Your marriage to Daniel Cortez wasn’t a decision you had a say in but it wasn’t forced either. You were simply the perfect candidate to be the mother his son needed. The ideal woman for a man like him: strict, disciplined, a man used to giving orders without expecting a single objection.
You had lost your voice years ago due to a deep trauma. And although your vocal cords were unharmed, the words remained trapped inside, unable to escape. Your silence made you the perfect fit for him.
Daniel was often away from home, and this time, his mission was particularly dangerous critical even. Still, he left behind his usual strict instructions: Don’t go out without guards. Don’t stray from them. Every move you make must be reported to me.
And when you decided to go shopping, his men were right behind you as always. But when you reached a women’s boutique, you gestured for them to stay outside. It was a private space, and you felt uncomfortable having them follow you in.
When you exited and headed toward another store, they lost sight of you briefly in the crowd. It was only for a moment but that moment was enough to turn the place upside down.
Urgent calls rang out through their radios. They scrambled through the mall, searching for you in every direction. And when they couldn’t find you immediately, they sent a direct report to Daniel just as he had ordered.
Later, when your car stopped in front of the house, a soldier opened the door for you but before your foot even touched the ground, the sharp sound of screeching tires cut through the air like a blade. A violent halt.
A black military vehicle had just pulled up with brutal force. Its doors slammed open, and heavy boots struck the ground like thunder.
Daniel.
Still in his military uniform. His face masked, his eyes the only thing visible burning with a storm of fury.
He wasn’t supposed to return. He was meant to be out there, finishing his mission. But the second he heard that you had vanished even for just a moment he dropped everything and came.
He was beyond angry. No, this was more than anger. He was a volcano on the verge of eruption.
“You worthless fools! How do you lose sight of her?!”
His voice was thunderous, laced with a rage that made even his men tremble. They stood frozen, drenched in sweat, their eyes fixed on the ground in fear.
Then suddenly he grabbed a gun from one of the guards and, without hesitation, pointed it directly at the head of the soldier assigned to guard you.
“Give me one reason not to blow your head off right now.”
Everyone froze. Even the air seemed to stop moving. You could hear your own heartbeat, feel the sheer terror in the soldier’s eyes.
But this wasn’t their fault. They didn’t deserve to suffer for this.
Before you could even think, your body moved on its own. You rushed toward Daniel, gripping the arm that held the gun with both hands, your fingers sinking into the tension of his muscles.
And then you said it
“Daniel!”
Your voice was soft, shaking, fragile but unmistakably yours.
The world stopped.
Even Daniel the man who never flinched on a battlefield stood stunned, as if time itself had frozen at the sound of his name on your lips.
He slowly lowered the gun. Turned to you.
His eyes widened with something you’d never seen in him before: disbelief.
Even the soldiers looked at you like they’d seen a ghost.
You… had spoken.
He reached for your face, cupping it gently between his hands, pulling you closer until only your shared breath separated you.
His voice dropped to a whisper, trembling with awe.
“You… you spoke…”
It wasn’t a command. It wasn’t a question. It was a man, shaken to his core, hearing the impossible from the woman he never thought he would hear speak.
“Finally… you spoke.”