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Book:Surrender to the Don's Embrace Published:2024-11-9

MILLIE
It was pointless to deny his physical power. Even if I screamed, nobody would come to help. Many in our families might even hold me down to make it easier for him, not that he needed any help. “You could,” I admitted, “and I would hate you for it forever.”
He smirked. “Do you think I care about that? This isn’t a marriage of love. And you already hate me. It’s evident in your eyes.”
He was right on both accounts. There was no love here, and I already despised him, but hearing him say it crushed the last glimmer of hope within me. I remained silent.
“You heard what my father said about our tradition?” Gio gestured at the bed with squeaky clean sheets, a somber look on his face.
I felt a chill run down my spine, but I tried to push it out of my mind. “Yes, I heard,” I replied, my voice trembling slightly. I approached the bed, staring down at the sheets, dreading what was to come.
Gio came up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the tears, but they started to fall anyway. His touch offered little comfort. “Don’t cry,” he whispered, his voice tense.
I wiped my tears away, trying to regain some composure. “I can’t help it. This tradition is sick,” I said, my voice shaky.
He turned me to face him, his cold eyes scanning my tear-streaked face. “I know, but there’s nothing we can do to escape it,” he replied, his frustration evident.
As I gazed at him, I couldn’t stop the fear from bubbling up inside me. “Can’t we at least try to change it somehow?” I pleaded.
Gio’s expression hardened, and he stepped back, clenching his fists. “I wish we could, but it’s not that simple. This tradition has been around for generations,” he said bitterly.
Desperation washed over me, and I took a step back, considering making a run for it. But I knew there was no point; I wouldn’t get far. His family’s influence reached far and wide. He noticed my hesitation and took off his vest, revealing a knife and gun holster.
My heart raced as I watched him, the knife glinting menacingly. I couldn’t tell if he meant to harm me or not. “Gio, please,” I implored, trying to keep my voice steady.
But he surprised me. He cut his own arm, letting blood drip into a glass. My confusion grew as I observed his actions. He then smeared the blood on the bedsheet. “They want blood, so they’ll get blood,” he said, his voice cold.
I couldn’t hold back my curiosity. “Why the water?” I asked.
“Blood doesn’t always look the same,” he replied cryptically.
I was torn between fear and fascination. “Is it enough blood?” I wondered aloud.
“Do you expect a blood bath? It’s sex, not a knife fight,” he scoffed, giving me a wry smile.
His words were chilling, but I knew better than to challenge him openly. “What about a DNA test?” I asked, trying to think of any way to escape this torment.
He laughed darkly. “They’ll take my word for it. No one will question me,” he asserted, a hint of arrogance in his tone.
I took a step back, feeling his eyes scrutinizing me. He seemed to notice my fear and became more aggressive. “Don’t shy away from me,” he warned, holding the knife in his hand.
I tried to stand my ground, but his presence overwhelmed me. “I can’t help it,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.
He sighed, his expression softening just slightly. “It’s tradition in our family to undress the bride like this,” he said, the tiniest hint of regret in his voice.
I felt a mixture of relief and apprehension. His family’s traditions were disturbing, but perhaps there was a flicker of humanity left in him. Nevertheless, the weight of this disturbing night hung heavy in the air, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that our lives had changed irreversibly.
Finally, I stood before Gio, dressed in a tight white corset with laces in the back and bow-adorned panties. Goosebumps covered my body as his intense gaze met mine. I hesitated, drawing back slightly.
“Seven,” he said softly.
My anger surged; I was tired of flinching away from him. “Maybe you should stop being so intimidating,” I retorted.
“Turn around,” he commanded.
Reluctantly, I obeyed, and as I felt the gentle tug on the bow holding my panties up, I couldn’t help but remember Gio’s stepmother’s words, unwelcome in my mind. ‘A present to unwrap. How could any man possibly resist?’
“You already bled for me,” I stammered, trying to distract him. “Please don’t.” The vulnerability in my voice bothered me; my father would disapprove. But in this world, women were expected to give without protest.
Gio remained silent, his knuckles brushing my skin as he raised the knife to my corset. I hurriedly pressed the corset against my chest to retain some sense of protection.
Suddenly, he wrapped his arm possessively across my chest, trapping my arm under his and gripping my shoulder, pressing me close. A hard object poked my lower back, and fear gripped me.
His lips brushed against my ear, and his words sent shivers down my spine. “Tonight you beg me to spare you, but one day you’re going to beg me to fuck you.” I silently vowed never to do such a thing.
“Don’t think because I don’t claim my rights tonight that you aren’t mine, Millie,” he continued. “No other man will ever have what belongs to me. You are mine.”
Nodding, I realized he wasn’t finished. His threats were chilling, and I knew he was capable of carrying them out. He stepped back as I hurriedly locked myself in the bathroom, seeking a futile sense of safety.
Examining myself in the mirror, I noticed my tear-streaked face and red eyes. I discarded the remnants of my corset and donned a nightgown left by the servants, although it left little to the imagination. Feeling exposed and vulnerable, I reentered the bedroom.
Gio, now half-drunk, stared at me and made a crude comment about my choice of attire. I flushed with embarrassment but remained silent, aware that any misstep could have severe consequences.
“Is it my stepmother’s influence?” he asked, referring to my outfit choice.
“I nodded simply,” I said, trying to maintain composure.
He put down his glass and rose. I couldn’t help but flinch, and his expression darkened.
“Why are you so jumpy?” he asked, his voice low and unsettling. Without waiting for a response, he walked past me and headed into the bathroom. I gasped as his arm brushed against mine, but he didn’t say a word.
As soon as the bathroom door closed, I released a harsh breath. Gathering my courage, I slowly approached the bed, my eyes fixated on the light red stain. Perching on the edge of the mattress, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Gio would come back out any moment.
Feeling overwhelmed, I lay down on the edge of the bed, turned on my side, and pulled the covers up to my chin. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to fall asleep soon and escape this nightmare. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of a long string of hellish days and nights to come.
After what felt like an eternity, the sound of running water in the bathroom ceased, and a few minutes later, Gio emerged. I pretended to be asleep, trying to steady my breathing. Peeking through half-closed eyes, I saw him only wearing black briefs. It was intimidating, to say the least, as his muscular form was covered in scars and tattoos.
Gio walked over to the main light switch and plunged the room into darkness. It felt eerie, like I was alone in the darkness of a forest, with something lurking nearby. The bed dipped under his weight, and I couldn’t help but clutch the edge, my heart pounding.
I pressed my lips together, trying to suppress my emotions, but the weight of the past weeks, even years, crashed down on me. Helplessness, fear, anger, and disappointment swirled inside me. My father had betrayed me, offering me to this dangerous man to secure his power.
Tears streamed down my face, and I sobbed quietly into the pillow. Suddenly, Gio’s cold voice cut through the darkness, “Will you cry all night?”
Terrified, I buried my face deeper into the pillow, but I couldn’t stop the sobs from escaping.
He continued, “Maybe I should fuck you to give you a real reason to cry.”