chapter 4

Petal's POVThe night was silent, save for the echo of my heartbeat pounding in my ears. How had I ended up here? The air in the room felt suffocating, the dim lighting casting ominous shadows on the walls. My face still burned from the sting of his slap, and my shoulder throbbed where his teeth had sunk into my flesh. My mind raced, desperate for answers, desperate for a way out. But the only thing that greeted me was the sinister smirk on Sebastian's face, a cruel reminder of the power he wielded.How did my life spiral into this? Everything had been fine—or so I thought. I had been preparing for graduation, dreaming of a quiet and independent life. My family was my world, and I had plans to make them proud. But Sebastian, with his overwhelming presence, had other plans. He had always been around—my family’s close friend, a charming yet enigmatic figure. I never paid much attention to him beyond the polite exchanges and casual meetings. I never realized he had been watching me, scheming, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.And strike he did.---The evening started like any other. I was in my room, sketching quietly, lost in my world. The knock on the door startled me. Before I could respond, Sebastian strode in with his usual arrogance, closing the door behind him with a finality that made my stomach churn. His sharp suit and perfectly groomed appearance were a stark contrast to the storm brewing in his eyes.“We need to talk,” he had said, his voice low but commanding. I hesitated, unsure of what he could possibly want from me. Before I could protest, he grabbed my arm and pulled me up from my chair. The force of his grip made me wince.“What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!” I yelled, struggling to free myself from his grasp. But he was unyielding, his strength a reminder of how powerless I was in that moment.“We are getting married after your graduation, mayflower,” he said, his voice cold and unrelenting.I froze. His words were like a blow, stealing the air from my lungs. “What the hell!” I yelled, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and fear. “I’m not fucking getting married to you, did you hear that?!” My voice rose, but the defiance only seemed to fuel his anger.“Don’t curse in front of me. It’s not ladylike,” he snapped, his teeth clenched as his eyes bore into mine.“Who the fuck are you to tell me how to talk? Get away from me, you bastard!” I screamed, thrashing in his hold. But my resistance only made things worse. His eyes darkened, a dangerous glint flashing in them as his grip tightened. The vein on his forehead pulsed with barely restrained rage. Before I could react, his hand shot out, the slap reverberating through the room. My head whipped to the side, the force of the blow leaving me stunned. Pain radiated from my cheek, but my pride hurt more.I tried to raise a hand to my stinging face, but his iron grip on my wrists prevented any movement. My tears blurred my vision as he forced me to look at him, his hand gripping my jaw with bruising force.“When I tell you to behave, you have to do it. And when I tell you to not use cursing words, then don’t. Did you get that?” he hissed, his voice dripping with menace. His nails dug into my skin, adding to the pain.“It hurts, Sebastian,” I managed to choke out, my voice trembling as tears streamed down my face.But my plea fell on deaf ears. He held me captive in his unrelenting gaze, his presence overwhelming and suffocating. I cried loudly, the sound echoing in the silence, but he didn’t back away. Instead, he hovered above me, his smirk returning as though my suffering amused him.“My parents won’t agree with you. They won’t marry me to you. You can’t do anything about this,” I said, trying to muster some semblance of bravery. My voice wavered, but I forced myself to meet his gaze, hoping to unnerve him.But instead of the shock or disappointment I expected, he laughed—a low, chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine. “My, my, my, how naïve of you, my little flower, to think that you can scare me,” he said, his tone mocking as he leaned closer.His laughter was haunting, a cruel melody that I couldn’t escape. Under different circumstances, I might have admired the rich timbre of his voice, the way his features softened when he smiled. But now, all I could see was the predator behind the mask.“They will willingly give your hand to me, and you are going to do that,” he declared with chilling certainty.“Why would I do that? Why would I dig my own grave?” I retorted, my voice barely above a whisper. His smirk widened, his confidence unshaken.“Yes, my darling, you will do that. If you don’t, then be ready to face the consequences,” he said, his voice laced with venom.My stomach dropped. “Wh-what consequences?” I stuttered, the fear in my voice betraying my attempt at defiance.He stared into my eyes, his expression cold and unfeeling. “If you don’t do what I say, then your father will lose his job. Your big brother abroad? I’ll make sure he loses his job and ends up in jail for visa violations. Your little brother will be kicked out of college. And your mother… well, she’ll lose her mind dealing with all this. Either way, I will marry you. It’s your choice.”His words struck me like a dagger, each threat cutting deeper than the last. “No, you won’t. You love my mom. You took her as your own sister,” I said desperately, grasping at straws.“Believe me when I say I will. As for my sister, yes, she’s like my own sister. But when it comes to you, you are my first priority,” he replied, his tone devoid of any emotion.“Why are you doing this? Why are you so adamant to marry me? You could have any girl—someone richer, someone more beautiful,” I said, tears streaming down my face.“I don’t want any whores who only want me for my money. I want you,” he said, his smirk never faltering.“Please don’t do this. I don’t want to marry you,” I pleaded, my voice breaking.“You don’t have a choice but to obey me, my flower,” he declared, his words sealing my fate.“But you are…” My voice trailed off, the words caught in my throat.“You are what? Complete the sentence, Petal,” he demanded, his tone dangerous.His words struck me like a dagger, each threat cutting deeper than the last. “No, you won’t. You love my mom. You took her as your own sister,” I said desperately, grasping at straws.“Believe me when I say I will. As for my sister, yes, she’s like my own sister. But when it comes to you, you are my first priority,” he replied, his tone devoid of any emotion.“Why are you doing this? Why are you so adamant to marry me? You could have any girl—someone richer, someone more beautiful,” I said, tears streaming down my face.“I don’t want any whores who only want me for my money. I want you,” he said, his smirk never faltering.“Please don’t do this. I don’t want to marry you,” I pleaded, my voice breaking.“You don’t have a choice but to obey me, my flower,” he declared, his words sealing my fate.“But you are…” My voice trailed off, the words caught in my throat.“You are what? Complete the sentence, Petal,” he demanded, his tone dangerous.I stayed silent, too afraid to answer. His eyes darkened further, his patience wearing thin. “I said, complete the fucking sentence!” he roared, his voice echoing in the room. When I didn’t respond, he leaned closer, his lips brushing against my shoulder as he slid the strap of my dress down. Before I could react, his teeth sank into my flesh, a sharp, searing pain ripping through me.I screamed, the sound raw and desperate. “P-please don’t do that. It hurts. Please let go,” I begged, tears streaming down my face. He licked the spot where he had bitten me, the sensation both soothing and sickening.“Then complete the sentence,” he said, his voice low and menacing as he pulled back.“I-I don’t want to marry you because you are…” My voice faltered, the fear choking me.Before I could finish, his lips crashed against mine in a brutal, punishing kiss. His hands roamed over my body, invading every inch of my personal space. The humiliation, the helplessness—it was too much to bear. My instincts took over, and I slapped him hard, the sound of my palm meeting his cheek breaking the tense silence.For a moment, the world stood still. His head turned slightly from the impact, but when he looked back at me, the rage in his eyes was enough to make my blood run cold.And that’s when I realized—there was no escape.----------------------------------------Let me tell you from the beginning how I ended up here, in his home, trapped in his bed, with everything spiraling out of control. My life was simple before him—quiet, uneventful, and filled with dreams of graduating, finding a job, and making my family proud. But that all changed the moment Sebastian D'Angelo decided I belonged to him.It started innocently enough, or so I thought. A few stolen glances, a casual conversation, and then the shift—the possessiveness in his eyes, the way his voice dropped an octave when he called me My flower. At first, I thought it was harmless, even flattering. But it wasn’t long before his attention became suffocating, his obsession consuming.He began orchestrating encounters, invading every part of my life. Every move I made, every step I took, I felt his shadow looming behind me. When I tried to pull away, to assert my independence, he tightened his grip. My rejection only fueled his madness, and now I’m here—forced into a nightmare I can’t escape, held captive by a man who claims to love me but doesn’t understand the meaning of the word.I should’ve seen the warning signs. I should’ve run. But now, it’s too late.