Chapter One

“You need to slow things down, Adrianna.” came the quiet warning from Claire, my maid, my ride-or-die, my bestfriend and the sister I never had.

I rolled my eyes at her comments, as I painted my lips a dashing red colour. How bold of me.

“How long is the drive from here to Caspien’s End?” I stuffed my bra with a lot of foam and massaged it with my hand.

Claire wrinkled her nose. “What on earth are you doing?”

“Trying to make myself more appealing? The plan is to look sexy.” I gave her a smirk.

Claire took out her phone from her dress pocket, probably looking up the bar's name on the map.

“Caspian End…” her voice trailed off as she zoomed in on her phone screen.

Now that I think about it. The hotel has a stupid name. Caspian End? Oh, please, more like Caspien’s ass.

“It's a few minutes drive.” Claire replied and put down her phone. “Don't tell me you're going through with this.”

“Of course,” I winked at her again. “I'm getting fucked tonight.”

She slapped her forehead. “Fine. I've already booked a room for you where you're a paid escort. Your room number is 1140.”

“1140. Got it,” I picked up my purse. “Wish me luck.”

She heaved a frustrated sigh. “You'll need more than luck, Vi.”

The minute my BMV arrived at the hotel, I lost all my confidence. The old chic and unbeatable Adrianna Sylvain is now replaced with a quiet one.

I clenched my fist so hard I felt my nails digging into my palm. “There's no turning back now, Adrianna. You have to do this.”

The door to the backseat was held open and I stepped out.

Caspien End looked like a building built with old money — weathered limestone walls and walls covered with ivy. Quite the odd decor but I heard from Claire that the interior was worth two kidneys.

I entered inside and made a beeline to the reception. Claire had already done me the honour of booking a room.

“I have a reservation for a suite.” I told the receptionist, a blonde belle with blue eyes. In all my 18 years of living, I have never seen a woman who looked more beautiful than I was.

“Your room number?” She asked in a professional tone.

“Room.number?” I froze. Oh shit. What did Claire say it was again… 1140? No… That's not it.

“Ma'am?” The lady looked up from her computer screen.

I gulped nervously. “Uh… It's 1400. Yeah. Room 1400.”

“Alright, ma'am,” She typed away at her computer and passed me a black key card rimmed with gold at the edge. “Here you go.”

I took the keycard. “Thank you.”

I walked away from the front desk with a mixed feeling of fear and fear. I was going to do this, sleep with another man before my wedding night. Well, at least, I owed myself that right. My husband-to-be was a grandpa with Santa’s physique — fat, barrel-chested and a face full of white beards. Did I mention that he had an awful breath? I'm not talking about Santa.

“Room 1400.” I whispered to myself as I paddled to the golden elevator.

Just as the door closed, I heard the words “Room 1400” echo in the grand reception hall. I found it odd. Maybe, I heard wrong. Maybe I didn't.

The elevator door started and I made it past the hallowed halls to the room.

“1400. Here goes.” I swiped the keycard on the panel and the door clicked open after a light chime.

I pushed the door open and entered. It was semi-dark. Hmm. This escort must be good at his job. He doesn't want to reveal identities. I'm cool with that too.

“Hey, handsome.” I took off my shoes and inched towards the bed. “Ready to fulfill my perverted fantasies?”

I didn't know if I said that out loud or within me but I noticed something move in the dark.

Before I could take another step, a hand caught my wrist and pulled me forward. My face landed on something hard and it took me a second to realise it was a man's chest. Boy, he was ripped.

“Where are you going?” he asked in the richest, deep voices I've ever heard since Van Damme.

“What?” I looked up to the tree of a man. He literally blended with the darkness with his dark hair and dark grey eyes.

He leaned down to whisper behind my ear. “You need someone to fulfill your perverted fantasies?”

He said needed not want to. This dude spoke my language.

A smirk grew on my lips and I hooked my arms around his neck. “Yes.”

He lifted into his arms and I wrapped my legs around his torso. “Shall we?”

He smacked his lips on mine and we went straight to business. No hi or hello. Just us and the passion we lost ourselves to.

“Adrianna?”

“Adrianna?”

I jerked from my thoughts and realized I had blanked out on the altar.

"Do you Adrianna Sylvain take Dante Cassius to be your lawfully wedded husband to love and to hold in sickness and in health till death do you part?” The priest asked with a solemn voice.

I felt the cold metal ring encircling my finger, my symbol of prison. What happened last night was something I swore to take to my grave. I would rather sleep with a stranger than have this fat, disgusting man touch me.

“Miss Adrianna?” The priest called and I blinked.

This is the part where I have to say “I do” but I can't. Those words are heavy.

“Say it!” Dante, my husband-to-be hissed at me.

I could even hear colors from the congregations, especially mom's voice. She's the oldest when it comes to these things.

I heaved a sigh, preparing myself for the worst. Last night was not a mistake and I'd give my right arm to find the former again but here I was, marrying a man ten years older than my father.

I turned to the priest and opened my mouth to say “I do” but all of a sudden, I lost my voice or maybe, I wasn't loud enough.

I got swallowed in an uproar of screams and it took me a minute to realize that the screams were not those of mirth.

I felt something trickle next to my shoe and looked down. It was a red poodle and it gathered around my shoe, standing my dress.

I trailed my eyes forward to know where it was coming from and I froze.

A lump formed in my throat when I saw it was coming from Dante's immobile body.

“No, no, no!” I fisted my wedding dress at my sides and slipped away from the altar.

I managed to escape from the gunshot and the screams, running wherever my legs took me.

‘What happened? What the hell was that?!’ I wanted to scream but I couldn't.

I took a sharp left and what I saw sent me to my knees.