Chapter 3 Choices

My mind goes round in three sixty degrees, wondering which was worse, him or them.

"I will not marry you." I repeat and the man nods like he agrees with me and I sigh in relief.

"Okay, suit yourself dear future wife, not." Vincenzo nods, taking a step back.

"Nathan, show my little rabbit here what it means to be sold out to any of the other men out there other

than me." Vincenzo says.

I watch with creased brows, wanting nothing more than to be released.

Nathan looks reluctant for a second before nodding towards the dark part of the room and a man I didn't

notice before pulls himself out of the dark.

His eyes watch me like I was his prey and my eyes move towards Vincenzo before my mind begins to

weigh fight or flight mode.

"Take off your clothes." The unknown man whispers softly but there was something dark about him.

"What?" I ask hoping I didn't hear right.

"Take off your clothes." The man says more forcefully now.

"No." I say staggering back.

In seconds the man is in front of me, roughly taking a hold of my throat pulling me up tightly towards

him.

"I said take off your clothes." He roars in my face.

"No." I wheeze out.

It all happens so fast, before I can begin to struggle, he's dragging my clothes off as I try to push him off

but I was no match for him.

"Let me go." I beg but he roughly clears a table from behind me and slams me onto it. Tearing apart the

barely covered dress I had on. I couldn't take it, fear and humiliation gripping me hard.

"Stop it, stop it please, I'll go with you." I say in between sobs and the man in front of me stops

immediately.

I collapse onto the ground, crawling to the far end corner of the room, bunching whatever little I could

find of my dress to cover up whatever was left of my dignity, my hands on my sore throat.

I realize all the men in the room had their backs turned except for Vincenzo who stared right at me with

impossibly dark eyes.

He walks towards me and then kneels in front me, his face so close to mine, there's only a single breath

between us.

"So will you marry me now my darling?" Vincenzo asks and I give him a single nod.

"You have a fine spirit, you will make a fine Queen." He says, taking off his jacket to cover me and I

shrink away in disgust.

Vincenzo stands and moves towards the man he ordered to assault me, I watch in horror as he pulls out a

knife, takes the man's hand and in a swift move the man's hand is impaled into a table with the knife in it,

his screams filling the room. Everyone looked so unbothered and normal that it scared me to my bones.

My father never exposed me to the violence of his business but I knew a different kind of violence. We

were always locked in and shielded.

My father loved me in his own sick way but even that love was never enough. He couldn't love me and

hurt my mother in front of me.

"Bring her along." Vincenzo orders and only then does his men turn around to my direction.

I shakily follow them out, hugging my body and already planning my next escape. I couldn't possibly be

with a man like him. I'll be living in another hell.

"Take her up to her room." I hear Vincenzo order as soon as we reach his home but I do not raise my head

up.

"Make sure she's cleaned up and ready for tomorrow." He adds and a hand comes forward to urge me up

the stairs but I still do not look up at them.

I can feel his eyes on me as I'm being led up the stairs.

Some group of women take me up the stairs and attempt to give me a bath.

"I can do it myself." I say quietly.

"King ordered that you be taken care of." The oldest firmly states.

"I can do it myself. Get out." I repeat this time more strongly.

The woman sighs in defeat and she leaves with the girls.

I do not close my eyes for a second all through the night.

The next morning, the same women hurry into my room, hurrying me to dress up in a white dress. As

upset as I was, I couldn't lie, the dress was magnificent and so soft.

The women helped me down the stairs in my dress. Somehow I feel him before I see him and it brings a

frown upon my face.

"Seraphina!" I hear Tiana's faraway voice call, running towards me.

"Tiana." I breathe out in relief, holding her to myself.

I hold her hand and take her to a far corner of the room.

"We heard what happened last night." Tiana quickly says. "You look beautiful."

I stiffly nod at Tiana's compliment. "Did you also know that your father tried to have me sold to

traffickers?" I ask and Tiana's eyes widen in surprise.

"What? I'm so sorry, I had no idea he would do something like that." She whispers. "Are you really going

to get married to him?" Tiana says, looking in Vincenzo's direction.

"I have no idea Tiana, I do not know how to get out of this." I say nervously wringing my fingers.

"The guests are not here yet." Tiana eyes me.

"What do you mean?" I ask her quietly.

"The guests are not here yet, aunty Diane asked me to come check up on you, I didn't see much guards

outside." Tiana whispers.

"There must be a back door somewhere, I can cover up for you." Tiana says.

"You will do that for me?" I whisper tearily.

"You deserve so much better sis and I love you so much." Tiana says and we both hug like our lives

depend on it.

Vincenzo comes towards us, his glare focused on Tiana and she nervously looks away.

"What are you doing here?" Vincenzo asks.

"Is my family not allowed to be at the wedding?" I ask him instead and he turns towards me.

"The reception ceremony is not until noon. We sign our papers now." Vincenzo says and I stutter out in

shock.

"N-Now?" I ask.

"Yes Seraphina, right now, the lawyers are waiting." Vincenzo tells me and I look towards Tiana in panic.