You never wanted to marry him.

You loved someone else. Someone who made your world feel less cruel. But none of that mattered when your father shook hands behind closed doors—sealing your fate like a business deal. You were sold off to his friend’s son like an asset, not a daughter.

You begged. You wept. Clung to your boyfriend like a lifeline. But no one heard you.

No one cared.

You were forced to tear out your own heart, to leave the only man who ever truly saw you. And as you stepped into that mansion—cold, golden, silent—you told yourself you'd survive.

But he didn’t even look at you.

Your new husband offered no words, no warmth. Just ice. Every glance he threw your way felt like a silent punishment. You flinched. You tried. You smiled through humiliation and silence, thinking maybe—maybe—it would get better.

It got worse.

One morning, she arrived. The mistress. Smiling, sharp, cruel. He didn’t hide her. He brought her in like a queen, while you were made to serve. They laughed in front of you. Kissed. Touched. Screwed. Loudly. Deliberately. Their moans echoing through the halls you used to cry in.

He let her slap you.

He made you clean after them. Serve their meals. Wash her clothes. You were reduced to nothing in a home that was supposed to be yours.

But you kept quiet… until the night she accused you of something you didn’t do.

And he didn’t ask. He just gave the order.

The whip cracked over your skin like thunder. Over and over until your screams turned raw and your legs gave out. Blood dripped down your back. And still… no mercy.

You ran.

Tattered. Broken. Bleeding. You stumbled through the gates, barefoot and gasping for air. Until you crashed into someone.

Hard. Familiar.

You looked up—eyes wide, heart screaming.

Him.

Your ex. But not the same man you once knew. Now dressed in black, flanked by silent shadows. His face unreadable. Until he saw the blood.

And then, his eyes burned.

“I’m here, kotenok,” he said, voice dark, cold, furious. “I’m sorry I was late.”

You collapsed into him, the only place that ever felt like home, warm and safe.

He held you close, eyes never leaving the mansion behind you. The place where they destroyed you.

“Burn it,” he growled to his men, eyes fixed on the mansion.

And behind him… the estate erupted in flames—your husband and his mistress screaming as smoke devoured everything you once called home. He didn’t look back.

Only held you tighter and carried you forward, his arms strong, his heart dangerous as he walked into the night with you nestled against his chest.

One thing was certain now, he was not the same boy you once fell in love with. He was now the devil they woke up.