SELENA

I groggily opened my eyes, blinking a few times until I adjusted to the dim light of the unfamiliar room. Confusion and panic immediately set in as I tried to remember how I ended up in this place, but everything was blank. As I sat up, I took in the surroundings and tried to piece together where I was.

The room was small and sparsely furnished, with a single bed pushed against one wall and a small table beside it. There was an old-fashioned clock ticking loudly on the wall, a lamp on the bedside table and a window with minimal daylight streaming in, casting eerie shadows around the room. The walls were painted a dull shade of gray, which made it feel even more unwelcoming.

A sense of unease began to grip the me as I took in the unfamiliarity of the space. I quickly searched for any clues that could give me a hint to my whereabouts but there were none. No familiar items or personal belongings were in sight.

I felt knots form in the pit of my stomach as I tried to remember how I got here. My tummy twisted as I slowly recalled that I was held at gun point before I blacked out, was I dead?  

My breath quickened as I looked around the unfamiliar room getting out of the bed. I searched for a way out, running my hand over the smooth surfaces of the walls, but I found no hidden panels or seams. The only furniture was a simple wooden chair in the center of the room, which I pushed aside with a grunt of frustration.

Turning to the door, I gave it a firm shove, but it didn't budge. I tried the handle, but it was locked tight. Panic rose in my chest as I realized I was trapped. 

My eyes scanned the room again, looking for any clue or tool that could help me escape. It was then that I noticed a small vent near the ceiling. I stood on the chair, stretching to reach it. It was too small for me to crawl through, but I could see a faint glimmer of light on the other side.

Using the strength in my arms, I managed to remove the vent grate, and I was relieved to find a narrow space between the walls that I could squeeze through. I hesitated for just a moment not sure of what could be out there but I knew this was my only option.

I took a deep breath ready to get in when the door opened slowly, I staggered on the chair out of fear, I was sure I was going to be the death of me once my head touched the ground, shutting my eyes closed I braced myself for impact but instead my fall was stopped mid air.

I opened my eyes to see who was holding on to me so firmly, "You?" I exclaimed as I stared at Aiden Frazier. 

I shoved him off me staggering back as a smirk fell on his face, I couldn't remember how I had gotten here but it was obvious now that they had not killed me but brought me here on his order. 

"Where is my mum and my sister? What have you done to them you crazy lunatic?" I asked angrily. Were they also locked up in a room like I was?

"They are safe for now," he said to me walking to the bed and dropping a file and a phone on the bed that I had not noticed he was holding on to when he had tried to stop me from falling off the chair.

"Let me out right now," I demanded but only got a light chuckle from him, when I had slapped him in the office earlier I had been consumed by anger but now standing before him and seeing him upright I was consumed by fear. 

His glare terrified me and I could only wonder what was going on in his head as he stared at me with a repulsive look.

"Sign the papers and I would let you out," he said. 

"Sign what fucking papers? I want to see my mum and sister right now, I demand to see them this minute."

"Demand?" He glared at me angrily closing the distance between up, I gulped at the sight of him walking up to me, I wanted to move back but my feet remained glued to the ground. 

"I don't do too well with disobedience," he informed me grabbing me by the arm and squeezing tightly as I winced in pain, I opened my mouth to protest but before I could be shoved me right on the bed next to the file and the phone. 

"I didn't mean to hit you," I sobbed as fear consumed me, it seemed being stubborn was going to get me killed, maybe if I begged him he would let me off. 

"Does it look like I care, open the goddamn paper right now," he yelled at me as shivers went down my spine. 

I hurriedly opened the paper reading the content carefully, what was this? A contract for a marriage? Was this some kind of joke? Did he kidnap me to get married to me or was I hallucinating?

"What is this?"

"A marriage contract, you have one minutes to decide or I won't hesitate to slit your mother and sisters throat."

At his words a video started to play on the phone, it was like it was programmed that way, I dropped the file to the side and picked the phone. It was a video of my mum and sister tied to a chair and blindfolded with two men standing behind them and holding a knife over their neck.

I stared at Aiden as panic filled me, "please let them go, it is me you want, I didn't mean to hurt you," I cried going on my knee instantly. Why was he doing this to me? What was he going to gain by getting married to me? 

"You have fifty seconds left," he said checking his wristwatch.

"Please don't do this, I beg you," I cried. 

"Kill them," he ordered like he was talking to someone. 

"No!!" I screamed. "I will marry you, I will agree to the contract, don't do it." I cried.

SELENA

"We are gathered here today to join Aiden Frazier and Selena Crawford in holy matrimony," the priest finally spoke after he did the sign of the cross in the air. 

It was happening, I thought to myself. I thought about different escape plans while I was been brought here but seeing how tight the security were I knew there was no way out of here because I didn't know the exact place Aiden had kept my mother and sister. 

There was security at every corner of the house, even while I was being brought to the church, three cars had escorted me and in the car two security personnel had sat in the car with me. 

I had tried to gather some information from the maids who had come to dress me up and do my make up about the whereabouts of my mother and sister but none of them seemed to be interested in talking rather they were hell bent on getting me ready as soon as possible, to avoid the wrath of their boss.

They had even encouraged me to eat but I refused.

"Please ma, we don't want our boss to fire us," one of the maids had begged me to eat kneeling down and ready to even lie flat on the floor as the two other maids joined her by kneeling down as well. 

I was forced to eat the food and drink enough water as well because I didn't want them to get punished by my actions. 

What had baffled me was how fitted the wedding gown was on my body, it was like they knew my exact measurements all along.

I had resulted to pinch myself at interval to see if I was dreaming or hallucinating but I only ended up hurting myself and realizing it was reality.

"Do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in holy matrimony, to love her, to honor her, to comfort her and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?" The priest asked staring at Aiden.

"I do," Aiden responded immediately, there was no reluctance in his voice, like he wanted to get this whole thing over with. The more he stared into my eyes the more I wanted to curse at him for making me do this against my will.

"Do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in holy matrimony, to love him, to honor him, to comfort him and to keep him in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?," The priest asked me this time looking at me but I was still looking at Aiden with gritted teeth to even notice that it was my turn to speak.

Irrespective of the fact that the man that stood before me was tall, handsome and so sexy, I found it difficult to look at him for so long without secretly lusting for his touch again, my thoughts annoyed me so much that I imagined myself slapping him right across the face.

"Ma'am," I heard Max mutter to me as I stared at him then at Aiden who was motioning me to respond to the priest.

It wasn't that I didn't hear the priest but I never imagined in my wildest dreams that this was how my wedding was going to turn out, without my consent or my family and to a complete stranger that I knew absolutely nothing about. 

"I...I..d..do," I stuttered not wanting to see the wrath his maid were talking about earlier, even though I tried to act not afraid of him, I really didn't know him and what he was capable of doing to me if I refused him.

I knew behind his smudge face, he was nothing but a self centered and a heartless man.

I had barely finished talking when I felt Aiden reach out to take my left hand in his. 

I took a step backward not knowing what he was up to but only got a smirk from Aiden as he reached out for my left hand again and pulled it to his eye level.

"Here boss," Max said bringing out a ring from his pocket and offering Aiden with a bow as it dawned on me what was about to happen next.

I suddenly felt like a heavy weight was being placed over my chest as my heart started to race faster, I stared at Aiden who was now looking at me with a smile on his face.

He seemed unbothered by how repulsive I was looking at him and I noticed that no matter what I said or do he seemed less concerned and hell bent on doing as he pleased.

Aiden placed the ring to the tip of my fourth finger waiting for the priest to continue the vows.

"Repeat after me," the priest said. "I, your name, give you this ring as a token and a pledge of our constant faith and abiding love."

"I, Aiden Frazier, give you this ring as a token of my love and a pledge of our constant faith and abiding love," Aiden repeated staring right into my eyes as he slowly placed the ring into my finger. 

I stared right at him nervously as my mouth quivered at his cold hands holding mine and placing the ring into my finger.

He brought my hand to his lips as he placed a kiss on the ring, it felt like he had always wanted to do that.

I stared at his warm lips on my hand as he let go slowly, my eyes trailed his hand and my eyes slowly widened in shock when I caught sight of the ring in my finger. I stared at Aiden, then at Max and then back at the ring in her finger. 

Who was this man?

How did he know about this ring?

For as long as I could remember I had always wanted a costume made wedding ring from Sapphire Stone , they were well know for making costume jewelries for celebrities. 

I had gone as far as to even sketch out the design I wanted, and here it was right in my fourth finger, staring me right in the face. 

I was sure my shock expression did not go unnoticed by Aiden, who seemed to be expecting to see just that. Did he really find out about this ring or was it a coincidence? I thought.

He couldn't have gone through the trouble for someone like me, it definitely had to be a coincidence.

"Ma'am," Max said handing me the ring as he bowed his head to me, I wasn't comfortable with how he and the other bodyguards were always bowing their heads to me, it felt like they were compelled to do it because the last I checked they wanted to kill me.

I collected it with trembling hands as I stared at Aiden, I rolled my eyes at him and reached for his big left hand as I raised it up placing the ring at the tip of his fourth finger.

"I give you this ring as a token of my love and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love," the priest repeated.

"I give you this ring as a token of my love and pledge of our constant faith and abiding love," I said in a low voice as I placed the ring into his fourth finger. 

"You may kiss the bride," the priest announced. 

What? I exclaimed in my head, of course the groom was to kiss the bride, but was he really going to kiss me?

He leaned in slowly lowering his head to my level as he planted an innocent kiss on my lips. 

I had not anticipated the kiss but neither was my brain willing to reject the kiss. 

It was my first kiss and this bastard had just taken it away from me just like that without allowing me to process the whole scenario.

I had been saving my first kiss for my crush in school.

"You are mine now," Aiden muttered on my lips as he planted another kiss on my forehead this time.

SELENA

After the wedding, I was brought back into the same room I had been locked up in, I was given a pajama to change into and a plate of porridge and orange juice by my nightstand. I changed into pajamas after taking a quick shower as I couldn't trust that there weren't any hidden cameras around the bathroom and the room itself.

Thereafter, a maid came to check on me and she wasn't pleased that I had not yet touched the food by the nightstand, she tried to talk me into eating the food but I didn't care about her complaint. Instead, I sent her out of my room hurling insults at her and telling her to tell her boss that I wanted to see him immediately.

How could I eat under these circumstances? I had not yet seen my mum or sister as promised, I didn't know where they were or what he might have done to them and the thought was killing me.

I spent the whole afternoon till evening pacing around my room waiting for him to come as I requested but he didn't show up, my heart started racing as I thought about my family. I missed them terribly, and I didn't know if I would ever get to see them again.

Eventually, I lay in bed orchestrating different unrealistic plans to get out of here once I was reunited with my mum and sister.

What was I even thinking when I said yes to his marriage proposal? Now that I thought about it, I was his wife legally, did that mean he was going to consummate the wedding?

I gulped at the thought of his filthy hands on my body, my skin crawled just imagining him trying to be sexual with me. I couldn't picture it and I didn't want to.

Finally, the door creaked open, and he stepped inside. I could feel the fear rising in me, but I also felt a flare of anger. I was tired of being his prisoner.

"I want to see my mum and sister," I demanded, my voice shaking with emotion.

He didn't answer, just stood there staring at me with his cold, lifeless eyes. I could feel his gaze burning into me, and it made my skin crawl.

"You can't keep me locked up in here forever," I continue talking, my voice louder this time as his eyes trailed my body with a repulsive look.

I looked a mess because I hadn't slept for two days, and I wasn't eating any of their food except when I was forced to for the wedding but I didn't care how I looked and I was sure he didn't care either.

"Is that a dare?" He finally spoke and I took my words back. "The maids said you wanted to see me, isn't that a bit too early?" He said closing the door behind him.

What did he mean by too early? Did he think that I called him here to sleep with him? Was he out of his mind?

I had sent for him in the afternoon after the wedding and he was just showing up in the middle of the night, I wanted to hurl insults at him but I calmed myself remembering that he had my mum and sister locked up somewhere and I wouldn't be able to see them without his order to release them.

"We had a deal, we get married and I see my family."

"You sent for me because you had doubts?" he asked.

"I kept my end of the deal, we had an agreement," I said not minding his question. His question was irrelevant to me because I had every right to doubt his words, I didn't trust him, I didn't even know him.

A smirk fell on his face after I was done talking, and it made me wonder if I had said something funny. He walked past me to the nightstand taking an Ipad that was next to the plate of porridge which I didn't notice all this while and raised it in the air.

"If someone had eaten their food, they would have noticed that I kept my end of the deal," he said handing the iPad to me, I stared at him confused by his action and I was sure my hesitation to collect the iPad from him irritated him as he returned it on the nightstand.

"I don't understand, what has this Ipad got to do with me seeing my family?"

"You can communicate with them whenever you want through this Ipad," he informed me.

"What?" I yelled.

"You heard me loud and clear," he said placing his hands into his pockets. "I said you could see them and that's what you are going to do with the Ipad until you prove to me that I can let you see them physically."

My jaw dropped at his words, I stared at him not believing he just actually said that to me, I had agreed to his proposal because he gave me his word and now he was trying to twist it and make me look stupid.

My frustration boiled into anger, and before I knew it, I walked up to me and my hand connected with his cheek in a loud slap. It felt good to strike back, to assert some control over the situation.

I saw the shock instantly in his eyes as his hand went to his cheek and I backed away hurriedly, almost as surprised as he was.

He stared at me, the anger in his eyes matching my own. For a moment, we stood there in silence, both of us seething with emotion.

Then, finally, he spoke.

"You belong to me now," he said, his voice low and menacing. "For that slap, you won't be speaking to your mum and sister for a week," he added going to take the iPad from the nightstand.

I knew then that I was truly trapped, and the fear I had been holding back came crashing down on me with full force as he threw a cold glance at me before walking out of the room.