Bound by Betrayal (The Mafia King Captive Bride)

Ashley

I sat in the backseat, my gaze fixed on the passing scenery, but my mind seemed miles away. Pain flickered in my eyes, like distant lightning on a stormy night. The road stretched out endlessly before me as the driver drove us down the road heading back home, each passing mile mirroring the turmoil within me. As the car hummed along, what Miss Jessica said kept repeating in my head.

“You’re pregnant,”

I quickly closed my eyes as her cheerful face appeared in my thoughts.

“Why do you feel too weak? It’s not good for a pregnant woman, especially when you have a hormonal imbalance. You need to focus on eating well, getting plenty of rest, drinking enough water, and taking this particular prescribed medication to help balance the hormones for the baby growing inside you.”

“Ma’am,” I felt a tap on my hand, and I quickly opened my eyes.

“Yes,” I yawned wearily. “We’ve arrived,” the driver informed me. I nodded, gently opened my door, and stepped out.

The guards greeted me, but I brushed past them, making my way up. Thoughts swirled in my mind, leading my mind in different directions. Just when you think everything’s okay, another problem arises.

Placing my hand on my stomach, I swallowed hard. I should feel happy, but fear grips me instead. Damien can’t find out about this. This isn’t his. I consider ending this pregnancy; it’s a constant reminder of that traumatizing night that still haunts me till date. But at the same time, I can’t bring myself to do it. The idea of keeping the child both terrifies and intrigues me.

Sighing, I opened the room door and tiredly stepped inside, but I was immediately startled in fear by the person I saw in the room.

“Holy goddess!”

At the sound, he swiftly turned, and our eyes met. “Damien,” I uttered, trying to push back the nervousness.

His gaze was cold and intimidating as he eyed me up. He looked crazy, but something caught my eye – the necklace in his grip. As he raised it, my heart raced, and I instinctively took a step back. He slowly started walking closer to me.

“This is…” I hesitated, wondering how he came to possess that necklace.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Seeing my expression, he gave off a cold smirk, and stopped a few steps away from me. “Where were you yesterday?” His voice was chilling and devoid of emotion.

“Hmm… I went to the hospital; my dad had a heart attack,” I said, clearing my throat and composing myself instantly.

However, giving me a skeptical look, he burst into a laugh, a harsh and horrendous sound. I instinctively took a step back, pressing my petite frame against the wall.

Smiling, he folded his arms across his chest. “Fine, let me break it down to you,”

“Little cupcake, you left the office as early as 11am, then you went to Prestige Medical Center, and after that, you drove down to Brew Heaven. You left the place and then showed up in the middle of the night drunk,” I gasped at the revelation, my eyes widening, and my jaw dropping as I watched him break down every part of my routine yesterday as if he had been with me throughout the day.

“Are you stalking me now?”

“Is that the only thing you could come up with?” His eyebrow twitched up.

I locked eyes with him before darting my gaze elsewhere. No, I left the office without a driver or guard. And if he wasn’t stalking me, then that means one thing……I snapped my head back to him. “So there is a tracker in that car.”

“Should that be a question, little cupcake,” he snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “There is a tracker in all my cars, so now start talking about where you were last night?” He leaned in close, his hot breath brushing against my face.

I gulped hard and tilted my head elsewhere. I couldn’t reveal that I was with Sebastian; he didn’t need to know, or he would be furious. But this necklace… Where did he get it?

I was still lost in thought, staring at the necklace in his grip when abruptly he grabbed my neck and pushed me harder against the wall. “This,” he swirled the necklace at my face. “The symbol of your love with your ex.”

What the…?

For a few minutes, I felt paralyzed…. Confused, speechless or could I say startled. My heart felt like it leaped out of my chest, and fear crept over me, causing my body to tremble as if I had been drenched in icy water.

What is he talking about?

How did he know about this necklace? Too many questions raced through my mind, yet I couldn’t find the right words to speak. I felt frozen, stunned, staring into those cold face of his, my nerves causing me to gulp repeatedly.

“Mason Grayson,” he smiled, “The owner of the Prestige Medical Center,” his bottom lips drawn down dangerously. I could hear the fast beating of my heart; how did he know?

What is going on?

Is he stalking me right now, but… But if not, how did he know about all this?

“I gave you everything, so tell me why you are still keeping this?” He squeezed the necklace, anger rolling off his face.

Struggling for breath, my nails unknowingly sank into his skin. “You gave me nothing, Damien, just pain upon pain. Endless pain. I don’t need all this wealth. I just want to be happy,” I sobbed, tears now streaming down my face.

Damien’s eyes hardened, his grip tightening, making me scream out. “Is that the reason for messing with your ex? Is that the REASON!!” he barked, staring intensely into my eyes as if they held some revelation for him. Something that confused and frightened him… Something that I couldn’t quite grasp.

“You’re… I’m choking,” I stuttered, struggling to find my voice. His eyes softened as they locked onto my neck. He reluctantly released his grip on me, only to swiftly fling me onto the bed as if I were weightless.

I groaned, coughing hard, and clutching my stomach while gasping for air.

“Why are you so weak? It’s not good for a pregnant woman, especially when you have a hormonal imbalance, you need to eat well, rest enough, drink a lot of water, and take some medication to correct the hormones for the developing fetus in your womb,”

“You’re pregnant,”

“You’re pregnant,”

The doctor’s words kept echoing in my mind. Tears streamed down my face as I clutched my stomach and lifted my head to glare at the man before me. His gaze remained fixed on me, motionless, as if lost in contemplation. Suddenly, his expression shifted, and his cold stare pierced through me.

He pulled out a photo from his pants pocket and tossed it in front of me. “You went to see him and you’re claiming your father had a heart attack. Do I seem foolish to you, Ashley?” And for the first time in months, he addressed me by my name.

Gritting my teeth in anger, I fixed a fierce gaze on him. “You caused my father’s heart issue. I only visited him after hearing the news. I never imagined he’d end up at Mason’s hospital.”

“Just shut up!!!” He barked, “You didn’t expect this but you both ended up in a coffee shop together. The fool even perked you, so tell me another excuse you will use.”

Holy shit!

I glanced down at the pictures, tears suddenly clouding my vision again. I know I sensed the camera flashes that day, so it was his men all along.

“Which other excuse?!!” He thundered, looking at me with no emotion. I tried to speak, but no words came out.

Damien took a fierce step forward, and honestly, I wanted to run, crawl, or hide but I just couldn’t move. I feel so weak and powerless. Leaning in, he yanked a handful of my hair, sending searing pain through my scalp.

“This is your final warning. If you don’t want to witness that fool’s demise, steer clear of him, or you’ll have only yourself to blame.”