I follow Alexander back down in a daze, my heart pounding. I can barely believe I just agreed to marry Alexander Kennedy.
“Elena.”
Sofia’s voice snaps me out of my daze and I pull my hand out of Alexander’s, unaware of when I even grabbed it.
“Lucian filled me in a little on what’s been going on with you. I’ve already called the hospital and paid any outstanding fees. Don’t worry about a thing, my dear.”
I pause and blink back the tears that are gathering in my eyes. She hasn’t seen my mother or me in years, yet she still goes out of her way to help us.
Alexander clears his throat and sends me an inquiring look. I nod at him. Even now that my mother’s hospital fees have been taken care of, I’ll still agree to marry him. He’s right. I wouldn’t feel right letting them spend a fortune in fees without repaying them somehow. Without worrying that their generosity might run out. Marrying Alexander is an easy solution for both of us.
Alexander and I take a seat, and he grabs my hand. “Elena and I decided to get married,” he says simply. He leans back into his seat, as though he didn’t just announce some shocking news.
Sofia doesn’t say anything. She just looks at the two of us, a thoughtful expression on her face. Lucian is the first to respond.
“Fuck, no. Why the hell would you two get married? Elena?”
I look at him, but I’m not sure how to explain myself. Everything made sense when I discussed it with Alexander, but now I suddenly struggle to express myself.
“Did you agree to marry Alec, sweetie?” Sofia asks me. Her voice is soft and kind, but she fails to hide the concern reflected in her eyes. Part of me worries she might think I’m not good enough for her son, that he can do better. She’d be right. I’m no longer the rich, well-connected heiress I used to be.
“You two have my blessing if you choose to get married.” She glances at Alexander, staring at him thoughtfully for a couple of seconds before nodding. “I’d have added her to the file had I thought of her, so I do approve.”
Sofia glances at me, and the motherly concern I saw earlier is gone. She looks at me as though she’s appraising me, yet I can’t read her well enough to figure out how she assessed me. “However, please think it over some more, Elena. Marriage is for life.”
Alexander looks annoyed at his mother’s words, but Lucian looks positively enraged. “Surely, you’re not seriously entertaining this ludicrous idea, Mom?” he asks, his voice raised. He pulls me to my feet and puts his hands on my shoulders, clenching tightly.
“Elena, if you want to marry into this family, I’ll marry you,” Lucian says, his eyes blazing with sincerity. My heart feels so full it might actually burst. I smile at him but shake my head. The mere idea of marriage to Lucian is so absurd, it never even occurred to me.
“Over my dead body,” Alexander snaps, moving closer to me. He puts his arm around my waist and pulls me to him, moving me out of Lucian’s reach.
Lucian steps up to him, getting into his face. He jabs Alexander in the chest, and I’m so shocked I don’t even have time to get between them. Lucian has never been even remotely violent. I’m the one that always had to defend him against bullies.
“Why the hell would you marry her? You’re thirty. She’s twenty-three, you pedophile. It makes more sense for her to be with me. We grew up together. We’re the same age. We’re childhood friends. I actually know her.”
Lucian pushes Alexander, but he doesn’t even stumble. He merely looks at his little brother with a carefully guarded expression, keeping me behind him.
“Lucian!” Sofia snaps. “What is wrong with you? How dare you speak to your brother like that. Apologize!”
Lucian glares at his brother and then shakes his head. He walks off, slamming the front door closed behind him. Alexander looks at me, his brows raised in question, but I just shake my head. I have no idea what just happened either. Sofia rushes after Lucian, leaving Alexander and me standing here.
“What was that just now?” he asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t know,” I whisper.
“What’s going on between you and my brother?”
He sounds suspicious, and for a second I wonder if he’s jealous, but I dismiss the thought just as quickly.
“Nothing,” I answer truthfully.
He frowns. “Nothing? That didn’t sound like nothing. I’ll ask you again. What’s going on between you two? If it were nothing, my brother wouldn’t have reacted the way he did.”
I look up at him, my entire body tense with anger. “What exactly is it you’re accusing me of?”
He takes a step closer to me and grabs my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I don’t fucking share, Elena. I don’t like people touching what’s mine.”
I smile at him through my outrage and place my palm on his chest, feeling his muscles tense underneath my touch. “I’m not yours yet, Alexander.”
He grits his teeth, clearly disliking my answer. “But you will be. Soon, you will be, Elena.” He smiles as he traces his index finger over my lips. “Resist all you want, fight me, deny it… but in the end, it’ll be my name on your lips when I make you come—again.”
He takes a step away, his body still radiating with anger. “I’ll warn you now. I won’t tolerate rumors about you. You’d better stay the fuck away from my brother. Betray me, Elena, and it’ll be your mother’s life you’re risking.”
I look at him with barely contained resentment. He’s just like every other man in my life—revelling in my helplessness. I hate that I’ve been reduced to this, yet I have no other choice. If I want to save my mother’s life and provide her with the care she needs, I’ll have to be whatever Alexander asks me to be.
My shoulders sag and he smiles at me, no doubt enjoying his silent victory. Everything is a game to men like him.
“We’ll get married tomorrow,” he says, his eyes dark.
“What? Tomorrow?”
“No point in delaying. Let’s get the paperwork out of the way, so I can formally start providing for both you and your mother. I want you out of that waitressing job you’re doing, and I definitely want you out of the sketchy apartment you live in. If you’re going to be my wife, we need to start fixing your image immediately.”
I look away, resentment and embarrassment melting together, adding to my indignation. It seems like his background check was quite thorough. He even knows I was unable to find a corporate job.
“A guest room has been prepared for you, but I expect you to move your stuff into my bedroom tomorrow.”
He looks at me, his eyes dropping to my lips. “Tonight is all you have to change your mind, Elena. Tomorrow afternoon, I’m making you my wife. Instead of selling your body at Vaughn’s, you’ll be selling it to me. Think it through carefully, because from tomorrow onward, you’ll be mine.”
His gaze lingers on my lips, and for a second I think he’s going to bridge the distance between us to kiss me, but then his expression hardens and he takes a step away.
He walks towards the stairs, pausing midway. “Oh, and Elena?” he says, turning back to look at me. “I’m taking you bare. Get on the pill if you don’t want children yet. The first time I fuck you, I want to feel all of you.”
He smiles and walks away, leaving me standing here in shock.
I can’t believe I’m marrying him… tomorrow.
