ZARA'S POV

A knock on my bedroom door woke me up. I got up to open the door, and it was Madam Tess and a young maid who held a tray of food in her hands.

“Good morning Ma'am,” they both greeted.

“Good morning,” I replied.

“Your breakfast is here,” Madam Tess said, motioning to the tray.

“Please take it back, I'm not hungry, ” I replied.

“You have to eat, Ma'am; Mr Adler won't be happy if he finds out that you refused to eat.” she protested.

“What does his happiness have to do with my appetite?” I countered.

“My dear, you don't want to evoke Mr Adler's anger, it won't do you any good. Just do yourself and everyone else a favour by doing as you are told and following his rules,” she pleaded with concern in her eyes.

“I don't care what he does, he has no right to tell me what to do or order me around.” I closed the door and went back to bed ignoring her pleading. I was still angry at the way Kai treated me last night and felt stupid for thinking he was different from the rumours. I cried myself to sleep last night after the encounter, with the thought of the rest of my days with him.

I jerked up at the sound of the door slamming open, revealing Kai whose expression was a mix of anger and frustration.

“Get up” he barked. “We are having breakfast together.”

I sat up, my heart pounding. “I don't want to.”

He marched over, gripped my hands firmly and pulled me out of bed. “I don't care what you want, Zara, you do not defy my orders.”

I pulled my arm free, glaring at him. “ I am not your puppet, Kai. I won't be bossed around and treated like a possession. I demand you treat me with respect.”

“Respect? He leaned in close, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine as it grazed my ear. “Your father exchanged you for money and you think you deserve respect.” He laughed. “You are mine, Zara, you are whatever I say you are. Now do as I say and get dressed.

The tension was palpable at breakfast. Madam Tess moved with subdued efficiency, setting out the meal and pouring coffee, while Kai's eyes remained steadily fixed on mine, his attention unnervingly intense.

“Eat,” he commanded, his voice low and threatening

“I'm not hungry,” I said glaring at him.

“Either way, you have to eat; we don't want you looking sick, do we?”

I toyed with the food, with my appetite non-existent. “What's the use of this act, Kai, why are we putting on this facade?”

Kai's fork clattered on his plate. “ The point is to maintain control. You agreed to marry me, Zara. You'll play your part.

I pushed my plate away; resentment smouldered in my heart, fueling my resistance. “And what about my part? Do I get any say in this?”

Kai's eyes narrowed. “ Your part is to do as you're told. End of discussion.

The rest of the meal passed in silence, the tension between us palpable. When I finally rose to leave, Kai grabbed my wrist.

“ Don't ever defy me again, Zara,” he warned, his grip tightening. “You won't like the consequences.”

I jerked my hand loose, making a hasty exit from the living room. The memory of his grip lingered, a ghostly pressure on my skin long after I'd left the room.

As the day wore on, I gravitated towards the living room, craving a comforting sense of stability and normal life. Kai was there, seated on the couch, a glass of whiskey in his hand.
It was a Saturday, he didn't go to his office.

“You are not allowed in here,” he said without looking up.

“It's a free house, Kai,” I retorted, crossing my arms. “I can go wherever I want.”

He set his glass down with a thud. “Not in my house, you don't. You are confined to your room and the garden unless I call for you.”

I felt my temper flare. “This is ridiculous! I'm not a prisoner.”

Kai Rose, his height imposing. “You are whatever I say you are, Zara. If I say you are confined, you are confined. Now, get out of my sight.”

I took a step back, my heart pounding. “You can't control every aspect of my life.”

He took a step forward, closing the distance between us. “Watch me.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. “This isn't a marriage. It's a prison.

Kai's expression softened for a moment, then hardened again. “You walked into this yourself, your father may have forced you, but I didn't. Remember that.”

I turned and fled the room, the walls of the house closing in around me. I couldn't escape from him, I had to endure this for the rest of the months he had left to live.

Later that night, I was in my bedroom, hoping for some peace. Kai came in without knocking, his face a mask of cold fury.

I stood with my arms crossed, glaring at him. “What do you want?”

He moved closer to me, his presence suffocating me with its intensity. “Your father signed a contract, Zara, you agreed to this. You have to fulfil your end.”

I took a step back, my voice trembling. “I won't be your broodmare.”

He grabbed my waist, pulling me close to him. “You'll do whatever it takes to save your family's company and if that means being a broodmare, then so be it.”

I tried to pull away, but his grip was like an iron. “And if I refuse? You will face the bitter end of a lineage that dies with you.” I snarled.

His eyes darkened, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Then your family loses everything and ends up on the street. Do you want that on your conscience?

With a broken heart, I stared at him. “You're a monster.”

He stroked my cheek with a tender yet ominous touch. “Remember that next time you think about defying me.”

Kai's grip tightened for a moment as his phone rang before he shoved me away. “Spare me the hassle of stripping you bare, be naked and waiting when I return.”

I fell on the bed, tears streaming down my face as Kai walked out leaving me in the room, suffocating under the weight of my choices.

My mind raced with a mix of emotions, including the twisted desire to grab a knife and end his life. But then I paused, reflecting on the futility of it all; ‘Why trade my life for his by committing murder, when his time is already running out.’ I thought. No, I should be patient and let the inevitable happen – his death was a matter of time, and I just needed to wait.

A fate worse than hell is what he deserved. I yearned for a place of even greater suffering, where he'd suffered ceaselessly. May he rot in an abyss of unrelenting agony, forever in a living nightmare, with no escape from the misery he's earned.