Alice's POV
I never thought my life would end like this.
I once dreamed of becoming something… someone.
A teacher. A dancer. Maybe even a writer.
But today… I am a prisoner in silk.
Dressed in a white gown that doesn't belong to me, I stand trembling in front of a man everyone fears—a man whose hands are stained with blood, yet the world calls him a king.
A mafia king.
I can hear my heart pounding louder than the wedding bells. My fingers tremble around the bouquet I never asked for. My lips ache from holding back the scream lodged in my throat.
"I don't want this..."
The words are trapped inside me.
I glance at the man beside me—Rafael Knight.
His name itself is enough to make people disappear.
He doesn't even look at me.
Cold. Ruthless. Heartless.
They say he burned down an entire rival gang for touching what was his.
Today, I became one of his possessions.
I swallow the lump in my throat as the priest speaks words that sound like chains to my ears. Every sentence feels like a knife cutting deeper into my skin.
"Do you, Alice Carter, take Rafael Knight as your lawfully wedded husband?"
I hesitate.
I feel my legs giving up.
But then I see my father. Standing at the back, head lowered in shame, debt heavier on his shoulders than his own daughter's future. He sold me to save himself.
I close my eyes.
Dreams are useless now.
"Yes..." My voice cracks. "I do."
The room is silent.
Rafael doesn't say a word. Not a vow. Not a promise. Only a cold, heavy silence as he slips the ring onto my finger like it's nothing more than a business deal.
As the ceremony ends and people rise, he finally leans in—his breath cold against my ear.
"You're mine now… whether you want it or not."
I feel my heart shatter.
That day didn't just change my life.
It ended it.