**

Some scenes may be harsh to read in this chapter.

I let my body surrender in his hold as I was too caught up with my thoughts. Adrian opened the door to the passenger seat of his car and pushed me inside lightly. He quickly shut the door on my side and skipped his way over to the drivers seat.

I buckled my seat belt as I stared out of the window, tears gushing down my face. Adrian started the engine of the car and soon drove off to god knows where.

I was scared, my hands were shaking and silent whimpers left my mouth. He drove through a dark alleyway, powered by the dark shade of the sky.

He is going to do it again. God help me, don't let him get to me like last time.

———

~~12 years ago~~

Third person POV.

A scream echoed through the night as two people dragged a little girl like a rag doll through a narrow alley that was located a few yards away from an estate of buildings.

The girl had no idea of what was happening, but she did know that she was being beaten by one attacker while the other one was on a cautious look out for any witnesses.

"Please let me go!" The girl cried as she collapsed onto the ground, a piece of ripped duct tape clinging onto her cheek. "Shut up! The more you shout, the more I'll punish you." The attacker yelled and stepped on the girl's throat. The girl gagged and struggled to breathe.

The second person watched the scene in horror. Even though he never wanted to be a part of this sick game with his friend, he still had to. He didn't want to be called a loser at school, especially amongst his friends.

"Christy, maybe you should stop." He whisper yelled while looking at the poor girl on the ground struggling for her life.

He felt guilty.

Ignoring him, Christy glared at the girl that struggled under her throat, feeling no remorse. "Fake bit*hes don't deserve birthdays." She increased the pressure on the girl's throat and the girl was loosing her sight. No matter how much she fought and tried to escape, it never worked.

How would she escape when there was no escape?

"Please help me A-Addie." The girl croaked before she lost consciousness and fell limp on the ground.

———

I was very close to scream, but instead I flinched when I felt his supple fingers wipe my tears away delicately. I turned my head sideways to see his gaze set on the road ahead as he retreated his hand from my face. I felt tingles down my neck.

My emotions were turning with distaste, disagreeing with my mind and my thoughts. I furrowed my eyes then closed them. I couldn't take this. I couldn't endure his presence.

"We'll be stopping for dinner at a restaurant nearby to discuss the contract." He spoke. I didn't nod but I kept my eyes closed and leaned back into the seat.

Before I could even acknowledge, I was fast asleep.

———

I felt something nudge my shoulder. I hummed and rustled to my side a bit. Warm hands pushed a strand of my hair behind my ears. I was well awake by then. I opened my eyes but they fluttered, adjusting to the lighting. I looked around confused, as to where I was.

"You slept throughout the car ride here." I turned my face to my right and saw Adrian holding my door open. I gulped and rubbed my eyes tiredly as my vision was fuzzy. Adrian held my arm and pulled me out of the car. I shivered as the usual cold air contacted my warm skin.

Once Adrian had locked his car, he gestured me to follow him. As he walked towards a building ahead of us, which I was assuming a restaurant, I noticed its features. It was a tall building and lights glowing on the outside.

It looked fancy. I hadn't been to a restaurant anytime recently.

We both made it to the reception and I looked around while Adrian signed us in for the table he had booked earlier. I probably appeared like a lost puppy since I studied the restaurant carefully.

The interior of the restaurant was grand. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The carpet was red, and decorated. The walls were painted in a royal gold colour. And several glass vases that withheld flowers were situated around as decor.

"Are you coming?" Adrian's voice boomed behind me. I spun around and nodded my head. He walked through large double doors, while I followed him to our table.

I sat in my chair while Adrian sat opposite to me. Our table was located beside a wall that had a beautiful painting hung on it. I admired the painting as we sat in silence. The table had a small, glass vase that held a bundle of roses. There were a lot of people in this restaurant, even if it was almost nine in the evening.

Soft music was playing in the background and the clinks of glasses or quiet chats were heard from other tables.

I felt something burning holes on the side of my face so I turned my face from the painting and realized that Adrian was staring intensely at me. I lowered my gaze, his gaze terrified me.

"Why didn't you text me when I asked you where you where?" He asked me before raising a glass of water towards his lips and taking a sip. I shrugged and gazed at him confusedly.

What was he talking about?

Adrian raised one of his eyebrows and spoke again. "You didn't get my texts or calls? Your parents notified me your location." I thought for a moment.

My parents told him where I was? Wait... was he the unknown number that called me?

Realization hit me and I shook my head to answer his question. I didn't know it was him who called me so I lied that I never received any texts from him. Adrian nodded and sighed, changing the topic. "Right, anyway, what were you doing at a hospital?"

My eyes widened, I had no clue what to say.

Why was he asking me questions when he knew that I wouldn't answer him? I remained quiet and brushed my hair over my shoulder nervously.

Adrian's eyes wandered over to my exposed neck and narrowed. "What is that? On your neck?" He pointed at my neck while a frown appeared upon his face.

I hurriedly pushed my hair back to it's prior spot. He saw the scar on my neck I got from my stepdad when I wouldn't sign the contract. I shook my head and rubbed my hands together. If he manages to ask my parents or Christy about this, I would be dead.

He opened his mouth to talk but before that happened, a waiter stopped at our table. The waiter, aged in his late teens flashed us a smile and pulled out his notepad. "Good evening, I'm Will, and I will be your waiter today. Can I take your orders please?" He asked.

I never saw the menu so I was confused on what to order. The waiter eagerly glanced between Adrian and me waiting for our orders. I chewed on my fingers not understanding what to do.

"I'll have the... chicken salad along with the pasta please." Adrian said and the waiter wrote down his order, then turned to me.

"And you, mis-" But before he could complete his question Adrian cut him off. "She'll have the same as me." The waiter smiled and told us that he'll be back with our orders in a bit, then left our table.

I heard Adrian clear his throat, awkwardly. "So... the wedding..." he drifted off and I stilled. I didn't want to marry a monster. "It's due to be held in about... two months," He sighed while speaking. I could feel tears well up in my eyes as he continued. "And my mother suggested that she would design your wedding dress."

Mrs Hayes is a tailor. She would've made me try her new dress designs when I was a child. It was fun, as her work was always beautiful. That must of been why she offered to design my soon-to-be wedding dress.

A few minutes passed by of silence, only the music can be heard.

"Violet." I froze when his hand suddenly covered mine. I looked into his eyes that held many emotions within them, some I couldn't even unmask. Sadness, fear and guilt. "I'm sorry for everything that happened you know from..." he trailed off.

"I had no idea about this contract. My parents made it when we were young. I know you don't want to look at me, more marry me but if I could, I would back out of it but... I can't. That's why I was angry that day, I needed to show to my parents that you and I weren't willing to the contact."

A tear trailed its way down my cheek and to my chin. Why is this happening to me? When did I commit a mistake so bad that I should get treated like this? I lost my dad at a young age, I had to settle my life with evil people. My own mom hated me and I had to get married to a monster that betrayed me into thinking that he was a good person, but in reality, he was the total opposite.

I snatched my hand away from his and wiped my tears away waspishly. I couldn't cry in front of him. I couldn't be seen weak, especially by him. He ruined me before. He'll get satisfaction from my tears, just like my sister. No wonder they were best friends.

The waiter returned with our plates of food. I tucked into my food and ate it quickly, almost too quickly out of nervousness. I didn't even spare a glance at Adrian, I just savoured the divine food.

After we finished eating our dinner, Adrian called the waiter for the cheque. I looked into my bag and scrambled within my purse for money, that was if I had enough money. "What are you doing?" I heard Adrian ask as I found twenty dollars and pulled them out. I placed the money on the table and pushed it towards the cheque.

I sensed his eyes stuck onto my hands as I awkwardly retreated my hands to myself. Adrian shook his head and when I had a closer look at him, I saw his lips twitch up into a grin. "Ten dollars isn't going to pay for the entire bill." I shrugged as I felt my face heat up. Of course I was lacking money but at least I was willing to pay.

Adrian slipped money inside of the cheque and stood up from his seat. I stood up too with my bag and followed him to his car. He held the door open for me as I hesitantly nodded and hopped into the seat.

Adrian shut the door and jogged towards the driver's seat and got in as well. We both buckled our seatbelts and in no time, we were on the road.

The car halted as it entered the driveway of my house.

The house I lived in, not my home.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and opened my side door. I stepped out of the car as I planted my feet onto the ground. Before I could even comprehend, I felt a hand interlocking with mine and push me so that my back was resting on the car door. Sparks shot up my hand and I instantly shivered.

Adrian, who's hand was still interlocked with mine, looked at me with his sapphire blue eyes. "Mom said that she'll start designing the dress for you starting from the day after tomorrow... which also so happens to be Christmas Eve."

I saddened again thinking about it, the wedding. I still didn't want to get married to Adrian. He was the evil in my nightmares.

Why didn't my parents and his pick someone else to marry him instead, like Christy? They all knew what he and my sister did to me, although my parents still deny the fact that it was Christy's fault and blamed me for her actions and wrongdoing.

Then why did they want me to get married to Adrian?

They could just abandon me for all I know.

Something doesn't seem right. They're hiding something from me.

I couldn't help but ask why the contract was planned when Adrian and I were young. My parents wanted me to suffer in life and they probably thought that getting me married to Adrian, who they know terrifies me, would satisfy them. Maybe that was why.

A hand waved in front of me back and forth as I regained myself from my thoughts. I looked up at Adrian with a questionable look on my face as he responded. "You spaced out for a while... you okay?" I made no effort to make any sort of gesture and just stared at him with tired and dead eyes.

I envied the man who stood before me, asking if I was okay when I clearly wasn't after what he did to me.

"Adrian?" A chirpy voice interrupted us, I twirled myself around to come face to face with my most dreaded person.

Mom was wearing her huge jacket that reached till her knees. She eagerly walked down from the front lawn of our house. "Adrian, how are you?" Mom ignored me as she engulfed Adrian into a hug. Adrian scrunched his face up in a way that reflected sickening.

Adrian and Christy were the world for my mom and still are, I could tell. She never dared to care about me when I needed her support and protection, especially when dada died.

She was never there for me.

———

~~Flashback 17 years ago~~

The sound of my fresh cries dissolved into the silence of my empty room. I slid down the door of my room as I caressed the picture of my dada in my arms and sobbed. It had been two weeks since my dad had passed away and I felt terrible.

I told mom that I was scared and lonely, that I had no dada to play with. But mom just ignored my pleas and left me alone and unwanted.

Mom usually spent her time out shopping or either clubbing. One thing I knew was that she arrives home late at night and leaves me starving for food as I stay in the house all day with no care. She had recently been bringing a man over, his name was Mark. I didn't like him much, he seemed mean.

Mom hasn't been by my side to support me. Once dada died, all she could do is laugh and mock about his death.

I would often lock myself in my room and hide in there, incase mom was in a bad mood. She usually beat me when she was mad.

Mom was yelling at me for no reason today so I ran to my room and locked the door. Sometimes I would feel like passing out due to her hurting me.

I just want my dada back. I don't want mom, I want dada.

I gazed at the picture that I held in my hands. The picture was of my dada as he smiled and held me in his arms. I was two years old in it.

"I love you dada." I whispered softly to the picture. I felt as if my dada was beside me, watching me and comforting me, telling me everything's going to be alright.

But I knew that would never happen.

———

I came back to the reality of my unfortunate existence. "I haven't seen you in a while, how are you and your parents doing?" Mom asked Adrian. "They're doing good." he answered shortly, an unwilling emotion lacing his voice.

"Oh my, my. What are you doing here with this girl." Mom eyed me sideways, a venomous smirk playing on her lips, as she continued talking. "Disgraceful isn't it? I'm very unfortunate to have her."

I would've been very impaired by her words, but being insulted on a daily basis made me feel used to the torment. I could feel their glazing eyes on me, however I acted as if I heard nothing. Nothing insulting coming from my own mother.

"Anyways, what took you so long to drop her home? Was she any trouble to deal with? I'll have a word with her if." Mom chuckled. This wasn't any ordinary chuckle, it was a vicious one. "Of course not, Audrey. It's just that we got a little late, Violet seemed to be busy with her... boyfriend."

My eyes widened in shock and horror. I twisted my head around to mom and Adrian. I could feel the apoplectic radiating off mom. My heart pounded in terror.

Mom will kill me, Adrian shouldn't have said that!

Darcy and I were just friends.

I gulped in panic and trepidation. "I see. Well, I can't hold you here for any longer. Run along now. Have a good night." Mom muttered in a fake sugar coated voice.

She pranced towards me in a threatening way as her eyes burned me alive. Once she reached where I was standing, she dug her nails into the skin of my arm. It took everything in me not to yelp.

Adrian nodded his head slowly, as he watched me with his cold eyes. "I'll pick you up on the day after tomorrow, Violet." Mom hadn't taken her eyes off me as she gritted her teeth and spoke to me. "Come on Violet. We have much to discuss about."

Once again, I felt myself being dragged by the hair to a place where I equally thought of as hell. I was about to be punished and I knew it.

A single teardrop rolled down my cheek at the excruciating pain inflicted by my mom on my scalp. A soft cry escaped my lips as I caught a glimpse of Adrian. He just stared at me with a frown on his face.

I wanted to call out for his help so that I could escape from the abuse. But why would Adrian help me?

The last time I did, he showed no effort to do so. I wish he helped me back then from Christy. What could I do though, he refused to help me over his friendship.

He left me when I needed his help.

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