**Sorry I've been MIA for a bit. Life kind of took over, things got crazy busy and before I knew it, SO much time passed. I will be working on proofreading and uploading the final chapters of this novel. Hopefully 1 to 2 Chapter a week until it is complete. Bare with me and thank you for reading my story :) **
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Darius’ wedding ring waited for me on the nightstand next to my bed when I finally opened my eyes. I lay there staring at it until Cara came into the room carrying a tray of breakfast. Where did I go wrong with him? What didn’t I see? How did I not see this coming? Did he ever really love me or was I always just a means to an end for him?
With worry in her eyes Cara sits down beside me, “Giselle you need to eat.”
I would love to, but I can’t move. I have no desire to do anything but lay here and nurse my broken heart. Soon Asher will come for me. He’s been eager to get his hands on me and Darius has basically given him his blessing. I’m so confused…
Cara sets the tray of food down next to me and exits the room to give me some privacy. The amount of pain coursing through my heart isn’t even something I can put into words.
Darius has made me the wealthiest woman in the world, but not even that is enough to buy me my freedom. I’m still trapped by obligation to my family. Darius could have granted me my freedom, but instead he added a stipulation that my fortunes are not to be spent on helping my family. So in order to secure my father’s wealth and stature I must marry my former husbands cousin. The thought alone provokes my gag reflexes.
I mean…I guess he did me a favor. He knows I’d do anything to help my family, even going broke to help my father pursue his dreams. And he also knows that an endless supply of money left unchecked in my father’s hands would be milked dry in no time flat, especially with Elizabeth’s spending habits. It’s ironic when you think about it. My father can’t say no to Elizabeth and I can’t say no to him. I truly am his daughter after all.
It makes me think of my mother and what she might be like. Am I like her? Did she know this was going to happen? Both my son and my husband are gone.
Sadness washes over me. I want to go on, but part of me feels as if I can’t. Not without my son at least. Darius could have left me our son. He didn’t have to take him away from me the way he did. He could have just divorced me and we could have made arrangements for our son to be with us both. Instead, I have nothing now…nothing but my empty womb and broken heart.
Slowly I climb out of bed and make my way outside. I need a change of scenery. Being inside these four walls is yet another constant reminder of what I’ve lost.
I feel dirty and used. The water at the edge of the floating dock calls to me, and so I go to it. Standing at the water’s edge peering down into the cold, murky darkness all I can think of is cleansing my soul free from Darius’ influence.
The icy cold water hits my skin before I realize what I’ve done. I do nothing to stop my descent into darkness. Soon my breath runs out and while my self-preservation urges me to swim to the surface, my broken heart renders me still. Soon I’m struggling to breathe, but even then I do nothing to save myself. Part of me is convinced my death is necessary to cleanse my soul of whatever bad omen has delivered me unto such circumstances as those I must live through now.
I succumb to the darkness and my eyes flutter as I began to lose consciousness. Strong arms grab hold of me, and pull me out of the water. It isn’t until I lay on my back on the wooden floating dock that I set eyes on my rescuer. Asher. He rolls me over onto my side and I began to cough up water. I’m freezing and shaking uncontrollably.
Cara comes running up with a blanket and quickly raps it around me. “What were you thinking?” She scolds me. “I don’t care how much pain you’re in! If you ever do something like this again I’ll kill you myself!”
Asher lifted me up in his arms and carried me back into the house. There I was stripped of my wet clothes and helped into dry ones. Cara helped me while Asher waited outside the room. She kept staring at me with a pained expression, but I didn’t regret what I’d done. I feel refreshed…new. It didn’t completely rid me of the pain I feel inside but it did make me feel clean again.
“What were you thinking?” Asher asked, rushing to my side the moment Cara let him in. I have nothing to say. I did what I needed to do.
Frustrated with my silence, Asher quickly orders his men to gather my things. Within the hour, Cara, Asher and I leave the island. If I had to guess, I’d say we’re probably headed to his home…my new home.
My suspicions prove correct. Within a matter of hours I’m standing in the last place I ever expected to be, Asher’s bedroom. From the looks of things, this is where I’ll be staying. Asher had all of my things moved into his room. Again I have no say so…and no voice in my own life. Everything has been decided for me.
“You can put your things wherever you want,” Asher offers me a warm smile.
“Can I put them in a different room?”
He sighs, and examines me from head to toe. If he thinks I’m going to make this easy on him he’s sorely mistaken. Darius may have discarded me to him, but that doesn’t mean I have to go along with it.
“You can put your things wherever you’d like. You’re not a prisoner here Giselle. You’re free to come and go as you please,” he assures me.
“Then I’d like to put my things at my father’s home.”
Asher hesitates for a moment, and then he orders his men to take my things to my father’s. So far he’s keeping his word.
Cara tries talking me into staying but I can’t. I don’t believe Asher for one second. I’m only as free as he allows me to be. To his credit, he doesn’t stop me. My things are moved back into my family home, but as soon as I step foot in my room I regret it. Memories of the time Darius and I spent in my room fill my head.
Soon I’m reminded of everything. His voice, his laugh, they way he smells. Tears pour from my eyes and once again I have no desire or will to move.
Hours…days…and then weeks pass. My father checks in on me from time to time, Eliza has drawn me pictures, and Lucas left me gifts of his own hoping to raise my spirits. But nothing could soothe the ache in my heart for my son and my failed marriage.
I’m only eighteen and already a divorcee. The hardest part to swallow is that I had no say in it. Everything was decided for me. Part of me hates myself for not fighting harder. I should have refused to sign those papers. I should’ve refused to go to the island with Darius, and I should have challenged Viktor. Instead, I did as I’ve always done and did as I was told. I respected my husband’s wishes and obeyed his every word to a fault.
“Giselle, your fiancé is here to see you,” my father came up to inform me.
Fiancé. Now there’s a word I’ll never be able to get used to. Asher and fiancé are two words that should never go together in a sentence. He’s not my fiancé. He’s the man my ex-husband forced on me. Why? I have no idea. I was nothing but good to Darius. I didn’t deserve to have my heart broken or to be discarded the way I was.
“Send him up.”
My father disappears back out into the hall and minutes later Asher enters my room. He isn’t alone. Cara and Anya are with him. They’re carrying binders and sporting forced smiles.
“What do you need?” I ask, not even bothering to hide my irritation.
“Our wedding is coming up soon and I wanted your input,” Asher explains.
Narrowing my eyes at him I say, “Do whatever you want.”
Asher sighs and dismisses both Cara and his sister. He closes the distance between us, and suddenly the mood in the room shifts. I’m no longer angry. I’m nervous and uncomfortable. His close proximity seems to be robbing me of the ability to breathe, so I back away from him.
“Darius was going to leave your family to rot before I offered to take over your father’s debts to him. In exchange for your hand in marriage of course.”
“I’m in love with Darius. Why would you even want me?”
“Giselle, I’ve wanted you since the first day I laid eyes on you. The way I see it, the Gods saw fit that you be mine. Why else would he make Darius so blind to what he had?”
I can’t argue with him there. Darius is definitely blind when it comes to love. Aria doesn’t love him. She’s said as much, and he knows it, but he still chose her over me. And I worshipped him.
“How do I know you weren’t behind all of this too? You knew what was happening and you did nothing to help me.”
“You wouldn’t have believed me if I did. You’re so in love with Darius that it impaired your judgment. Anyone with an ounce of common sense could see what he was doing when he shipped you off to that island. But you…you always hung on his every word and he knew you would.”
“He loves me,” I countered weakly.
“He loves you so much that he stole your son and handed you to me?” Tears form in my eyes. He’s right and I know he’s right, but I can’t bring myself to admit it. “He doesn’t love you. No man in his right mind would let you go if he loved you. I may not be the one you want Giselle, but I’m definitely what you need. However long it takes you to see that, then so be it. I’ll wait you out.”
“Why?”
“I know what I want. And I won’t be taking on any other wives. Not like Darius. You’re it for me.” Asher sounds so confident in his decision that I’m inclined to believe him. I can’t help but wish Darius returned my feelings instead of Asher. I’d love to hear those words come from his lips. “I’m also sorry about your son. If you’ll let me, I’d like to give you another. Hell, you can have an entire basketball team if you want.”
Laughter escaped my lips before I even realized I was smiling. I’m nowhere near ready to entertain that thought, but his sentiment is appreciated. I decide not to fight him on our wedding. It’s pointless anyway. We both know I’m going to go through with it. I don’t have much of a choice. The least I can do is make my peace with it and try and find some resemblance of happiness…even if it’s not what I want.
“When is our wedding supposed to be?”
A smile tugs at Asher’s lips. “Two weeks, but don’t panic. The time, date, and location have already been chosen and invitations have already been sent out. I own several wedding stores, florists, and bakeries. All I need is a color scheme from you, samples and for you to choose your bridesmaids.”
“Why so soon?” I shift uncomfortably.
“Its damage control for your reputation,” he sets a stack of magazines down next to me. Each cover page has my failed marriage to Darius displayed across the entire page. The first paper I picked up is questioning my sudden absence from Darius’ life and the increasing presence of Aria instead. The second paper shows Darius and Aria holding my son. I pause, storing everything about my sons face to memory. The third paper discusses a comment from Viktor questioning my virtue around the time Darius and I were married. He insinuates that my brother Lucas and I are closer than originally expected.
The fourth paper is of Darius squashing those rumors. Instead, he insinuates that I had eyes for someone else, and rather than confine me to a marriage I didn’t want, he let me go to be with the one I wanted. He’s trying to undo the damage his father has done to my reputation, but its lies…ALL OF IT.
“Who suggested this?”
“I did. I’m just trying to protect you. The sooner we present ourselves as a couple, the sooner we can put all of these rumors to bed and salvage what’s left of your reputation. As far as the human and night-dweller population is concerned, you’re another human whore climbing the social ladder on her back and your father is your pimp,” he explains.
“Well they’re not that far off on the latter of that description. My father is my pimp, and now I can add Darius to that list. Will you be next?”
“I would never do to you what Darius has done. You have my word. I can’t say how, but…in the near future I even hope to reunite you with your son.”
I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I can’t help but want to believe in him, especially if it means I will get my son back. “Lavender. That’s the color I want. You can pick everything else as long as the color scheme includes lavender.”
Asher nods and calls both Anya and Cara back into the room. He gives them our color scheme and free range to choose whatever they want at will. Their eyes light up with delight and they immediately start to plan away while I stand gazing out my new bedroom window.
“An engagement isn’t an engagement without a ring, so I got you this,” Asher approaches me. He presents me with a beautiful diamond ring and it reminds me of when Darius proposed to me. If you can even call what he did a proposal. Darius was pushed on me as much as Asher has been pushed on me.
“It’s beautiful,” I offer him a half smile.
“So are you.”
Before he can slide the ring onto my finger, he must remove my previous wedding ring, only he’s hesitant to do so and I know why. Taking a deep breath I slide the ring off my finger and place it in my other hand. Asher replaces it with the ring he bought me and offers me another smile.
For someone who has me exactly where he wants me, he’s not acting like it. With Darius I felt like a business arrangement, but I don’t feel like that now. I mean I know this is yet another business arranged marriage, but Asher’s allowing me to make my own decisions.
“Is it true?” Eliza walks in without knocking, “Are you getting married again?”
Slowly I look to Asher and then back to Eliza. “Yes,” I nod.
“Well what happened to Darius? Where’s your baby?”
Two innocent questions from an innocent little girl threaten to tear me back down after I’ve worked so hard to pull myself together this much. Thankfully, Lucas came to the rescue.
“Her son is with Darius and things didn’t work out between them. Let’s not upset her by asking pointless questions. Asher will be her new husband and they’ll have more children together,” Lucas quickly rushes Eliza from the room.
“You okay?” Asher asks.
“Peachy,” I reply sarcastically. “Do you mean what you said…about returning my son to me?”
“Yes, but it won’t be without cost Giselle.”
“Whatever the price, I’ll pay it.”
“I wouldn’t ask you to do that. Whatever the price, I’ll pay it. At least this way your hands will be clean.” I’m not sure what he means by it, but I nod anyway.
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