This couldn't be happening to me!
The maid's voice continued to ring in my ears as I dumped the dress in the fancy box it had come in and stormed out of there. My legs were taking me to Devin's room, my pulse slamming in my neck with uncontrollable fury.
I rapped on his bedroom door harshly. He did not deserve any polite knocking, not when he'd sprung something like this onto me with no warning.
I wouldn't let this go without a valid explanation.
And there was no way in hell that I would ever marry Devin Montgomery.
I heard a soft command to come inside.
I stepped inside the room and instantly regretted it. Devin was sprawled half-naked on the bed, the other half-covered with a comforter looking like some rare painting hanging in a museum. He had two completely naked women on either side of the massive bed. On his right was a brunette with hair so curly and unruly, it looked like a bird's nest. The woman on his left was a blonde, both of them exceptionally beautiful with curvy bodies. They could have been models or some actresses from Hollywood.
Either way, I didn't care. I was too appalled for words. On many occasions, I'd seen women come and leave the estate as they wished, and I'd been a curious onlooker, wondering if they were Devin's business associates or perhaps some friends. Never had I imagined it was something of this nature.
Not that it was any of my business to be nosy where Devin was concerned, but it was quite clear that this wasn't a onetime thing; it was part of his leisurely routine.
"Good Morning, Millie. What a pleasant surprise, darling. Care to join the party? We have room for one more." He said sheepishly in a lazy drawl, and the insolent bastard had the gall to smirk at me while doing that.
I ignored his teasing and slammed the box on the dresser. "I'm sorry to intrude, Devin. Perhaps I'll come back at another time when you're fully dressed and without company."
He chuckled, "Don't be so formal now, my dear, not when we are about to be family soon."
Anger was bubbling inside my blood like a volcanic eruption. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
The girls took that as a signal to pick up their discarded clothing from the floor and some draped on the rich looking gold-rimmed chaise by the open doors to the balcony. They didn't seem to mind their nudity in my presence, as if walking around naked in front of strangers was as common as serving guests their coffee.
When the girls were completely dressed, they each kissed Devin on his cheek and he, in return, whispered something in their ears that made them giggle, obviously something raunchy that I didn't even wish to listen to.
"Will see you soon, my loves. Help yourselves to breakfast downstairs." He drawled, and that earned him flying kisses.
"We will." The two said in unison.
I rolled my eyes.
The girls smiled and greeted me before leaving the room and shutting the door behind me.
Devin was still sprawled on the bed between those disgustingly expensive-looking navy blue silk bed sheets. He looked everything like an aristocratic debauched lord of the manor that liked to dabble in liquor and women.
He rang for a maid who came scurrying into the room within minutes of being summoned and wheeled in a breakfast fit for a king.
Must be nice to be so stinkingly wealthy, you could even hire people to keep your slippers by your feet.
Thankfully, he kept the silk sheets draped around his waist as he climbed to his feet to make his way to the bathroom. He turned around to look at me. "I'll be out in a few minutes, and you can have some of this food in the meantime. Georgina always sends breakfast for a dozen."
He dropped the silk sheets before entering his bathroom, giving me a full view of his backside. I looked away instantly. I had reasons to believe Devin did that on purpose. The maid went back to work, making the bed, withdrawing the used sheets and replacing them with fresh ones, all the while ignoring me while I sat there, which suited me just fine considering that I was in no mood for an idle chat.
Devin walked out of the steaming bathroom moments later, dressed in denim jeans, no shirt. Winston walked inside the room and began helping Devin dress up. Only after he was completely dressed (most of the dressing done by the servants, I might add), did he sit down to breakfast.
I showed him the box with the wedding dress inside. "What's this?" I demanded, crossing my arms across my chest.
He sipped his coffee, his emerald eyes dancing with amusement. He found immense pleasure in seeing me in discomfort. "I'm sure you have perfectly capable pair of eyes that can distinguish what's inside the box, or have you turned blind in a matter of hours?"
His sarcasm was getting on my nerves. "Yes, Mr. Montgomery, I have eyes to see what's inside the box, which is what I need your clarification for. Why am I being told that I will be married off to you by evening? I don't remember agreeing to something like that."
He chuckled like he'd heard the best joke ever and picked a bowl of fruit salad. "You should be happy that you'd be living every woman's dream. As you may have realized, you'll be married into our family, bearing our last name, which will bring nothing but privilege to you. You get to live in this mansion, enjoy the luxuries the name brings you, and in return, you are to only play wife. What I don't understand, Millie, is what's all this fuss is about?"
"I did not sign up for this!" I snapped at him. "I will not marry you...you...disgusting piece of—"
"If I were you, I'd watch that mouth before it runs off and causes more damage, damages that you will pay for."
I was shaking and not with fear but my instinct to murder this man and I wanted to scream at him, maybe even take that fork from the tray in front of him and stab him with it. But I did no such thing as I remembered the torment they had put me through, but I'd kill myself before I cry in front of Devin and give him something else to derive sadistic pleasure from.
"Doesn't it matter to you what I want?" I asked.
"It doesn't." He said with indifference. "If you want, I can ask the guards to open the gates for you right now and you'll be out of here, completely free."
"You would?" I asked.
"Yes, you will be out of here in a coffin." He smiled, "On the bright side, your anklet comes off." He laughed, spreading some butter over his toast.
That left me with little choice. Either I could marry Devin or die.
And I refused to die at the hands of this sick family.
He was still smiling as he extended his hand towards me in an invitation. "Come closer."
I shook my head.
His eyebrow was raised in question, like I would dare say no to his request. He grasped my hand and pulled me towards him, and I landed right in his lap. I gasped and tried to get up, but he tightened his hold over my body. Softly, he whispered in a silky voice, "Marrying me wouldn't be so bad. You'd love it, I promise." his fingers caressed my cheek, making my skin crawl. "I'm just thinking of all the things I'd do to you once you're mine." He licked my earlobe.
I just sat there frozen, feeling like this was all a bad dream and hoping I'd wake up. Suddenly, he pushed me off his lap gently and playfully swatted my ass. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my lovely fiancé, so I can go about my duties. I'll be looking forward to this evening."
* ~ *
I'd cried long and hard in the bathroom that afternoon. This felt worse than a nightmare. Devin was a monster that I didn't want to marry, and it didn't help that I kept thinking of the things that he would do to me once I was his wife.
My future consisted of being trapped on this estate surrounded by servants who were trapped or obliged to the family. They would never talk about the atrocities if I found myself in situations where I was being harassed. As my husband, he'd use me in every way possible, would never be faithful to me, and I'd be stuck in a marriage with a man I didn't love.
I went to Castle's room to find him, to see if I could tell him what Devin planned to do and hoped that he'd listen to me and stand against his younger brother, but I couldn't find Castle anywhere. He didn't even have a phone so I could call him, and that killed my last hope. I couldn't ask anything of Theo, not when he was almost in the same position that I was, with the exception that he was trapped by his own family. It was unlikely that Devin would even listen to his seventeen-year-old brother, and I didn't want to give the kid any trouble.
I went back to my room in resignation. Penelope and Sally dressed me up in the wedding gown; they pulled on the back laces tightly, helped with my makeup, and styling my hair like they were pro. I remained numb to everything, my insides screaming at me to run.
Run, but where?
Part of me wondered if I could slit my wrist and end this, but I imagined the heartache that would cause Castle if saw me that way, and I'd promised him I'd make him better, that I'd help him remember his past. Even if I married the devil that was Devin, I wouldn't stop what I started.
I wore my shoes and decided to face the ugly reality. I was looking into the mirror, and although I looked beautiful in the bride's dress, all I felt inside was dread.
Chandler walked into the room a minute later dressed in a tux, holding a bridal bouquet that he handed over to me. "Millie, it's time."
I stood up and stepped out of the room, walking downstairs towards the fate awaited me.
* * *
If you enjoyed reading please Like and Comment your thoughts below.