THE BRIDE WORTH A BLOOD WAR

Slap!

"You're a useless daughter! What's the point of raising you if you won't even help us!?"

As her father's palm landed across her cheek, Zaira felt the sting burn into her skin. Her chest tightened, and she struggled to keep the tears from falling. She couldn't believe he had slapped her, just because he wanted to pay off a debt by selling her to a wealthy man. Her heart filled with resentment as she stared at her father, who looked back at her with nothing but fury in his eyes.

"Dad, I don't understand why it feels like I'm not even your daughter anymore. I'm your child too, and I will never let you force me to pay for a debt that my sister caused."

"Stupid girl! Don't be selfish, Zaira. You know your sister has a heart condition, and you're the only one we can count on to pay off the ten million dollars we owe to Kade!" her father shouted as he dragged her out of the house.

"Daddy, I'm begging you. Please don't do this! Mommy, please... help me!" she sobbed and pleaded as one of her father's bodyguards pulled her toward the gate against her will. But her mother, in the middle of a manicure session in the family's living room, acted as if she couldn't hear her daughter's desperate cries.

Sitting in the backseat of the car, Zaira couldn't hold back her tears. Ever since she was a child, she had always been the one to cover for her older sister's mistakes. Even when it came to toys, her sister always had to get them first before she could play. Her parents constantly scolded her for not understanding her sister's moods, always reminding her that her sister was sick, and she was not. Did she really have no other choice but to pay off her father's debt?

Eventually, their car stopped on a private island. Zaira quickly wiped her tears and looked around. Up ahead, she saw a sign that read Isla de la Promesa-"The Island of Promise."

"Get out of the car and fix your face before I slap you again! I won't be embarrassed in front of the owner of this island!" her father barked as he yanked her out of the vehicle. Zaira winced when his grip on her wrist tightened.

"Please, Dad, bring me home. I promise I'll help you pay off your debt; just don't sell me. I have a job; I'll borrow money from the office," she cried again, clinging to the car door, refusing to go with him.

Her father raised his hand to slap her again but stopped when he saw her finally start to walk. She had no choice but to follow him, even though her heart resisted. Her pleas may have fallen on deaf ears, but she still hoped the man planning to buy her would take pity and let her go.

As she trailed behind her father, Zaira couldn't help but grumble softly under her breath. Her father suddenly stopped and turned around, yelling at her.

"Fix your face! I swear, if your mother and I fail to sell you, and I end up looking bad in front of Kade, I'll kill you when we get home!"

Those words struck her like a slap. She swallowed her tears, finally realizing he no longer cared for her at all. Soon after, they entered through a large gate just a few meters from the shoreline. The guards must have been expecting them, as they were allowed in immediately.

Zaira was stunned by the sight before her. The mansion looked like something straight out of a TV drama. The beauty of the villa and its surroundings was absolutely breathtaking.

"Good morning, Troy. Is Kade inside?" Mayor Enrique asked politely as a man greeted them past the gates.

"He's been waiting for you in his office upstairs," replied Troy, Kade Villanova's trusted underboss. "Follow me and I'll take you there. Just so you know... he's not in a good mood," he added, causing Enrique's face to suddenly pale.

"Boss, Mayor Enrique is here," Troy announced as he knocked on the closed door.

"Let him in," came the reply.

Troy opened the door slowly after hearing the response.

As they entered, Zaira glanced at her father and noticed how pale and anxious he looked. She wondered why his hands and forehead were covered in cold sweat. Then her gaze shifted to the man behind the desk, who was busy signing papers stacked in front of him. She couldn't understand why her father feared this man so much-his face didn't look threatening at all.

He looked no older than twenty-four. His features were flawless-he had a sharp jawline, a deep dimple on his right cheek, long eyelashes, and a perfectly shaped nose. He didn't look like any celebrity she'd seen on TV. In her eyes, he resembled Adonis, the Greek god of beauty. Even in a simple white shirt clinging to his sculpted biceps, every inch of his body looked flawless. She was sure that any woman would kneel before this man just to be held and kissed by him. Zaira wasn't even a perfectionist, but he easily surpassed her expectations. He wasn't shirtless, but she had no doubt he had a six-pack under that shirt.

Still, she had no intention of giving him her heart. She already had a boyfriend. He wasn't perfect, but she loved him deeply, and they were about to get engaged. All she was waiting for was the right moment for him to propose.

"Did you bring the money?" the man asked seriously, still focused on the papers he was signing.

"Ah... hehe... Boss Kade, I was hoping we could make another arrangement. Instead of cash, I'm offering you my daughter as payment for the ten million dollars I owe you," Enrique stammered.

Kade froze.

He slowly raised his head to look at the woman. Their eyes met, locking for a moment.

Zaira felt a chill run down her spine when she saw the fire in his green eyes-but she didn't flinch. Her father may have already shown his fear, but she refused to let her emotions show in front of this man.

"You know what, Mayor? I'm not here to play games with you. What the hell am I supposed to do with that woman?" Kade's voice was calm but sharp. "Even if I sold her body to a high-end club, it still wouldn't be enough to pay off the massive debt you owe me. You borrowed money from my man, the same one your son murdered. You owed money, and money is what I expect in return. I don't accept women as payment, so get her out of my sight!"

"Wait, Boss Kade, please, I'm begging you," Mayor Enrique pleaded desperately. "We don't have that kind of money. If you want, my daughter and I will drop to our knees right now, just to prove we're telling the truth."

Zaira nearly lost her balance when her father suddenly yanked her down to kneel beside him. In her entire life, she had never knelt before anyone except God. And this man wasn't God-not even close. As far as she was concerned, he didn't deserve their submission. Still on her knees, fury swelled in her chest as she looked up at the man whose attention remained fixed on the stack of documents he was signing, as if their presence meant absolutely nothing to him.

"Mayor Enrique," Kade said, voice cool and laced with contempt, "if you knew you didn't have the money, then why did you have the audacity to step foot inside my casino to gamble? You borrowed from one of my men, and now he's dead because of your daughter. That money has to be returned to his family. If not, I'll have your daughter imprisoned... and you? You'll lose a finger."

"B-but, Boss... we already lost all the money to gambling," Enrique stammered. "This daughter of mine is the only thing I can offer."

Zaira's rage exploded when she heard Kade threaten to cut off her father's finger.

"It's not my father's fault that your employee at the casino was a scammer! He knew my dad had no money, and yet he still baited him, pushing him deeper into debt. That's what he got!"

"Shut up!" Mayor Enrique hissed and jabbed his elbow into her side to make her stop. "Do you even know who he is?" he whispered harshly. "That's Boss Kade Villanova. One snap of his fingers and we'll both be dead before we leave this island!"

He was terrified, rightfully so. Kade was known as the Demon Beast, especially to those who dared cross him. Enrique feared that if his daughter didn't learn to hold her tongue, they wouldn't be walking out of here with all their limbs intact. He regretted not warning her sooner about the kind of man they were dealing with. But if he had, she never would have come with him in the first place.

And just as he feared, Kade suddenly stood from his chair. His movements were stiff with restrained fury as he approached them. One hand rested on his waist, his other clenched. He stared down at Zaira with a look that could burn a hole through her.

"Boss, please. I apologize for what my daughter said. She doesn't know who you are. If you don't want her as payment, we'll leave right now. I'll return once I've found the money," Enrique begged again, desperate for the mafia lord to change his mind.

Kade crouched down to level himself with Zaira. His expression was mocking as he lifted her chin with his fingers.

"No. It's too late for that, Mayor. Your daughter's mouth is far too sharp. If she didn't know me before, then let me introduce myself now," he said through gritted teeth.

Zaira could feel the heat of his breath brushing against her nose. Its intoxicating warmth crept under her skin. There was something in his scent-clean and maddening-that made her insides flutter against her will. His perfectly aligned white teeth and flawless skin only made her more aware of how dangerously attractive this man was. Still, she held his gaze with the same fierceness. She wasn't going to flinch. If he was going to kill her, then so be it. She would die fighting, not cowering.

Kade's eyes narrowed as he matched her glare. All his life, he had never bothered to look twice at a woman, let alone waste his time staring at one. But this girl-this mouthy, defiant girl-had somehow captured his full attention. Unlike other women who grovelled for his favor and ran away at the first sign of anger, she stood her ground. She was the first to ever do that.

"She must be curious to see what I'm like when I'm angry," he thought darkly.

He tilted her face up once more.

"Do you even know why one of my men is dead? Because of your father and sister. That man had a family, too. So tell me, how can you stand there and defend what your sister did? Huh?"

"When did I ever say I agreed with what she did?" Zaira snapped. "You're the one who clearly doesn't think before speaking, Mr. Villanova. What I meant was that your own man pushed my sister to that point. He scammed her-he cornered her-and she snapped. If we're being honest, the blame falls on you. Maybe if you trained your men to follow proper conduct in your casino, this wouldn't have happened. Or maybe... you taught them to deceive your customers yourself?"

Kade's jaw clenched.

He didn't know why this woman's words infuriated him so deeply. He could've easily ordered Troy to drag both of them out of his office. But instead, he stood there, fuming, unable to bring himself to hurt her. He wanted to punish her, to break that defiance somehow... but he didn't know how.

Then his eyes dropped to her lips, slightly parted, full, and trembling from earlier defiance. He had been staring at them for too long, imagining them silenced.

Suddenly, he grabbed the back of Zaira's neck and yanked her closer. The distance between them disappeared in an instant.

His mouth crashed onto hers.

The kiss was not gentle-it was punishing. His teeth grazed her lip, biting hard enough to make her taste blood. He wanted her to feel his rage. He didn't care that her father was watching and didn't care what it looked like. All that mattered was making her understand. This was what happened when someone tested him.

Zaira struggled, shoving him with both hands, but his body felt like a wall. He didn't budge. Instead, he deepened the kiss, punishing her even more.

She could taste her blood now, feel it mixing with the heat of his mouth.

And then, finally, she saw an opening. Without hesitation, she bit down hard on his lower lip.

Kade pulled away with a low grunt of pain, releasing her instantly. They both wiped their lips, smearing the blood that had stained them. Their glares locked again, even sharper than before.

And then, Zaira did something no one expected.

Something that left everyone in the room stunned and speechless.

Troy flinched from where he had been quietly watching. His eyes widened in shock as Zaira suddenly spat straight into Kade's face, the saliva landing squarely on his cheek. Even Mayor Enrique was stunned speechless by what his daughter just did. His entire body trembled. He knew it was over for both of them. He shut his eyes tight and started praying, calling on every saint he could remember to save them from this island.

He regretted bringing his daughter here. He should've known better. Her temper was short, and her attitude unpredictable. She was throwing another tantrum. Something she'd had since she was a child. That same tantrum was the reason she never got along with her older sister, who had obsessive-compulsive disorder and a heart condition. Between the two of them, her older sister was always favored and protected because of her illness.

Kade's eyes darkened as he wiped the spit from his cheek. He was shaking with rage, fighting the growing storm inside him. Only one thing ran through his mind, and that was revenge. A slow, devilish smile crept across his lips.

"So, you want to challenge me, woman? Fine. I'll give you what you want."

He stood up abruptly and turned to Mayor Enrique.

"Go home. And don't ever show your face to me again. From this moment on, your debt is paid in exchange for your daughter's life."

"Thank you so much, Boss Kade," Enrique cried out, overwhelmed with relief. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to the door, terrified that Kade might change his mind.

Zaira, seeing her father running, bolted after him. But before she could reach the exit, Kade grabbed her like she was nothing and slung her over his shoulder.

"Did you really think you could escape me? You wanted this, didn't you? You pushed me to the edge, woman!" he growled as he kicked open the door to the large bedroom beside his own.

"You monster! Put me down! Daddy, help me! Please don't leave me! Dad!" Zaira screamed, sobbing and thrashing as she scratched and pulled at Kade's hair.

Even with fresh scratches marking his face, Kade didn't let her go. He threw her onto the massive bed, his eyes burning with fury. He pinned her wrists above her head and punished her again with another aggressive kiss. No matter how hard Zaira struggled, she was no match for the strength of the man towering over her. The more she fought back, the rougher he kissed her.

But as Kade sensed her body weakening, the way he kissed her began to change. His lips grew softer and more lingering, gradually drawn to the sweetness of her mouth. He didn't realize this was exactly what Zaira had been waiting for.

She bit down hard on his lower lip.

"Shit!" Kade cursed as the taste of his own blood hit his tongue. He shot her a deadly glare. Why the hell hadn't he just let this woman go? Why did he keep holding on to someone who did nothing but test his limits? For the first time in his life, he felt out of control-and it was all because of her.

But he wouldn't lose. He needed to dominate her, bend her to his will. He agreed to Mayor Enrique's offer because he wanted to make her suffer, but now he wasn't so sure who was being punished.

"Do you think you can escape my wrath if I let you go? You made the wrong move, woman. I will make your life a living hell."

Without another word, he stormed out and slammed the door behind him.

Zaira, nearly choking on her tears, ran to the door. She twisted the knob, but it wouldn't budge-he had locked it. Her eyes scanned the room and spotted a window. She rushed over and inspected it, only to find it covered in metal grills. There was no way she could jump from it.

She ran into the bathroom next, hoping to find another way out. But there were no windows there either.

"Damn you! You demon! Let me out!" she screamed, pounding her fists against the door with everything she had.

She rampaged through the room, grabbing whatever she could and throwing it in every direction. She punched the mirror, shattered glass slicing her skin. She hurled vases, figurines-anything in reach-toward the door. She didn't care how expensive they were. If he wanted revenge, then he should kill her already. That would be better than this.

She knew Kade had locked her up for vengeance. But at this point, she'd rather make him so angry that he'd end it now. Dead or alive-at least she'd be free.

In this moment, she wasn't afraid to die. It already felt like her life had no meaning. Her family had discarded her. No one loved her anymore. If only her boyfriend had lent her the money to pay off her father's debt, this never would've happened. But she understood him, too-he despised gambling, and he didn't want his money used for it. Maybe that's why he hadn't proposed yet-because of her family.

She collapsed on the bed, sobbing uncontrollably. She didn't know when or how sleep overtook her, but exhaustion finally dragged her into slumber.

-

Meanwhile, outside the room, Kade exhaled deeply once he confirmed the chaos inside had finally died down. He called for his housekeeper, Edna.

"You called for me, Sir?" the older woman asked gently as she approached.

"Edna, please prepare a meal for the guest in the guest room. Wait for an hour before going in. She might do something reckless."

"Why, Sir? Is your guest violent?" she asked nervously.

"She can be... especially when she's angry. That guest of mine has a monster living inside her."

"Just like you, Sir?" Edna's hand flew to her mouth as she realized what she'd said. Her face paled when she saw her young master frown, his brows furrowed in disapproval.

"Oh-I mean-sorry, sir! I didn't mean-"

"Never mind, Edna. Just get back to work," Kade cut her off firmly.

The housekeeper quickly obeyed and headed to the kitchen.

Kade exhaled again once she was gone. She wasn't wrong. He was a monster when angry.

But why... Why didn't his monster work on that woman?