Chapter 3 Did you bite me

Liliana clutched her dress tightly and shook her head. "I-I can't," she whispered.

"What did you say?" Valerian's expressions darkened and he took a step close to her.

"Why? Aren't we married now?" asked Valerian.

"We are, but we don't love each other," Liliana said, meeting his deep blue orbs.

He gripped her face tightly, boring his penetrating gaze onto hers. Liliana winced in pain. Was Valerian going to give her the same treatment as her stepbrother did? Tears appeared in her eyes and she pleaded him to let her go.

"You won't ever receive love for me, Lily! What your family did to me, you will pay for it– through your body and soul!" Valerian spat at her with a blazing gaze.

In an instant, Valerian threw Liliana onto the bed with a force that tore the delicate fabric of her dress. "Ahh!" Liliana screamed, her voice filled with panic and pain as his hand gripped her thigh with bruising strength.

Tears welled in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks as she gazed up at him, her eyes wide with fear. She pressed her hands against his chest, desperately trying to keep him at bay, her mind racing with terror and disbelief.

"I didn't marry you to keep you as my wife," Valerian hissed, his voice cold and merciless. "You are my slave. Remember that! And a slave has to serve her master. Your brother sold you to me. This marriage was just a cover-up. If you don't wish to be punished, serve me and fulfill all my wishes. Do you understand?" His words were laced with venom, each syllable striking fear into her heart.

Valerian never imagined he would harm a woman like this. But the memory of his sister's tragic death haunted him, fueling his rage.

Three years ago, Victor Rossi had killed his sister, and Valerian had sworn vengeance. He longed to take Victor's life with his own hands, to see the man who had caused him so much pain suffer. Yet fate had robbed him of that satisfaction when Victor and his wife died in a car accident a year ago.

He should have felt relief at their deaths, but instead, he was consumed by a hollow emptiness. The man who had taken his sister from him was gone, but Valerian's thirst for revenge remained unquenched.

If he couldn't have Victor's blood, he would settle for making Victor's daughter, Liliana Rossi, suffer. He would ensure she experienced a living hell.

Liliana, meanwhile, was reeling from the revelation that her stepbrother had sold her. The betrayal cut deep, a fresh wound added to her mounting horror. How could Rowan do this to her? Had she never mattered to him?

"You are lying," she finally whispered, her voice trembling. "Why would my brother sell me? Rowan is bad, but he can't sell me."

Her refusal to believe Valerian's words was both a plea and a denial, a desperate attempt to cling to some semblance of hope.Valerian's eyes flashed with fury.

"Why are you asking me? Ask your bastard brother!" he muttered, his anger barely contained inside him this time.

"You married me just for a show," Liliana's voice cracked, her words trembling with the weight of her despair. Were her past miseries not enough that this new torment had to be added to the list? Her fate was terrible, and for a fleeting moment, she wished she had died alongside her parents.

"Yes. You will never be my wife, but always remain a slave to me," Valerian spat, his eyes cold and unfeeling.

The next instant, he crashed his lips against hers, the kiss filled with hatred and angst. His mind was consumed by a singular, burning desire for revenge.

Liliana could feel the abhorrence in his kiss. She struggled against him, trying to push him away, but his strength was overwhelming. The suffocating pressure of his body against hers intensified, and in a desperate act of defiance, she bit his bottom lip hard.

"Agh! Fuck, did you bite me?" Valerian cussed, his tone seething with anger as he pulled back and glared at her. His hand flew to his lip, feeling the sharp sting where she had bitten him.

What happened next shocked both of them-Liliana slapped him hard across the face, her eyes blazing with a rare spark of defiance.

Valerian's eyes widened in disbelief. He brought his tongue to the stinging side of his lip, tasting his blood. Before he could fully process the slap, Liliana made a desperate dash for freedom.

But Valerian was quicker, his hand grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking her back. They both fell to their knees, the pain from her scalp eliciting a cry of agony from Liliana.

"Ahhh!" she cried out, her voice breaking with the intensity of her pain. "Let me go!" Why? Just why did people love to torture the weak? Especially men?

Her plea fell on deaf ears. In a swift, merciless motion, Valerian twirled her around and gripped her throat tightly.

"How dare you slap me?" he barked, his voice echoing with rage. The sight of her tears only fueled his fury.

Liliana's vision blurred, her head spinning as his grip on her throat tightened. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest, each pulse a frantic, desperate plea for air.

"Ple-please," she whispered.

The room around her seemed to fade into a haze, and the last thing she saw was Valerian's enraged face before everything went black.

Liliana's body went limp as she fainted, her head lolling forward and resting against Valerian's chest. His grip on her neck loosened, and he felt the softness of her face pressed against him.

Valerian's eyes widened with a sudden, painful clarity. He had done something terrible, something unforgivable.

His rage, fueled by the painful loss of his beloved sister, had driven him to hurt an innocent woman. The promise he had made to his sister years ago after fully occupying the Mafia Business echoed in his mind: 'I promise you, Pene, I won't ever hurt women.'

He ran his fingers through his tresses, his mind a whirlwind of guilt and regret. With his other hand, he gently laid Liliana down on the bed, careful not to cause her any more pain.

Her face was pale, and a tear streaked down her cheek. He wiped it away with the pad of his finger, the gesture surprisingly tender for a man so accustomed to cruelty.

Valerian pulled up the blanket, covering her fragile form before calling the doctor.