Chapter 20 - The Proposal
I laid there, Vincent's arm heavy over my waist, the suffocating warmth of his chest heaving against my back. The metal chains around my ankles clinked softly with each small movement, a constant reminder of my plush prison.
"Mmm good morning, il mio amore," Vincent's voice, a melodious but menacing hum, echoed in the large, impeccably decorated room, the sun barely trickling in through the thick curtains.
I turned to face him, his piercing black eyes already boring into mine-a stark contrast against the white of his open collared shirt. "Morning," I muttered, the taste of fear fresh in my mouth.
"Today's a big day, Samantha. You're going to make me the happiest man alive." The corner of his mouth turned up in an anticipatory smile.
I furrowed my brow, a knot forming in the pit of my stomach. "What do you mean?" My voice was a hushed whisper, laced with dread.
Vincent sat up, the mattress shifting beneath his formidable weight. "Let's not spoil the surprise," he said, pressing a cold kiss against my temple before freeing me from the bed's constraints.
Wearing a blue sundress that felt too delicate for a scene so menacing, I was escorted down the corridors of Vincent's palatial home. Joey, who gleefully clung to my waist, shot kisses up at me with an innocence that clashed with the twisted darkness in his eyes.
"Isn't she pretty, Daddy?" he giggled, glancing up at Vincent, who followed with a predatory gait.
"Beyond words, figlio mio," Vincent replied with a chilling smirk. His pride was evident, like a collector admiring his most prized possession.
We entered the grandiose meeting room, a chamber filled with thick smoke and heavier silence. Rows of hardened men stood as we entered-a twisted tableau of admiration and fear. Vincent ushered me through, his hand a vice on my lower back, pushing me gently yet irresistibly forward toward a fate unknown.
Suddenly, the murmurs of the room dipped into silence as Vincent halted and slowly descended to one knee behind me, subduing the behemoths with just a gesture.
"Samantha," he began, the richness in his voice coating the air with a suffocating sweetness. He withdrew a velvet box, flipping it open to reveal a diamond ring so grand it seemed to weigh down the very air around it. "Will you marry me?"
My world spun off its axis. This wasn't a question-it was a verdict. A verdict I knew refusing would be signing my own death warrant. My breath hitched. Fear strangled every word in my throat.
The room tilted into an unforgiving silence. The rise of Joey's face turned ashen with concern.
"What's wrong, Sam?" A quiver in Joey's voice threatened to shatter into hysteria. "Say yes to Daddy!"
The uneasy rustle of expensive fabric filled the space, men shifting on their feet, unsure yet expectant.
Vincent's eyes didn't leave mine, the intensity almost casting a shadow over my soul.
I stared into the void, my lips trembling, unable to voice the submission he craved.
Vincent's patience crumbled like dry earth. In the blink of an eye, his hand, a lightning strike, collided with the side of my face. The sting of the impact sent me reeling, tears springing to my eyes unbidden.
"Why must you always fight me?" His bellow reverberated, the undertone of betrayal thick in his voice.
Joey recoiled, his expression mirror to the shock of the room.
Just say it, my mind screamed. You have to say it.
"Yes," the word fled my lips, a broken whisper, the salty trails of my tears a stark testament to the hollow consent.
Vincent erupted in a cacophony of cruel laughter, the weight of expectation lifting off the room as he grabbed me, spinning my fragile frame as though I were a ragdoll, my sobs lost in the storm of his mirth.
"Brava, bravo," the chorus rose from the audience, clapping while feasting upon my misery.
Gently, too gently, Vincent set me down, his hands still grasping my shoulders as if to steady the world that had spun out of control.
"Oh, Samantha," he half-purred, half-sighed, his fingers tracing the lines of my tear-stained face in mock tenderness. "You won't regret this, my love, my life. You're the queen of my empire now, and soon, everyone will bow."
"No one will ever take you from me," he whispered, so low only I could hear, a promise or a threat, it was hard to tell.
