Bound by Betrayal (The Mafia King Captive Bride)

Ashley’s POV:

I was in the middle of a deep slumber when morning arrived. Unaware of my surroundings, the sound of the door opening and someone entering went unnoticed.

Though I heard the faint sound of footsteps echoing on the cold tiles, growing louder until they came to a halt. Suddenly, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. I let out a sigh and brushed it off, thinking it was just a figment of my imagination or perhaps part of a dream.

“Ma’am, please wake up,” a soft, feminine voice whispered gently beside my ear. The words slowly registered in my sleepy mind, and I reluctantly let out a groan in my sleep, still not fully awake. Despite the gentle urging, I remained in the comforting embrace of slumber.

I heard her plea, “Ma’am, it’s already morning, you need to wake up.” But I simply let out a dismissive sigh and stubbornly pulled the duvet over myself, determined to prolong my cozy sleep.

“Please Ma’am, sir Damien wants you downstairs for breakfast,”

As she uttered the name “Sir Damien,” my eyes snapped open, momentarily blinded by the harsh sunlight streaming through the open windows. I quickly shut my eyes again, shielding them from the brightness.

I waited for a moment, allowing my eyes to adjust to the light before opening them again. As soon as I did, a rush of memories from last night flooded my mind, causing a strange twist in my heart.

The events of last night, the sight of those men’s bloody wounds at the back of the warehouse, and their agonizing screams before they died… It’s been haunting me all night. The images just keep replaying in my head. It’s hard to shake off, you know? It gives me the chills when I think about it. I mean, I thought after seeing how I was last night, he would at least want to spend some time with me. But no, as soon as we stepped into that creepy building he called home, he just discarded me like I was nothing. It’s so frustrating and hurtful.

How foolish I could be? I can’t believe I was so blind to think that all those crazy stunts we pulled at the party, his possessiveness, kisses, and sweet words were actually real. It’s like he was playing some twisted game, and I fell right into his trap. I was so scared and alone last night, that I couldn’t even keep track of when I fell asleep.

I stared up at the ceiling, feeling the pain welling up inside me. Tears were starting to fill my eyes, when suddenly, a voice came from behind, completely catching me off guard. “Are you okay, ma’am?”

I sharply sat up and immediately regretted it. My whole body hurts like crazy. I think it’s because of how I cradled myself while sleeping last night. The fear in my mind must have made me tense up. “Ahh… Hmm,” I groaned.

“Are you hurt, ma’am?” I looked up to see Emily, the head maid, standing there.

She seems young and a bit timid. I wonder how she is coping with staying in the midst of these blood-sucking demons. She rushed over and held my hand, helping me sit upright to avoid any more pain. I smiled as I held her hand and said, “Thank you, I’m fine. But what brings you here so early in the morning?”

“The master requested your presence downstairs for breakfast,” she said, smiling at me. I gasped in surprise and replied, “Downstairs?!

Damien has been pretty clear about not wanting me to invade his private space ever since I arrived. I usually have my breakfast after he finishes or upstairs in my room. So, why would he suddenly want to see me in the dining room? Is he suggesting that we start eating together or maybe… he feels bad about what happened last night? It’s hard to say, but it definitely makes me curious!

You know, it’s possible that Damien might have felt something between us last night too, right? There are so many questions swirling in my mind too. Each one seems more impossible than the last.

“Alright, I’ll just use the restroom real quick. I’ll be there in less than five minutes,” I said. Emily nodded and quickly excused herself, leaving me alone once again in the room that looked like a formidable space in the building.

Letting out a sigh, I managed to drag myself out of bed and make my way to the restroom. After taking care of my business, I mustered up the courage to head towards the dining room. I won’t deny that I felt a bit scared, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel curious about what awaited me there.

As I closed the door behind me, I stepped out into the hallway. “Good morning, ma’am,” The guards standing nearby greeted me and I nodded with a warm smile acknowledging their presence.

My room is just a few meters away from Damien’s, which was supposed to be our matrimonial room. Honestly, I’m relieved that we’re not sharing the same compartment because that devil scares the crap out of me sometimes. To get to the dining room quickly, I knew I had to take the shortest route, which meant passing by the front of Damien’s room. My heart was pounding as I approached his door. Taking a deep breath, I held it in anticipation. Since he asked me to meet him downstairs, there was a good chance he wouldn’t be in his room right now. With that thought in mind, I started walking.

Just as I was walking past Damien’s room, I heard a deep voice beside me. I instinctively looked to my left and realized that the voice was coming from his room. “Is everything in place?” I heard him ask.

With curiosity getting the best of me, I confidently walked towards his door. Luckily, the door wasn’t fully locked, so I slowly twisted the handle and pushed it open, all while my heart pounded in my chest. Peeking inside, I saw Damien dressed in a sharp blue tuxedo, engrossed in a conversation on his phone. He seemed completely focused, unaware of the cracking sound the door made or my presence.

“Okay,” I heard him say. I couldn’t help but wonder what he was up to. I eagerly waited, hoping to catch snippets of his conversation over the phone. But just as he was about to speak again, someone called out my name, causing me to jump in surprise.

I spun around forcefully and was suddenly face-to-face with a puzzled Emily. “Oh, hey Emily,” I managed to force a smile and swiftly closed the door.

She raised a brow at me, her gaze trailing from my hand which was still on the door handle. I quickly pulled it back with a rueful smile, realizing my mistake. Her eyes returned to me, and she said with a gentle smile, brushing off my earlier suspicious behavior. “I forgot to ask you what you’d like to eat this morning,”

“Hmm… Anything,” I smiled at her, eager to move away and escape the embarrassment I had caused myself. I quickly started striding away, wanting to put some distance between us.

*******

Sitting on the dining chair, I’ve been waiting for Damien for almost five hours, and he still hasn’t shown up. What’s he up to this time? Who’s he on the call with? What could be so important that he hasn’t come down for breakfast yet?

So many questions were swirling in my head, making my eyebrow twitch in concern as Emily walked in with a tray of food. She slowly placed it in front of me and stepped aside. I glanced across the table and noticed that I was the only one served. I looked at Damien’s spot, wondering where he could be.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it as she noticed the look on my face. “Master left for work four hours ago,” she said, providing an explanation

I sharply snapped my head at her in bewilderment. “Wait, didn’t you say Damien wanted to see me? Why did you say he left four hours ago? I’ve been waiting for him this whole time!” I exclaimed, feeling frustrated and confused.

Seeing the scared look on her face, I let out a sigh, trying to calm myself. “What… are you talking about?” I managed to ask, my voice filled with confusion and concern.

“He had already left for work,” she replied politely. “But what about his breakfast?” I pointed toward the tray of food in front of me, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment.

“Sorry, ma’am, but Master has already eaten early in the morning. This one is only for you,” she blurted out, and I felt my heart ache.

He didn’t even care to know how I was feeling this morning. If I slept well last night? Or at least see my face? In fact, even if he’s disgusted by my presence… he should at least pretend and act like he cares!

I am a damn human with emotions!! He should stop treating me like I’m worth nothing.

Forcing out a smile, I swallowed hard and turned to face her. “But you said that he wanted to see me,” I stammered, not sure how to sound.

“Yes, but he seemed to be in a hurry so…..”

“So,” I interrupted her. “He left a message,” she muttered.

And that’s when I slowly raised a brow at her, thinking, “Wait, what?” I sputtered. But her next words caught me off guard. “He instructed that once you’re done with your breakfast, the driver should drive you to the office.”