A Crowned Heart

{15}

Time had passed, but the tension in Y/N's life had only grown thicker, more suffocating. The weight of her engagement to Davin, once something she had accepted with resigned indifference, now felt like a chain around her neck, dragging her down with every passing day.

Since the day Taehyung had given her the 101 roses, she had tried to distance herself from him, hoping that by avoiding him, she could suppress the growing feelings in her heart. But it was impossible. Every moment she spent away from him only made her heart ache more. And every moment she spent with Davin reminded her of how trapped she truly was.

Davin had changed. Or perhaps, he had always been this way, and Y/N was only now seeing it clearly. His temper had grown shorter, his words sharper, and his patience with her seemed to have disappeared entirely.

One evening, Y/N found herself in the grand hall of the castle, where she and Davin were supposed to be dining together. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with unspoken resentment. Y/N had barely touched her food, her mind too distracted by the turmoil in her heart.

Davin, on the other hand, seemed to have little appetite for the food or for conversation. He sat across from her, his expression dark and brooding, his eyes narrowing as he watched her push the food around on her plate.

"Is something wrong with the meal, Y/N?" Davin asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Y/N looked up, startled by the suddenness of his question. "No, it's fine. I'm just... not very hungry."

"Not hungry," Davin repeated, his tone flat and cold. He set his fork down with a loud clatter, his eyes boring into hers. "You haven't been yourself lately, Y/N. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Y/N's heart raced, her mind scrambling for an answer that wouldn't provoke him further. "I've just been feeling a bit under the weather. It's nothing to worry about."

Davin leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing further. "Under the weather? Or is it something else? Something—or someone—else?"

Y/N's breath caught in her throat. She knew what he was implying, and the accusation sent a chill down her spine. She forced herself to meet his gaze, trying to keep her voice steady. "What are you saying, Davin?"

Davin's lips curled into a sneer, his voice laced with bitterness. "Don't play dumb with me, Y/N. I've seen the way you've been avoiding me, the way you look at him."

Y/N's eyes widened, fear and guilt swirling together in her chest. "Davin, you're misunderstanding—"

"Am I?" Davin's voice was suddenly loud and harsh, his hand slamming down on the table with enough force to rattle the dishes. "Do you think I'm blind? Do you think I don't see what's going on between you and that... that Taehyung?"

Y/N flinched at his words, her heart pounding in her chest. She opened her mouth to protest, to deny everything, but the words caught in her throat. She could feel the anger radiating off of Davin, and it terrified her.

"Nothing is going on," Y/N finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please, Davin, you have to believe me."

Davin stood up abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. He walked around the table, closing the distance between them with a menacing glare. "Believe you? Why should I believe anything you say? You've been lying to me, haven't you? Sneaking around behind my back like some common—"

"Stop!" Y/N's voice cracked as she stood up, backing away from him. Tears welled up in her eyes, her hands trembling at her sides. "Please, just stop..."

But Davin didn't stop. He grabbed her wrist, his grip tight and unyielding. "You're mine, Y/N. Do you understand that? You belong to me, and I won't have you making a fool of me with some pathetic little romance."

Y/N struggled to pull her hand free, fear gripping her heart. "Davin, you're hurting me..."

Davin's grip tightened, his face inches from hers. "Hurting you? You don't know the meaning of the word. But you will if you keep this up."

Tears streamed down Y/N's cheeks as she looked into his eyes, seeing nothing but cold, unyielding anger. This was not the man she had grown up knowing, not the man she had once thought she could tolerate as a husband. This was someone else entirely—someone cruel, possessive, and dangerous.

"Please, Davin," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, let me go..."

For a moment, Davin's grip loosened, and Y/N felt a flicker of hope that he might listen. But then his expression hardened, and he shoved her away with a snarl. "You're nothing but a disappointment, Y/N. I should have known you'd be trouble."

Y/N stumbled back, catching herself on the edge of the table as she tried to steady her breathing. Her heart was racing, her mind reeling from the shock of his aggression. She had never seen him like this before, and it terrified her.

"Stay away from him," Davin spat, his voice low and threatening. "Or I'll make sure you regret it."

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, leaving Y/N standing there, trembling and shaken. She clutched her wrist where he had grabbed her, the skin already beginning to bruise.

As the door slammed shut behind him, Y/N collapsed into the nearest chair, her body wracked with sobs. The reality of her situation crashed down on her, suffocating her with its weight. She was trapped in a life she didn't want, bound to a man who saw her as nothing more than a possession.

But even through her tears, one thought remained clear in her mind—she couldn't let this continue. She couldn't let Davin control her, couldn't let him destroy the love she had found with Taehyung. She had to find a way out, before it was too late.