stood at the altar.
“Go ahead.” Damien smiled and gave a small nod, like she was a queen and he’d do anything for her. If only she were the obedient kind, he really would do anything. Anything.
“Why are you doing this? What did I do wrong? I only helped you, and you ruined my life.” Her voice shook, quiet but edged with fury.
He didn’t want to sound desperate just because he loved her. “Because it’s fun,” he said, his tone cruel and calm.
Sophie pressed her lips together and turned away from him.
The priest, hired by Damien’s father, cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Damien DeLuca and Sophie.” He coughed softly and continued, “To join this man and woman in holy matrimony.”
Sophie’s eyes flicked toward her mother, who sat quietly crying in the back pew. Damien wanted her eyes on him, and only him. He squeezed her hand and whispered, “Look at me, and don’t mess this up again.”
She gave him a sharp look. “Screw you.”
He lowered his gaze, still smiling faintly. “Did you forget what I’m capable of? I can destroy your entire family if you cause trouble.” His teeth were clenched, but his face stayed pleasant.
Her pupils widened, and to him, that was the best sight in the world. God, even after months of knowing her, he still wasn’t used to how beautiful she looked when she was angry. His heart thudded in his chest.
The priest flipped through a few pages and lifted his eyes again. “Damien, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, honor her, comfort her, and keep her in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”
Damien didn’t take his eyes off Sophie, even though she looked like she wanted to set him on fire. “I do,” he said with a smirk he knew looked wicked to her.
The priest turned to Sophie. “And Sophie, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, honor him, comfort him, and keep him in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?”
Sophie clenched her jaw and glanced at her father standing beside Damien. The man just stared back at her, silent and pale.
Damien turned his head toward him, noticing the man’s shaking hands. “We’re waiting,” he said, lifting an eyebrow at Sophie. Too late for second thoughts now.
She was already his the moment she stepped into this church. And now he was going to take what was his. He pulled out a gun and aimed it at her father’s head. The room froze. “Say it,” he ordered through gritted teeth.
He didn’t care what anyone thought. They already knew what kind of man he was. Only the priest dared to look at him with a faint trace of protest, though fear was written all over his face.
A single tear slid down Sophie’s cheek. “I do,” she whispered, her voice breaking like glass.
For a second, the whole world stopped. Only their eyes existed.
God help him, he loved her. Even like this, even when she was his by force. A grin spread across his face as he lowered the gun and tucked it away. Everyone exhaled in relief, but Damien wasn’t sure if he felt satisfied or disappointed that she hadn’t truly wanted this.
A small girl walked down the aisle, carrying a box with two gold rings inside. Sophie’s face went pale as snow when the girl stopped in front of them.
Damien didn’t look away from her, not even when her hands began to tremble. “With this ring, I promise to give you everything I have,” he said. Her hand lifted reluctantly to meet his. Her eyes darted toward her father, as if saying goodbye.
He gripped her hand tightly and forced her to look at him. No one else existed. Only her and him, as he slid the ring onto her finger, sealing what he saw as his ownership.
She clenched her fist as he held out his hand for her. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, “With this ring, I promise to make your life a living hell.” Her glare burned with fury.
Her father gasped, terrified, but Damien just laughed. As she shoved the ring onto his finger, he leaned close to her ear. “The moment you came to me, you chose your fate, Sophie. And now I’ll never let you go.”
Suddenly, she moved. In one sharp motion, she snatched the gun from him and pointed it at his chest. “Make me a widow,” she spat.
Click.
The gun didn’t fire. Everyone froze, even Sophie. Everyone except Damien.
He smiled. She really thought she could kill him. He loved that. Still wild. Still the same fierce, beautiful girl.
He took the gun back, gripping her wrist and pulling her close until their bodies collided. “You really thought I loaded it?”
Behind them, his mother hissed softly, realizing the gun had been empty all along. She stood and walked away, leaving the church without a word. He didn’t care. Let them be disappointed.
Sophie spat in his face. “Go to hell.”
He closed his eyes briefly, wiped his face, then gave her one last dark look.
“Yes, wife. The ceremony’s over. Time to go home.” He lifted her onto his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
She screamed and kicked, but he ignored her. His mind was already elsewhere, thinking about the chains waiting at home.
Her family stood frozen, grief etched on their faces, but not one of them dared to move. They knew their place. They owed him, and this was the price.
Damien didn’t care about their stares or their silence. The only thing that mattered was that Sophie was finally his.
Aksara