Shadow'ss Of The Dark Heart

Aria's POV

The silence in the room felt suffocating. My hand trembled as I clutched the fabric of my expensive, shiny, exquisite wedding dress.

I turned my head back to face the room, the greys and blacks surrounding me, pulling me deeper into their cold embrace. Everything in this room screamed power, control, and the terrifying presence of the man I got married to.

My mind kept replaying the words said by Rowan, especially the part about intimacy.

"The marriage will follow every ritual... including the physical expectations."

My eyes moistened as the reality sank in further, but I pushed back the tears. I couldn't cry, couldn't break now. It's for my mother. She needs me. The surgery has to be done. I can't let her die.

The thought of giving myself to a total stranger made my stomach churn, and my heart twisted painfully in my chest.

I didn't know this man. A stranger. A total stranger, and yet, here I am as his wife.

Here I came on my own. No one forced me into this. I sold myself for that money... which I never cared about.

Now she throws her authority in my face. In this world, money is everything. I understood the moment when I needed to sell myself for it.

For that money, I agreed to become his whore in bed and a wife in the eyes of the world for six months because his fiancée ran away, and he needed a wife to show the world. And I needed the money to save my mother. I still remember Rowan offering me to take her place in exchange for the money. Having no other option, I agreed to it.

I know this place. My mom used to work in this mansion before she fell sick, and I used to come here to work in her place. Rowan is his assistant who offered to take the bride's place, but I don't even know his name, the man I married, the owner of this place.

The room was cold yet elegant, everything perfectly in place, yet devoid of warmth. A large bed with white silk sheets sat against the far wall, a crystal mirror above the bed.

I couldn't shake the unease that curled in my chest. I didn't know him, yet his presence lingered in every corner of this room, as if silently watching me.

I wasn't afraid of him, at least I tried to convince myself of that. The thought of what he might expect and what I had agreed to sent chills through my body, but I reminded myself of one unshakable truth: I came here on my own. I accepted every condition.

No one had forced me into this.

My thoughts broke as the door swung open, making a loud noise, and my heart stopped.

I looked up, meeting a pair of gray eyes I had encountered before, the ones whose presence still sent shivers down my spine.

My instinct made me step back. He moved, his movements slow and deliberate, his sharp gaze locked onto my trembling one. His jaw clenched, showing the tension beneath his calm face.

He suddenly halted, his voice dropping into a dangerous tone. "One more step back and I'll break your legs." His voice was low and dripping with menace.

My legs froze in place. A shiver ran down my spine. The danger in his voice wrapped around me like a noose, making my legs weak. I didn't dare to move; my breath caught in my throat. His gray eyes pinned me to the place.

The silence stretched, suffocating the air to breathe. His steps echoed as he walked forward, closing the distance. My breath stopped in my throat as he came so close to me.

Fear grabbed me like a noose. My eyes dropped to the ground nervously as his cold, calculating gaze settled on me with intensity.

I didn't know what to do, didn't know how to respond or escape this moment as his hand clod figure made contact with my face skin.

My whole body shivered in response as the goosebumps made their way on the surface of my cold flesh.

His cold fingers traced the curve of my cheek, contacting my skin. It was slow and terrifying, sending chills racing down my spine.

I gave myself silent motivation: Everything will be okay. This is for six months. I agreed to this. This is for my mom.

But my thoughts shattered in pieces when his hand traveled lower, his fingers brushing over my collarbones with a feather-light touch that burned my skin with intensity.

My heart was pounding violently. I was sure he must have heard the loud thump of my heartbeat. My hands grew wet with sweat as I tried to steady myself. Everything will be okay; let him do what he wants, it is just for six months.

My trembling gaze was locked with his hard one. I couldn't predict what he was thinking. It was hard to read his expression with that stone-carved face. He was handsome with those sharp gray eyes; if I wasn't afraid, I could have appreciated his eyes, his shaped nose, and those heart-shaped lips perfectly colored, and the hair falling on his forehead with unsettling beauty.

I was so lost in his beauty until a harsh tug made me come out, my dress knot loosening the only thing keeping everything in place. The silk fabric flowed and pooled from my shoulder. Panic worked through me as I tried to grab the dress, which had slipped past my breasts. My eyes found his eyes lingering on my chest.

I shivered under his gaze, my trembling hands clutching the fabric of my dress, trying to shield myself from the weight of his eyes. My heart twisted painfully as my eyes filled with salty water. I tried to control it, but I couldn't; this time, the tears flowed down my cheeks.

The tears blurred my vision as his image in front of me faded in the saltwater of my eyes. His gaze dropped to my lips. In the next second, he grabbed my chin firmly, tilting my face up. Before I could think, my lips were captured by his mouth. A gasp left my mouth. The cold slide of his mouth met my lips; they parted when he sucked them. His lips moved with raw intensity, as though he had been starving for this moment for years.

His teeth sank into my lower lip. A sharp pain shot through my lips, and before I could stop it, a tear rolled down. A sound of pain left my mouth as I tasted the metallic taste of my blood.

My body tensed. I wanted to stop this, but I had no right to tell him to stop because I agreed to all the conditions, including never saying no to him. I should obey everything he says and wants. My breath hitched, my heart was dying inside, and the heavy feeling in my chest was so hard that it almost made my breathing impossible. My skin was erupting in goosebumps as a shiver ran through my body.

I felt his hand slide to my back, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. His fingers traced the hand I was using to hold the dress as, one by one, he loosened all my fingers from the fabric, unfastening it.

I closed my eyes tightly, tears ran down, and a choked sob escaped my mouth.

I knew this was going to come, but not this early.

Author's POV

A soft, instinctive sound escaped from her throat at the kiss, his mouth devouring her, tasting every inch of her mouth in its deepest way. His hand slid down from her waist to the small of her back, pulling her flesh more against him. Every inch of her body was tingling as if set on fire.

The kiss became deeper and more insatiable. His lips, his tongue, everything was making her feel hopeless. Her breath was getting tangled with his.

His hands traveled through her body as they moved towards her exposed skin. His touch was dominating and owning her, as he wanted. His cold fingers touched her skin, making a shiver run through her body; her head was spinning.

Aria's tears fell silently, mixing with the chaos of her mind and emotions of fear, uneasiness, and something deeper she couldn't understand. Her heart was pounding loudly as if it would tear from her flesh and come out of her chest.

His fingers moved with a slowness that was unbearable for her, trailing over her exposed soft brown skin. Inch by inch, he slid the dress lower. The cool air coming from the open window made contact with her skin, making goosebumps rise. Her body shivered in the cold, but the warm air radiating from him made her body lean into him.

Aria's chest rose and fell irregularly, her breaths shallow and broken. As she trembled, her hand shot out, searching for some support. Her hand clutched his shirt tightly, her hold iron-tight on the fabric as if holding onto it would keep her from sinking into the sea of emotions weighing her down.

Her eyes shut tightly, shutting out the reality of the moment. The fear was raw and ruthlessly wrapping around her like a living thing, growing stronger with every heartbeat.

His touch, his lips, his rough hands, the heat of his body it was all too much for her. She clung to the one thing keeping her standing: the promise she made to her mother, that she wouldn't let her die.

Her dress met the floor with a merciless sound, reminding her of what she had chosen for herself. His hand moved slowly with intensity as he traveled his fingers between her cleavage, not touching her breasts. It slid lower, and her grip on his shirt grew tighter as she took shaky breaths to steady herself. Her whole body was set on fire.

The cool touch of his fingertip moved slowly down as it reached her stomach. His finger trailed the theme of her lower body, and his hand slowly went inside before she could react. In the next second, he took her to the chilly wall, smashing her against it.

As the cold wall made contact with her skin, a shiver ran down her spine. A small scream tore from her throat. She opened her eyes, and they met his grey ones, those eyes holding so much intensity that it was hard for her to look into them.

His eyes burned into her with a primal hunger. He leaned in, his breath intertwining with hers as he took her lips into his mouth in a wild way, deepening the kiss, his tongue demanding entry. She gasped, her body arching against his. His hands moved over her body, exploring every curve, every inch of her skin. He trailed kisses down her neck, his teeth nipping at her sensitive skin.

As Aria's head grew heavy, her vision blurred and black spots danced in front of her eyes. The exhaustion from endless crying and the empty ache in her stomach from not eating for hours hit her. Her legs lost their strength, growing weak, and before she could process it, her control slipped away.

Her body lost balance, ready to collapse, but before she could hit the ground, strong arms caught her. He held her firm yet unyielding. He lifted her effortlessly into his arms. His grey eyes settled on her face without any expression. Her face was pale, her lashes still damp with tears.

---

The morning sun rays rose through the large window, casting a soft glow across Aria's face. Her eyes slowly opened. For a second, her gaze fixed on the unfamiliar ceiling above her.

Her mind struggled to process where she was, but reality slowly emerged from the dark shadows of the night, hitting her like a sharp blow.

A terrifying shiver ran through her body as flashes of last night came rapidly, one after another. She sat up on the bed, clutching the blanket tightly around her body. Her breathing was heavy as her eyes searched across the room, trying to find him the man who was now her husband. But there was no one; the room was empty.

A relieved breath left her lips, but her head was feeling heavy and her body weak from exhaustion and endless crying.

Her breath hitched in her throat. Her hand started trembling as she realized the blanket was the only thing covering her. Under it, she was naked. She wasn't able to stop the wave of shame washing over her.

Wrapping the warm blanket around herself, the only thing that felt like a protector to her, her grip tightened as her gaze landed on her discarded clothes lying carelessly on the floor.

A strange feeling crawled through her stomach, tightening with fear. Her heart raced as her thoughts ran wild. This was her fate.

She got saved last night, but what about the nights that were going to come, those nights that would become worse nightmares for her?

The very thought of seeing him made a terrifying fear crawl inside her body, goosebumps rising on the surface of her shiny golden-brown skin. She was not the beauty who would make anyone mesmerized. Just like normal people, she had a shade of brown that wasn't too bright or too dark. It was in the middle, shining softly in the morning light.

Her features were unremarkable: she had a round face, soft brown eyes, and small delicate lips. Her bunny teeth, slightly prominent when she smiled, made her even more self-conscious. Her hair was a rich chestnut brown, thick but often untamed, giving her a messy yet natural look.

Aria stood up from the bed, her shaky figure gripping the blanket tighter around her trembling body. Her feet touched the cold ground, and bending down, she picked up her scattered clothes. Those clothes felt heavy in her hands, difficult to hold.

Her eyes moved around the room as she clutched the clothes, landing on the three doors attached to the room. Not knowing where any of them would lead, she still moved forward, gripping her clothes and blanket tightly in her hand.

She approached one of the doors. As she twisted the handle, it opened.

Author's POV

Revealing a large, walk-in closet with row after row of neatly hung clothes, the clothes' pristine look almost mocked her.

The shine caught her attention as she hesitated, but her numb heart refused to let her go inside. Her heart whispered this wasn't what I was looking for.

Walking a little farther in the room, she opened the second door; a relief left her lips. It was the bathroom.

It was massive, the marble floor glowed in the white light reflecting her state, a cruel image in it as her eyes got moist. Her heart twisted painfully; turning her face, she looked up only to come face-to-face with a large mirror hanging on the entire wall, showing her scattered self.

Her eyes got stuck on her image as the blanket loosened from her grip, falling on the floor.

The girl in the mirror was unrecognisable; she looked like a total stranger to her, a chain around her neck hanging, telling her she was married, with those hickeys on her collarbone bearing the proof of last night's actions.

Her lips looked like the life from them was sucked out chapped, swollen, and marked with cuts.

Her throat tightened with emotion; her vision started to blur as tears gathered in her eyes. They slowly started to flow. At first, they fell slowly, but soon the choked sob broke through her. Her body fell on the floor, sinking into the cold marble. Her face burned into her hands.

Her cry grew, echoing in that luxury bathroom; she looked small, burying herself more into herself. She looked out of place in that shiny bathroom.

The weight of everything crashed down on her. At that moment, Aria felt powerless and alone.

Aria sat on the floor, her cries echoing in the empty walls. Tears streamed down as her thoughts ran wild.

What am I doing...

Her arms moved, hugging herself. Her grip tightened around her body; the weight of reality crashed on her. She was married, to a total stranger, not out of love, for money. It was just a show, everything that was happening was real.

In her entire life, Aria never imagined in her wildest dreams herself in this situation, but now she was living it.

She knew after six months she was never going to be the same Aria again.

Her thoughts cut through her, leaving an ache behind that nothing could wash away.

After crying for hours and washing away last night's sins, Aria stepped into the room; her eyes were more swollen and red now.

Her hands were wrapped around the towel in which her body was wrapped.

The more cruel reality pressed on her as her gaze landed on her wedding dress which was torn, and she had no clothes to wear.

She needed to meet Rowan, she needed to ask about her mother's surgery. He had promised her that he would take care of her mother's surgery. Her mother was the only thing that kept her standing through all this; if it wasn't for her, she could have broken by now.

She remembered the room full of clothes she had seen earlier. She hesitated at first, but then, having no option, she opened the room with no choice, stepping inside.

It was filled with expensive and luxurious clothes of a man, rows of tailored suits, watches, shoes, and jewelry. There were no women's clothes in her view.

Her finger touched the clothes before she could stop herself. Her eyes caught a shirt as her finger ran over it lightly; the scent touched her sensory buds, her heart skipped, and immediately she took her hand back.

It was his, the thought crushed her mind. She was hesitant; at first, she thought to wear anything she got and meet Rowan to know about her mother.

He wouldn't mind if I wore one shirt from all this... she thought, giving herself a slight motivation, trying to convince herself.

What if he gets angry? She thought. But she had no option.

She decided to wear his clothes, her heart filled with fear.

Aria picked out one of his shirts with a pair of track pants.

The shirt hung loosely around her frame, reaching just above her knees. The pants were too big for her as she forced them tight around her waist. She rolled the shirt sleeves; she glanced in the mirror in the closet.

She looked almost drowned in expensive fabric, looking like a beggar in expensive clothes.

But that didn't matter now. She needed to see her mother.

She stepped outside as her wet hair clung to her face. She grabbed a pin from the table where she had put them; she had lots of them, the makeup artist had used dozens of pins in her hair yesterday.

She pulled her hair back and pinned it messily. Aria swallowed all the anxiety.

As Aria stepped out of the room, gripping her oversized shirt in her wrist tightly, she saw a maid passing by her.

Hesitation gripped her throat. She used to work in this mansion, and now she was the wife of the owner. Maybe they would judge her, but she swallowed. She remembered the friend Aria had made while working here. She didn't have worked much time to know everything, but she remembered her friend telling her:

"If you want to find Rowan, just ask any maid. He's always around them flirting."

Taking a deep breath, Aria walked toward the maid. "Excuse me... can you tell me where I can find Rowan?"

The maid paused, looking at Aria shortly. Aria expected an unwanted expression from her, but it showed nothing, like they already knew everything. It made her feel uneasy, but Aria pushed it aside.

The maid answered, "He's in the kitchen."

Aria thanked her as she walked in the direction of the kitchen. As Aria walked down, she noticed something odd in their behaviour.

They weren't staring or whispering as she had expected to hear from them, like they had seen this coming.

She shook her thoughts because there were many workers in the mansion and she had only met a handful of them.

Aria entered the kitchen; she spotted Rowan standing, drinking his coffee while talking with one maid. The flirty look was in his eyes.

He didn't notice her at first, but when he did, the coffee cup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor with a crashing sound.

Aria froze for a moment at his reaction. Concerned, she walked towards him and asked him gently,

"Are you ok?"

Rowan didn't answer her question. His eyes moved, scanning her as he asked a question:

"Are you wearing Vincent's clothes?" His tone filled with disbelief.

Aria stood confused as her mind repeated the word. "Vincent?" She murmured that name on her tongue, her mind ran as the realisation hit her Vincent was her husband's name.

"Your husband, Vincent," Rowan clarified, watching her expression carefully.

Aria's heart raced, gripping the edge of the shirt.

"I am sorry," Aria whispered. "I didn't have anything else to wear... I just want to meet my mom. Can you take me to her?"

Rowan shook his head. "I can't take you to her. You'll need permission from Vincent first."

______

Aria moved her hand to knock on the door, hesitation gripping her hand as she pulled back.

Her heart beat fast, her breaths short; she didn't have the courage to face Vincent,his dangerous aura and those cold grey eyes that terrified her to her core. They seemed to strip her bare when he looked at her.

She took a deep breath, reminding herself why she was here as she whispered to herself she needed to do this. I have to see my mother.

She told herself and forced herself to knock.

She knocked, as the door clicked softly and opened automatically. Her chest tightened as she stepped inside.

And then, she saw him.

The grey eyes met hers, freezing her in place.