Thorne residence ..
Valerie felt suffocation. Her heart pounded in her chest, matching the fury in her eyes as she stared down Raven Blackwood.
The man standing before her was calm and unbothered, exuded the very darkness she felt enveloping her life.
“I am not marrying you, Raven,” Valerie spat, her voice thick with defiance.
Raven was unphased as he tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a mockery of a smile. “Sweetheart, you don’t have a choice here.” His tone was almost patronizing, as if he were speaking to a child throwing a tantrum.
Valerie’s eyes flared with rage. “Why the hell won’t you just leave me alone? What do I have to do to get you out of my life?”
Raven took a slow step forward, his gaze unwavering. “Sure,” he drawled. “I’ll stay away. I won’t marry you.”
Valerie froze, her heart skipping a beat as a fleeting sense of relief washed over her.
Could it be true?
Was he actually giving in?
But then, as quickly as hope appeared, it vanished.
Raven continued, his voice as smooth as silk, but there was an edge of menace in his voice. “That is… if you can handle the mess you’re in.”
The weight of his words hit her like a brick.
She sighed heavily, sinking onto the couch, her hands gripping the edges of her skirt. “I can handle it, Raven. Just… stay away from me.” Her voice was quieter now, strained with exhaustion.
Raven shook his head, his eyes narrowing. “What is your problem, Valerie?”
She glared at him, the venom in her gaze returning. “You are my problem, Raven! You and everything you stand for!” Her hands balled into fists in her lap, knuckles white with tension.
He stood over her now, his figure casting a long shadow in the dimly lit room. “I don’t have the time to deal with your tantrums right now. Be ready tomorrow.”
Valerie’s frustration boiled over, and in a moment of blind fury, she grabbed a nearby flower pot and hurled it at the floor.
It shattered on impact, the sharp sound echoing through the room like a gunshot. She stood up, her chest heaving as she glared at Raven.
In an instant, Raven was on her, his hand gripping her chin tightly, forcing her to meet his cold, unflinching gaze.
His touch was firm, bordering on painful. “Don’t start this with me,” he warned, his voice low and dangerous.
Valerie’s lip trembled, but she didn’t back down. “I will never be your wife, Raven Blackwood.”
Raven’s eyes darkened, but instead of anger, a twisted amusement flickered in his expression. “Calm down, Val. It’s just a contract marriage. After everything’s done, you’ll be free to go your own way, and I’ll go mine.”
Valerie scoffed. “I don’t even like the idea of being in a contract marriage with you.”
He shrugged as if it meant nothing to him. “Neither do I.” And with that, he released her chin and turned to leave.
She watched as he strode toward the door, his cold demeanor intact.
Before he stepped out, he paused and addressed his assistant, Eliot, who had been waiting just outside. “Keep an eye on her. If she tries to run, you’ll be responsible.”
With that, Raven disappeared, leaving Valerie standing in the wreckage of her own defiance. The shattered pieces of the flower pot scattered across the floor seemed to mirror her own broken sense of control.
Once she was alone, her legs gave out beneath her, and she collapsed back onto the couch, breathing heavily.
She grabbed her phone, her hands trembling as she scrolled through her contacts.
She needed help. She couldn’t do this alone. Her thumb hovered over her best friend, Elara’s name, and she pressed the call button. The phone rang, the tension building with each unanswered ring.
Finally, a voice came through on the other end. “Valerie? What’s going on?” Elara’s voice was casual, but there was an underlying hint of concern.
“Babe, I need your help,” Valerie said, her voice cracking. The vulnerability in her tone was something she rarely showed to anyone, but now, she had no choice.
Elara’s tone shifted immediately. “What happened now?”
Valerie exhaled shakily, her eyes darting to the door as if Raven could walk back in at any moment. “I need to get the hell out of here, Elara. I can’t marry him. I won’t marry him.”
The line went quiet for a moment. Elara’s hesitation was palpable. “Val, you’re playing with fire. Raven’s not someone you can just go against. He’s… he’s terrifying. Going against him won’t end well.”
Valerie’s anger flared again, this time directed at her best friend. “So what? You want me to just sell myself to him, huh? Is that what you’re saying? That I should just give in and let him control my life?”
Elara sighed heavily. “Of course not. But you have to think about what you’re up against. Raven isn’t some run-of-the-mill businessman, Val. He’s dangerous. You know what he’s capable of.”
“I don’t care what he’s capable of!” Valerie snapped. “I’m not going to let him control me. I’d rather die than be his wife.”
There was another pause on the other end of the line before Elara spoke again, her voice softer now. “Okay. I’ll come over. We’ll figure something out.”
Valerie exhaled in relief, but the fear gnawing at the edges of her mind refused to dissipate. She knew what kind of man Raven Blackwood was. He wasn’t the type to let anything.. or anyone.. slip through his fingers once he’d set his sights on them.
And right now, Valerie was his target.
After hanging up, Valerie tossed the phone aside and leaned back on the couch, her mind racing. She didn’t have much time.
The wedding was supposed to happen tomorrow, and if she didn’t find a way out of this, she knew Raven would follow through with every threat he’d made.
She shivered at the thought, her mind replaying the look in his eyes when he had grabbed her chin. Cold, calculating, and utterly indifferent to her pleas.
She wasn’t just up against a man with power. She was up against a man who believed he owned her.
The clock was ticking, and Valerie knew she had to act fast. Because once Raven decided something, he wouldn’t stop until it was done.
And if she didn’t escape tonight, tomorrow she’d find herself trapped in a contract marriage to a man who saw her as nothing more than a pawn in his dangerous game,