Sentenced to Marriage

Chapter 49

Aren shrugged out of his jacket and covered my shoulders before moving away from the bed and facing his grandfather. “Your grandson was trying to rape my fiancée, and he deserved to be punished,” he commented sternly. “Punished?! I bet that this bitch seduced him! Why else would he be inside that room?!” Vanessa spat while assisting two servants in getting Callan up to his feet. Callan looked at me with his swollen eyes, and a faint smirk curled the corner of his lips. He had a broken nose and a few other injuries. It was unclear what kind of injuries they were because his whole face was covered in blood. He was clearly in pain, but his hatred for Aren was strong enough to surface in his expression even at that moment. It was terrifying.

Augustus processed the situation and stepped toward me. “Did Callan try to force himself on you?” he asked, raising his chin in a judgmental gesture as a warning for me to watch my mouth.

I guessed that he still doubted that Aren and I were in a genuine relationship. My jaw clenched as I glared at him. Taking a deep breath to soothe my still trembling body, I said, “He broke into the bedroom that I locked and tried to… He tried to...”

“Enough with that questioning!” Aren hissed, standing between me and Augustus. “I know what I saw, and I should have killed that piece of shit, but he is only slightly injured.” He pointed at Callan, who was tripping over his feet as he was led out of the room by servants, supporting his every inept step.

James walked to Aren, an uncomfortable grimace painting his face. “I‘m sure he didn‘t mean to

I burst out in bitter laughter. My inner rage rose beyond the point of my control. Why did all those people figure out that they needed to coax Aren while ignoring the fact that I was that bastard‘s victim?!

“Of course!” I snapped. “He didn‘t mean to break into the bedroom, knowing that I was alone inside! He didn‘t mean to pin me down on the bed and touch me without my consent! He didn‘t mean anything bad... He is just too used to getting whatever he wants!” Aren‘s eyes landed on me in an instant, guilt surfacing in his expression before he shifted his gaze to his father and grandfather. “We are leaving. Feel

free to take that piece of shit to the hospital. Just know that I will kill him the next time he tries to get anywhere near Cora.”

A second later, he scooped me from the bed and carried me out of the room, bridal–style. I was barefoot, wearing a silk nightgown, and was only covered by his jacket, yet I didn‘t question him. I wrapped my arms around him and placed my head on his chest as he carried me down the stairs.

“Aren!” Augustus yelled angrily while standing at the top of the stairs. “Let‘s try to be reasonable here!”

Aren turned around, his eyes sending out a terrifying glower. “This is me being reasonable. And I suggest you pray that never changes because then I won‘t hesitate to wipe every single Winton from the face of the Earth.” He kicked the door open, and we left.

My choice

As Aren carried me out of the mansion, Marcus was already waiting for us, standing by the car. I had no idea when Aren called for him to come. Augustus ran after us, asking Aren to remember some business issues they‘d discussed before, suddenly exposing the fact that it was the only thing he had ever cared about. Aren ignored his desperate pleading. He just walked to the car and gently put me in the backseat while Marcus went inside to get our suitcases. A minute later, we were driving away from the mansion. I stayed silent until we left Greenwich, heading back to New York City. I wrapped myself in Aren‘s jacket, finding myself shivering from the cold, even though it was a warm night and Marcus turned on the car heater for me. As we hit the interstate highway, I finally found the strength to break the silence. I choked out, “I’m sorry.”

Aren frowned. “How can you be sorry for anything?”

“You lost your chance to get the evidence you wanted… It‘s because of me...” I said, lowering my head.

“It happened because of that fucker and only because of him. Don‘t even try to blame yourself for it.” He smiled faintly and stroked my hair.

“But maybe if we stayed there and”

“You didn‘t want to stay, and I couldn‘t allow us to stay there either. If I‘d chosen to stay, Augustus might have been satisfied, but he would have also become suspicious, and I needed him to lower his guard instead of raising it. I just need to figure out another way to get into his office. That‘s all,” he explained.

It was rational to think that it wasn‘t my fault. I was the victim, and I did nothing to provoke him... except for showing up in his home with Aren. Nonetheless, I couldn‘t get rid of the feeling that Aren would have had better chances of getting what he wanted if he had come to the mansion with some other contractual fiancée. I was aware that it was my degraded self esteem talking, but I couldn‘t change the way I felt.

When we arrived at the underground parking lot, Aren took me in his arms again and carried me to the penthouse. It was one of those moments, I was grateful that he had his private

elevator because I would have been awfully embarrassed if someone had seen me like this. I suggested that I could simply take out my shoes from the suitcase and walk by myself, but hearing his curt “no,” I decided to shut up and let him carry me. His body warmth was soothing. It kept my thoughts away from Callan. Yet as soon as he put me down in my bedroom, my body started to shiver again.

Every sound, whether it was the rustling wind or the closing door, made me flinch and put my senses into a state of alert. It became even worse when I entered the shower. Once the water stream fell on my skin, it felt like Callan‘s nauseating touch. As I saw the bruises he left on my wrists and arms while trying to restrain me, it all became unbearable. I turned off the water and curled in the corner of the cabin. I burst out into tears, one hand clamping my mouth shut to muffle my cry. Every memory of my sick relationship with Callan returned to stab me where it hurt the most. I felt as if I had lost to him again. I felt helpless. If it wasn‘t for Aren...

172

I cried until my tears stopped falling, and I became numb. I longed for some comfort. I needed someone to tell me I wasn‘t worthless, someone to help me silence those demons inflicting fear on me l used to tell myself that I could deal with anything. I was smart and intelligent, and I had read a lot of books to know how psychology works. I kept repeating to myself that I was sale and that there was nothing wrong with me, but this time everything within me screamed otherwise. Fisting my hands, I got out of the bathroom, put on my loose T–shirt and panties, and lay down on my bed. The second I closed my eyes, I saw Callan above me, panting and laughing viciously. I opened my eyes, sitting up and gasping in fear. I ran out of the bed, and before I knew it, I was standing in front of Aren‘s door. I knocked, and he opened the door a second later, almost as if he expected me to come. “What is it?” he asked as he stood before me wearing nothing but brief shorts. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

My mouth opened but no words came out. I didn‘t even know why I came knocking on his door.

“Come inside.” He grabbed my hand and led me inside his bedroom, closing the door behind us.

Once he sat me on his bed, I managed to choke out, “I don‘t want to be alone tonight...” He sat beside me on the bed and stroked the palm side of my hand with his thumb, a hint of a smile curving his lips. “How do you want to spend this night?” A wave of heat rushed through me, painting my cheeks a bright crimson. “It‘s... selfish of me, “I said softly. “I wanted to get rid of... him, the memory of him... and his touch.” I couldn‘t even believe that I made those words leave my mouth. He leaned over my ear and whispered, “Use me then.”

“W–what?” I breathed out as shivers tickled my skin.

He leaned back, his eyes cautiously looking me up and down. “Allow me to overwrite your painful memories of him. I just need your consent.”

“My consent?” I asked faintly, my heart hammering stronger by the second.

“I told you before, didn‘t I? I will not stop this time. That is why I need to know that you are OK with this. Show me that you want it,” he said, glancing at my loose T–shirt.

I swallowed hard. The electrifying tension between us already made me soaking wet, but was I truly up for this? He didn‘t push me. I could leave his room and forget it happened, or I could surrender to his temptation. He made me feel safe. He made me trust him completely.

I took a deep breath and stood up in front of him. I looked into his eyes, trying to muster my courage. His entire focus was on me, his eyes burning with passion. I grabbed the rim of my shirt with my trembling hand and lifted it, revealing my naked body inch by inch.

I‘d never stripped naked in front of anyone before. I had never even initiated anything intimate. But now, I stood before the man I was only beginning to know, uncovering my breasts. I took deep breaths, my chest heaving and falling. Aren stared at me hungrily, the corners of his lips curled up in a lustful smirk “Is that enough for consent?” I asked, ineptly fighting my flusteredness.

His smirk turned into a wicked grin. “Now your panties.”

I gasped in embarrassment. As if baring my breasts in front of him wasn‘t hard enough! I opened my mouth in a silent protest, but my hands went down to the lace rim on my hips anyway. It wasn‘t because he told me to, but because Aren‘s words made me equally nervous as they turned me on. I closed my eyes and exhaled, trying to regain control of my wildly pounding heart before sliding my fingers slightly underneath the lace. I smirked as I started to stretch the band of my panties teasingly, observing him bite his lip. He gave me this power that overwhelmed me, but now I was slowly learning how to enjoy using it against him.

I watched the bulge in his briefs grow hard as I slid the delicate fabric down my hips, my thighs, and my knees in the most excruciatingly slow way, and I enjoyed every second of it. Finally, I straightened,

locking my eyes on him as I kicked my panties off my ankles. A second later, I was pinned down on his bed, his lips claiming mine passionately. His hands caressed my naked skin, cherishing every inch of it. I shivered as his fingertips reached the sensitive skin on my nipples. He broke our kiss and leaned back to smile at me, his gaze making me soaked with arousal. I bit my lip, stifling a moan as he kissed down my neck, easily finding my sensitive skin. I wanted him badly. I tangled my fingers in his hair while his tongue swiftly played with my nipple, making it hard. I had never known it could have felt so good. As his mouth caressed my other breast, his hand went between my thighs, finding me absolutely wet. A wave of shuddering rushed through me when he thrust his fingers into my clit, filling me with an insane craving. He took his time to build my climax, paying utmost attention to my slightest reaction, adjusting his moves as if he knew my body far better than I did. I cried out his name as I reached beyond the peak of pleasure I had ever felt before. He chuckled, satisfied as he claimed my lips again before he stopped and locked his devouring gaze on me. “Now you are ready for me,” he said breathy, pulling down his shorts and revealing the heft of his erection

I gasped, my eyes scanning every inch of him. The very sight made my sex throb in desperate craving. A primal growl escaped my throat as he went deep inside me. His every push increased my excitement, intoxicating me with pleasure. He kept changing his pace as I got adjusted to it, enticing me with the need to come.

“God!” I screamed as I climaxed right before he did.

He embraced me tightly, letting our breaths mix as we panted heavily and laughed breathily. I had never felt anything like that in my life. I felt satisfied and wanted. I placed my head on his chest, enjoying the sweetness of that moment, and closed my eyes. Aren chuckled. “Don‘t fall asleep just yet, beautiful. We‘ve only just begun...”