“I want to see you carrying my child, Kitten. You’d be so beautiful and captivating. I want you to bear my child. I want us to start a family…” and other similar statements expressing his desire to impregnate Juliette, which only made Juliette even more panicked. “STOP!”
The shout made Juliette’s struggling body freeze instantly like stone. Her eyes widened, and her breath became ragged. Her heart raced faster as Robbin got down and walked towards a cabinet. Juliette felt like she was in a nightmare when she saw various kinds of handcuffs hanging inside the cabinet Robbin opened.
The man took one of the handcuffs and walked back to the bed. Then, he cuffed Juliette’s wrists, attaching them to a chain connected to the headboard. After he finished, Robbin said, “You want to know what your friend is doing, don’t you?”
Then Robbin pressed a button on a remote. Instantly, the large painting on the wall directly opposite the bed rotated, revealing a large LED TV screen. “Now for the show.”
Robbin pressed another button on the remote, turning on the TV, which displayed a dark room. But it didn’t stay dark for long as the lights flicked on, illuminating the room brightly. Juliette gasped when she saw Hannah tied to a chair in the middle of the room.
“Hannah!” Juliette screamed in panic. She tried to get up, but she couldn’t do much because her hands were cuffed. Hearing Juliette’s shout, Hannah immediately started thrashing around, trying to free herself, but her mouth was taped with black duct tape, preventing her from speaking.
Robbin watched the screen for a moment and explained, “In front of Hannah, there’s a similar TV. Above the TV, there’s a camera and a microphone, just like what we have here.” Robbin glanced over at Juliette, who was still focused on the screen.
“She’s going to see everything we do.” Juliette then saw a large man in a black suit step onto the screen, standing behind Hannah. The man held a whip that would undoubtedly cause pain and injury if swung with full force.
“If you resist or fight, I’ll stop what I’m doing to you, and she’ll be the one who suffers instead.”
“No! That’s not fair! Using someone I care about to threaten me! Let Hannah go, Robby! Think about the baby she’s carrying! I’m begging you!” Robbin ignored Juliette’s words, removed his blazer and turtleneck, and walked over to the nightstand, taking a knife from the drawer.
“R-Ro-Robby…?” Juliette stuttered as she saw the knife in Robbin’s hand. From the TV, she heard Hannah’s muffled screams. “W-what … are … y-you…”
“Shh…” Robbin whispered.
“Don’t worry, Kitten, I won’t hurt you. Not anymore.” Then Robbin used the knife to tear Juliette’s dress and underwear. Once Juliette was naked, he made sure his men on the other side of the screen had their eyes closed before flipping Juliette over onto her stomach. Robbin unbuckled his belt, pulling the leather strap into the air.
“Remember, Kitten. My leather belt is nothing compared to the whip in my man’s hand. If you feel pain, your friend will feel it tenfold. Understand?”
“You’re going to hurt me again!” Juliette whimpered.
“No… no… I won’t hurt you, I’ll make sure not a drop of blood leaves your body. In fact, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and ask for more. Or would you prefer we give Hannah an exclusive show?”
“Robby, stop! You’re insane!” Juliette screamed through sobs. She could no longer hold back the tears that had been threatening to spill.
“Stop!”
Robbin shook his head and said, “Call me Master D right now, Kitten,” his voice husky and full of desire and lust. He was so aroused, barely able to control himself, as he admired Juliette’s alluring position in front of him.
“Stop!” Juliette screamed. Her breath hitched as she heard the terrifying sound of the belt whipping through the air, bringing back memories of Anthony’s funeral night. The man had whipped her then, too, but the object Robbin had used that time was much lighter and caused no pain-unlike what was happening now.
Juliette bit her lower lip and tried to think of an excuse that Robbin might believe in stopping what was about to happen. She knew that everything happening now was her fault for provoking and reminding Robbin.
She should have stayed silent and said nothing! Now, she admitted her foolishness, but what else could she do? She had let her emotions get the best of her. She was furious that Robbin could act as if everything was fine, showing no remorse for the crimes he had committed.
Killing Leo, killing Henry, killing Anthony, killing that poor woman who resembled her, tormenting her, hurting Daisy, and all the other terrible things Robbin had done. She would not submit or surrender to him. She wanted to fight, and that was something she would always do. But she had been blinded by her rage and forgot that she needed to pick the right time to argue or fight with him.
Juliette was filled with overwhelming panic when she heard Robbin say, “I’m going to give you ten lashes. You have to count them out loud for me because sometimes I lose track of how many I’ve given. If you don’t count, we’ll start over. Got it?”
“WAIT, MASTER D!” Juliette screamed, her voice muffled by the pillow. Her shout immediately caught Robbin’s attention, and he looked at Juliette, who had buried her face. Her sobs grew louder, and only one thought came to her mind to stop Robbin, even if it was a lie. She could deal with the consequences of that lie being exposed later after she was free from this situation.
“I’m sorry! I’m really sorry… I was just upset… my emotions were all over the place…”
Robbin folded his arms over his chest. “What are you trying to tell me, Kitten?”
‘She had no choice but to lie,’ Juliette thought to herself. “Dr. Joseph… he treated my wounds earlier and also checked my condition because Christian hadn’t done it yet.” Juliette paused, adding some dramatic flair to make Robbin curious.
“He told me something Christian has been hiding from me.”
“And what is that?”
‘Here goes…’
“Robby… I’m pregnant.”
.
.
.
**Two Days Later**
A woman sat silently at a vanity, her beautiful hazel eyes staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her face, already beautiful without makeup, had been enhanced by a professional makeup artist, making her even more stunning, capable of capturing the gaze of anyone who saw her.
Her long, wavy brown hair was perfectly styled, flowing like a graceful waterfall. Jewelry accessories, such as earrings and a necklace, completed her look. Her alluring red lips formed a thin line of displeasure because the reflection she saw wasn’t her usual self-it wasn’t the usual Juliette.
With a soft sigh, she stood up from the chair and turned away from the vanity. Just moments ago, the servants and makeup artists who helped her prepare had left, giving her the rare solitude she craved.
She bowed her head, staring blankly at the marble floor covered by thick, plush carpet. But that didn’t mean her mind wasn’t racing-on the contrary, her thoughts were filled with countless possibilities of what could happen after the party. Juliette shook her head slightly, trying to stay optimistic, as the outcome of the party would determine her freedom and future.
Juliette roughly sat down on the edge of the bed, only to realize she was wearing a dress prone to wrinkling. She quickly smoothed the surface of the gown, afraid that the custom-made dress by a renowned designer would no longer look perfect because she had chosen to sit down in an ungraceful manner. Her eyes glanced briefly at the wall where the clock was. There were still ten minutes before the event began, and Juliette didn’t know what Robbin was planning regarding their engagement-let alone the lie she had told Robbin two days ago about her pregnancy. Remembering that made Juliette roll her eyes; even if she were genuinely pregnant, she would never allow her child to know who their father was. She didn’t want to ruin her child’s innocence if she really was carrying Robbin’s blood.
Her body suddenly tensed, and her head snapped up, her sad eyes focusing on the door as she heard the sound of a critical turning. Juliette quickly pushed aside all the thoughts spinning in her head and looked at Robbin as he walked into the room. She studied Robbin’s appearance from top to bottom, still unable to believe that a man as handsome and intelligent as him could have such a dark heart. For the party, Robbin wore an Armani tuxedo, a bow tie, and leather shoes that cost a fortune.
He had also shaved, as the light stubble she had seen earlier that morning was now gone, making him look younger and more attractive. His hair was neatly styled with hair gel. A classic Rolex watch encircled his wrist, and a pin with the De Lavigne family crest adorned his jacket lapel. It was over the top, but since the De Lavigne family was influential, it wasn’t surprising to see the pin. Juliette even recalled that the late Anthony had a cane with a lion’s head on the handle, symbolizing the De Lavigne family’s power.
Rich people-Juliette would never understand their way of thinking.
Robbin stopped and stood in front of Juliette, then reached out to stroke her cheek as she sat stiffly on the edge of the bed. For a moment, they gazed into each other’s eyes, both trying to guess what the other was thinking. Still, it didn’t last long as Robbin’s gaze shifted to Juliette’s exposed body, his eyes narrowing. “Why is the top of your dress open?”
“I don’t know. You were the one who asked Miss Sarah to make the best dress for me, and she simply followed your request. Besides, she saw what design suited me.” Juliette patted the skirt of her gown and added casually, “I think your wish came true; this dress looks perfect on me.”
“I don’t like seeing parts of your body exposed.” Robbin then asked Juliette to stand and spin, showing off the entire dress she was wearing. “And your back is exposed too.”
“You’ll just have to deal with it. I can’t change dresses in…” Juliette glanced again at the clock on the wall.
“… five minutes.” Robbin pressed his lips into a thin line. He couldn’t deny what Juliette said since there were only five minutes left before the event started, but that didn’t mean he was happy about it. “Why did you come? Aren’t we supposed to meet in front of the ballroom?”
Robbin slipped one hand into his pocket and pulled Juliette toward him, causing her to stumble-since she was forced to wear relatively high heels-and crash into Robbin’s warm, broad chest. Juliette’s breath caught, and she swallowed nervously. “Robby, what are you doing?”
“You made a promise to me.” Robbin paused. The hand that had been in his pocket moved to caress Juliette’s flat stomach.
“We’re going to have your pregnancy checked tomorrow.” Then Robbin hugged Juliette tightly and hissed in anger, “Damn Christian! How dare he hide something this important from me? If he wasn’t under Uncle William’s protection and already back in London, I would have dealt with him.”
Christian wasn’t under Robbin’s grasp? That meant William had saved Christian before it was too late from Robbin’s cruelty. “Christian? He’s back in London, didn’t you-”
“Silence, Kitten.” Robbin sharply interrupted her.
“I don’t want to talk about that bastard who stabbed me in the back.” Then Robbin looked at Juliette with suspicion.
“I didn’t expect my clever cousin would help you.”
“He didn’t want to leave me in the dark forever. I begged him to help me. Don’t blame him, blame me.” Juliette spoke sincerely, though part of what she said was a lie. But what else could she do? She didn’t want Christian to become the target of Robbin’s wrath.
“Robbin… soon, you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted.”
“You’re right.” Robbin leaned down and kissed Juliette’s forehead and lips.
“Tomorrow, we’ll see my love growing inside you.” Juliette winced inwardly at Robbin’s words, and with a forced smile, she agreed with him. At least now, she realized that forced happiness was difficult to display and share with others.
“I’m going to be a father,” Robbin whispered with emotion.
After the brief conversation and after ensuring that Juliette was okay, Robbin left the room, leaving Juliette alone once again. Her thoughts returned to the conversation from two days ago.
…