WARNING: MIGHT CONTAIN TRIGGERS.

She wiped the tears off her cheek as she heard movements outside the dungeon. It was quite dark and only the lights in front of the dungeon gates lit up the passageway.

Standing up from the cold rough floor, she walked to the metal gates, roving her eyes around the passageway.

Just then, his broad figure appeared in front of her, wearing a black hoodie and black shorts.

"Ryan," she cried almost immediately as he took the hood off his head.

"Sam," he called sympathetically as he touched the metal gate.

"I..I thought you left," she burst out emotionally.

"I tried to, but I couldn't leave you here. Sam, I need to break you out of here. You need to be free, I can help you escape out of here," he offered with enthusiasm.

"It would pose a big risk to you and I. I have nowhere to go, no family of my own. If I escape, your family will come after me, they'll find me with their last breath," she panicked as she looked deep into his eyes.

"I'll protect you.. I'll keep you safe away from them. We'll go somewhere far away from this place," he emphasized.

"I..I can't," she cried and wiped the tears that escaped her cheek.

He slammed his fist angrily on the gate.

"Why are you proving obstinate, uhh? Or is there something keeping you here?!" He voiced out angrily.

She moved backwards as she saw his eyes filled with aggression.

"Sam, is there something I need to know about you?" He asked curiously as he looked into her eyes deeply.

Just then, movements were heard and he dashed away immediately. She hurried back into the room and sat on the floor, turning her back to the metal gate.

"Hey," she heard the masculine voice of one of the guards.

She remained silent and tucked her rough hair behind her ears.

"Your attention is needed," he said as he opened the gate.

She stood up from the floor immediately and walked out of the room. Two guards were waiting beside the dungeon gate and she walked alongside them as they led her out of the dungeon.

Ryan hid behind the dungeon walls, watching them lead Samantha back into the building. He followed behind slowly, curious of what would happen next.

**

She was led into Ryker's bedroom where she could see Mrs Clyde, sitting beside Ryker on the long black couch.

She was made to stand in the middle of the room and the bodyguards left.

"A doctor will be here soon, I want you to take your bath and dress up properly. He'll be here to run a test on your infection, let's see what we can do about it," Mrs Clyde said.

Samantha knelt immediately and her face broke into a smile.

"Thank you ma'am, thank you so much," she said with joy.

"Do as she had said," Ryker ordered with a stern voice.

She stood up immediately and Mrs Clyde sent in a maid who aided in helping her bath.

She was offered a good meal, after which, she dressed up in a white silky nightie and sat on the bed. She could see Ryker and his mom discussing in low tone, after which, the doctor came in.

He was a fair skinned middle-aged man, dressed in a doctor's coat. He had a brief discussion with Mrs Clyde and Ryker before turning his attention to Samantha who was sitting on the bed.

"Shall we?" He asked with a warm smile on his face as he walked to the bed.

She nodded and laid her back flat on the bed.

"You can leave, we'll send for you when we need you," Mrs Clyde said to Samantha as soon as the doctor was through.

She stood up and walked out of the room while adjusting her dress. As she stepped out, she bumped into Ryan who was eavesdropping at the door.

She tried to exclaim but he hushed her and pulled her away from the door. He dragged her into a quiet passage and pushed her to the wall.

"What did the doctor do with you?" He asked, his face only a few inches away from her.

"He..he did a test. Mother says it was about my infection, I think I'm getting a cure soon," she said with a smile.

"Come off it, nothing good ever comes out of these people. I know my family too well," he said.

She kept silent and stared at him in stupefaction.

"What do you think is going on?" She asked seriously.

"I believe they're using you, my family is up to something and I believe it's of no good," he said anxiously as he paced to and fro in front of her.

"You're overthinking," she said, staring at the side of his face.

"I need to find out, I believe there is something I need to know," he said thoughtfully as he turned to look at her.

For a moment, he got lost, seeing how beautiful she looked in her nightie. She had freshened up and smells so good tonight. Her hazel eyes hit up at his eyes and they both stared at each other for a moment. Memories of the other night filled his brain and he gulped, racing his eyes to her red lips.

Seeing how he gawked over her body, she looked away awkwardly and turned her back towards him.

"Are..are you leaving?" He managed to ask.

"They might send for me at any moment," she said. "And besides, I..I don't wanna be seen around you too much. It might upset my husband, and I don't wanna flare him up anymore," she lamented.

He stood still as he tried to digest her words. He looked away from her in disappointment and rubbed his hand over his brown hair.

"It's.. it's fine..," he said and walked away immediately.

Watching him walk away, she gulped and tucked her hair behind her ears. What was he thinking? That she would fall for him because of a single mistake? She thought. There is no way she was gonna keep having an affair with Ryan right under Ryker's nose. No matter how mean Ryker was to her, she was determined to be faithful and possibly win his heart, she said to herself and walked out of the passageway.

**

"From what I can see, she has every possibility to conceive," Doctor Jean said as he placed his instruments back in his briefcase.

"Really?!" Mrs Clyde's eyes glowed with joy.

"Yes, the infection didn't affect her womb. We should wait for the test result before concluding, though. But trust my assessment, she's fertile," he confirmed and Mrs Clyde turned to Ryker whose hand was resting under his chin.

"Thank you, doctor. Just the news I wanted to hear. We'll keep in touch," she said and shook his hands firmly.

As soon as the doctor left, she gave Ryker a warm hug.

"We're getting there, Samantha will bear your child," she said with a smile.

"But I can't sleep with her from the look of her vagina. It disgusts me," he lamented.

"Son, there is no time to cure that infection. You need to start right away," she said and he shoved her hands off his shoulders.

"You want me to share in her disease??!" He barked and stood up angrily.

"No..no..I don't mean it that way," she explained calmly as she walked towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders again.

"Look at me," she ordered.

He gruntled and looked at her hesitantly.

"We'll use the insemination method," she suggested.

"If we inseminate her, she'll suspect what we're up to. She isn't supposed to suspect that we're using her to achieve an aim," he said thoughtfully.

"I'll sort that out, first of all, you need to prepare for your first outing with her tomorrow. Don't forget, Ryan laid a threat, and he might carry it out. Before he strikes, we should be a step ahead of him," she said with a smile as she stroked his cheeks.

He nodded and she kissed his lips lightly.

"You know I hate sharing you with any woman. More reasons I hated Vanessa, because she seemed to have stolen you away from me," she continued with a smirk as she placed her hands around his shoulder.

"No woman can separate us, mother. I love you so much," he said and kissed her lips deeply.

The voices of the women woke her up and she opened her eyes to see Anna standing in front of the bed, alongside Hailey, the brown skin maid. She had been asked to move out of the maids' quarters last night and she wondered what the girls were doing in her room.

"Mrs Clyde ordered us to prepare your bath," Anna said softly.

"Your glam team is waiting outside to get you ready for your big day," Hailey said with a little bit of excitement.

"Big day? I don't get it," she scoffed as she sat up right.

The girls helped her up the bed and prepared her bath. Her glam team arrived after her bath, and they helped dress her up in a white short flared dress with bogus sleeves. Her short brunette hair was styled in a bob and her face adorned with beautiful makeup. Her feet slipped perfectly into silver glittery heels, adding to the beauty of her outfit.

"You look beautiful, ma'am," Anna whispered.

"Thank you," she said with a satisfied smile.

She was led out of the room by madam Kate who arrived to pick her up. As they walked to the foyer, she met Mrs Clyde who was on the phone.

"This is perfect," Mrs Clyde said as soon as she turned her attention to her.

"Thank you ma'am," Samantha responded humbly.

"Your husband is waiting in the car for you. Now be a good girl out there," she said and touched her shoulders.

Samantha nodded with a smile before walking out of the foyer.

She was led to the green Lamborghini where Ryker was seated, dressed handsomely in a black turtleneck long sleeve shirt and black jeans pants. A pair of frameless glasses were sitting on his eyes, and his long black hair wrapped neatly in a bun.

He is the type so hard to resist, just like his brother, she thought as she sat beside him in the car and his cologne filled her nostrils.

Without taking a single glance at her, he warned, " Don't you try anything stupid out there."

She nodded and swallowed hard as the car drove out of the mansion slowly.

**

She sat elegantly in her chambers, scrolling through her phone, as she read the rumors flying on the internet about the Clyde's family and their new bride.

"Ryan did carry out his threat," she said with a smile and sipped from her cup of coffee.

"Mother, mother!" Sophia called, running into the chamber.

"Yes, daughter," she answered, looking up at the anxious Sophia.

"Mother, rumors of how Samantha is being mistreated have been flying all around the internet. Who's behind this?" Sophia asked in confusion as she took her seat beside her mother.

"Of course, your brother. I knew this was gonna happen,.but don't be scared. I've got this all covered," Mrs Clyde said with a smile as she patted Sophia by the shoulders.

"Were you able to visit Mr Ken at the hotel?" She asked and Sophia nodded.

"As soon as we secure the deal, you'll secure the man. I can't wait to see you and Claris get married," she continued.

"He really likes me . Claris is the only problem I've got, mother. She's trying to get Ken," Sophia said worriedly.

"I'll speak to her about it, okay? For now, I need to speak with Ryan," Mrs Clyde said and stood up.

"I can't believe Ryan did this to us, what will he benefit in ruining the family's name?" Sophia asked sadly.

"He's done it before and he'll do it again," Mrs Clyde said and walked out.

Walking into Ryan's room, she found him on the bed, scrolling through his phone.

"You actually carried out your threat," she said with a smile as she helped herself to the sofa opposite the bed.

He scoffed and sat up right.

"Oh, you saw the news too? I was about to come talk to you about it," he said nonchalantly as he grabbed a stick of cigarettes in his drawer.

"And you're satisfied with your victory, uh?" She asked with a smirk.

"I didn't do it," he said and lit up his cigarette.

"Oh, spare me that," she scoffed.

"But I'm glad someone else did," he said and smiled.

"Someone? You're trying to shift it on someone else? When it's glaring at your face?" Mrs Clyde scoffed.

"I told you I didn't do it, I take no pleasure in humiliating my family," he said and puffed out smoke from his mouth.

"You've done it before, you're doing it again, Ryan!!" She slammed.

"If I take so much pleasure in bringing down your reputation, Vanessa's case wouldn't have been buried so easily," he said with a smirk as he took a glance at her face.

She kept silent and swallowed hard.

"And what do you know about Vanessa's death?" She asked, trying to form a smile on her face.

"I know Ryker killed Vanessa," he said and poured whiskey into a glass.

She laughed and shook her head in amusement.

"And who would believe you with that statement, you clown," she scoffed.

"You buried Vanessa's case with your power and influence, because she had no one to pick up her case. But I tell you mother, the universe never forgets, her death will haunt you someday," he said confidently, pointing a finger at her face.

"Oh, shut it!" She flared and stood up immediately and he laughed.

"And what are you gonna do about the rumors flying on the internet?" He asked as she walked to the door.

"You'll see the work of my hands soon, loser," she mocked and walked out of the room.

He sighed and just then, his phone beeped. As soon as he unlocked his phone, all he could see on the internet was pictures of Ryker and Samantha stepping out for lunch.

His brows gathered deeply and he threw his phone on the bed violently.

"Fuck!!" He cursed, running his hand through his hair.

**

It was evening when the Lamborghini pulled up in front of the building. Samantha stepped out, her face beaming with a smile.

She was glad to have stepped out of the mansion today, not that going out with Ryker really made a difference. He never paid attention to her and all he could do was make her pose for the flashlights and cameras. At one point, he left her with the bodyguards and walked away only to return after a long time.

As they stepped into the foyer, they were welcomed by Mrs Clyde who was waiting patiently for them to walk in.

"Great, perfect! You did great!" She exclaimed and patted Samantha's shoulders.

Samantha pulled a surprise face, wondering the purpose of this outing all along.

"I'm tired, mother, I need to rest," Ryker grumbled and tried to walk away.

"Did you see the news? Ryan gave us away, he tried to tarnish our image..," Samantha stood in her spot, watching Mrs Clyde gossiping with her son.

"Hey, you can leave now, go back to your room," Mrs Clyde ordered.

She nodded and walked up the stairs. She walked to the third floor where her room was, and as she opened the door, a strong hand pulled her in.

She tried to catch her breath as her back slammed against the wall. The room was dim but she could see Ryan's charming pair of blue eyes gazing at her face, with his head only an inch away.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" She cried, trying to pull away from him.

"I've been looking all over the mansion for you, only to find your picture on the internet with Ryker," he whispered in her face.

"I..I..we went out," she stammered, trying to look away from him.

"No, he went out and took you along for pictures. They're just doing damage control, they're using you," he scoffed.

"Stop it, Ryan. Was that why you told the world I was being mistreated?" She asked.

"I didn't do it," he said seriously.

"Then who did?" She asked with a scoff.

"My family believes I did it, but I didn't," he said.

She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"This was just staged, it was all planned to silence the rumor which it really did. They're using you, Sam. The earlier you get out of here, the better for you," he warned.

"Why..why are you so adamant that I should leave?" She asked.

"Because I'm scared for your life," he said seriously.

She gasped and glanced at his face in surprise.

"Ryan, is there something I should know?" She asked.

He kept silent and swallowed hard.

"You..you look beautiful," he said, shifting away from the topic as his lips broke into a flirtatious smile.

"Thank you," she said and looked away from him shyly. "But that's not what we're talking about. Is there something I need to know?" She asked again.

He slipped his hand behind her hair and pulled her head a bit closer as he gave her a flirtatious look.

"Ryan, don't think about it," she said, trying to pull away.

"I haven't gotten you off my head," he said, bringing his head closer to hers.

"I'm your brother's wife now, we can't do this anymore," she cautioned, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

His hands caressed her shoulders softly and she twitched. In a blink of an eye, he plunged his lips into hers and kissed her red soft lips deeply.

She tried to resist but ended up succumbing to the kiss with her hands wrapped around his neck. Just then, a knock came on the door.

"Who's there?!" She panicked.

"Your mother-in-law," Mrs Clyde's firm voice answered from the door.

They both pulled away from each other and she quickly dashed to the door.

"Hide," she whispered to Ryan who was still unmoved.

She watched him hide in the closet and then she opened the door for Mrs Clyde to come in.

"Mother," she called humbly as she stood behind Mrs Clyde who was looking all over the room.

"I thought I heard a voice," she said as she sat on the single sofa in the room.

"Not really, " Samantha cut in sharply and walked to the bed nervously.

"You did well by being a good girl out there. But there is something else I'll need you to do," Mrs Clyde said with all seriousness. "I don't care whatever relationship you once had with Ryan, I want you to stay away from him," she warned.

Samantha swallowed hard, her heart racing fast.

"Mother..," she tried to speak.

"I believe I'm clear," Mrs Clyde cut in.

"I..I will ma'am," she replied.

"Good," she said and walked out of the room.

As soon as the door was shut, Ryan sprang out of his hiding, his face now red with anger as he stared at Samantha who was walking away from the door.

"I'm..I'm so sorry, you heard her right," she said.

"And you're gonna comply?" He asked in disbelief.

"I think so, I need to save my marriage," she said fearfully.

"Your marriage? Do you call this marriage?!" He scoffed, shaking his head in perplexity.

"I don't care what you think, Ryan, you've got to stay away," she warned and walked away from him.

"That includes to stop fighting for you?" He asked calmly.

She kept silent and he nodded and heaved a sigh.

"I should have left earlier, I made a mistake coming back for you," he said and walked out angrily.

She watched him walk out of the room and she sat on the bed, looking devastated. He had proved to be a nice guy but also an obstacle to her marriage. She needed him out of the way, she thought as she laid on the bed.

Mrs Clyde stood beside the passage wall, watching Ryan walk out of the room and a small sinister smile appeared on her lips

**

Samantha joined the women in the kitchen as soon as it dawned, and she could see the surprised look they all gave her.

"Thought you've been pardoned," Anna said with a smile.

"I didn't get the green light yet," Samantha replied as she joined her to sort fresh vegetables.

"Oh, and who's gonna pardon you just yet?" Betty asked, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, Betty, I don't know why I feel like you're jealous of Sam," Hailey put in.

"Why would I be?" Betty scoffed. "She's not going to be different from Madam Essa," she added.

"Betty!!" They all exclaimed.

Samantha swallowed hard.

"And if I may ask, who is Madam Essa?" She summoned the courage to ask.

The girls glanced at each other and then returned to their duties immediately. Not long, the male chef arrived and the kitchen began to bustle with activities.

After preparing breakfast for the family, she sat with Anna at the dining table in the kitchen, having breakfast. Anna was friendly and easy going, unlike Betty who acts like a psycho.

"They still didn't call you to the table for a family meal," Anna said as she stirred her cup of coffee.

Samantha kept silent, munching a piece of mozzarella cheese stick.

"I wanna know more about Madam Essa," she requested.

Anna's eyes bulged and she looked if Betty and Rick were watching.

"You didn't do your research before coming to this place?" She whispered to Sam.

"I didn't, I only tried my luck and it worked. Everything happened so fast," she lamented.

Anna sighed and tucked her blond long hair behind her ears.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I can't tell you anything," she said.

"Anna, I need to know my fate," she said, her voice dripping with fear.

"Sam, it's confidential. If anyone is caught talking about Madam Essa, we'll be punished severely," Anna explained with fear written all over her brown, almond shaped eyes.

"Is she dead?" Samantha asked in low whispers.

Anna gulped and looked around carefully.

"She disappeared mysteriously and was later declared dead," she spilled.

Samantha opened her mouth agape and exhaled.

"Was she murdered?" She asked Anna who seemed to be so uncomfortable at the moment.

"Yes she was, and...," she tried to speak when Hailey walked into the kitchen angrily, holding a tray of food.

"Did the girls get on your nerves again?" Anna chuckled.

"Nope. Sir Ryan didn't show up at the table, and I was asked to return his meal," Hailey answered.

"I hope he is okay," Anna said, turning away from Hailey.

Samantha felt her heart sank and she wondered why he didn't show up for breakfast.

She kept silent, thinking about their encounter last night. Just then, Madam Kate walked into the kitchen.

"You've been pardoned. Mrs Clyde asked that you move back into Sir Ryker's bedroom at once!" Madam Kate announced.

"What?!!" The girls exclaimed.

Samantha's eyes bulged and she stood up immediately.

"I'll be there," she said and smiled unflappably.

**

"I'm so over the moon, thank you, doc. Tomorrow, we'll begin the insemination process, we've got no time left," Mrs Clyde spoke on the phone with her legs crossed elegantly.

Ryker listened attentively as his mother conversed with doctor Jean on the phone. After a few seconds, the call ended and her attention was turned towards him.

"He has promised to start the insemination process tomorrow, since she's been diagnosed to be fertile," she said with excitement, sipping from her glass of red wine.

"Can we really trust him?" He asked thoughtfully.

"Oh, come on, Doctor Steve gave the recommendation that we can work with him, we can trust him," she said assuringly and Ryker nodded.

"Sam will move into your bedroom, and we'll begin the process tomorrow. I'm so happy she's fertile, everything is turning out for our favor," she said excitedly.

Ryker remained silent and heaved a sigh.

"You know, son, if Vanessa didn't die, she would have proved to be an obstacle . She wouldn't have succeeded in giving you a child, and we'll have lost. it's a good thing she died," Mrs Clyde continued as she gazed at Ryker whose face was stone cold.

"I don't know if I can stand her, I mean, this Sam girl," he complained.

"You'll have to try. We need to make everything look real. You know, this is the only way we can take Ryan out of the way too," Mrs Clyde said with a smirk.

"How?" He asked almost immediately.

"Did you see him at the table for breakfast today?" She asked with a cunning smile on her black lips.

"No," he answered calmly.

"Because I asked Samantha to stay away from him, he got mad. I know they both have something going on. Ryan isn't lying when he claims to know Samantha," she continued with a smirk.

Ryker's eyes bulged and he looked at his mother in disbelief.

"And you.. you let everything slide by?!" He barked.

"Yes, I let everything slide by, because that's the only way to get rid of him. That's the only way he would leave and never return," she said.

"How?!" He growled impatiently.

"Because he likes Sam. I believe they met by accident from Aiden's information. He had seen them drive out of the mansion at the company's 20th anniversary party," she explained.

"Mom, I can't believe this!" He cried.

"Be calm, it's nothing deep. I've got everything in place. She's the reason he's still here, and she'll be the reason for his departure," she said with a smirk.

"How? Mother?" He asked in disbelief.

"That's where you come in. Ryan can't stand the sight of you and Sam being all loved up, he'll go crazy and lose himself again," she said.

Ryker kept mute, thinking about his mother's words.

"Yes, he'll lose it and definitely return to rehab. I guess he's trying to break free at the moment. And the moment he breaks free from his addiction, we're doomed," she explained.

Ryker sighed heavily and nodded slowly.

"That's why I let the situation between him and Samantha slide by, because I was using it to our advantage. He has finally found someone he cares about, and we're gonna take that someone away from him," she said and grinned evilly.