Ruthless

64

EDWARD'S POV

Breaking my focus from the road, I glanced to my right, where my wife slept peacefully, oblivious to the world. Faith's lips were slightly parted, a stray lock of hair resting on her face. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically, and her top had slipped just enough to reveal a glimpse of her cleavage. I could see the purple bruise I'd left on her skin, a mark of my possession.

The surge of satisfaction that coursed through me was indescribable. My pants tightened uncomfortably. This woman had awakened a hunger in me I never knew existed.

Even now, the urge to pull over and take her overwhelmed me, but I forced myself to resist. I'd worn her out, and she needed rest. No matter how many times I had her, it never seemed enough.

I turned my eyes back to the road, unwilling to let my distractions cause another accident...though this time, it would be real, unlike the one I'd well planned before. Yes, I was the one who staged the crash, all while letting Faith believe it was Allison's doing. Technology these days is astonishing. With the right app, you can mimic anyone's voice.

Everything was falling into place, and soon, Faith would be mine forever. A sinister smile curled my lips.

Faith, my sweet, gullible wife, thinks we first met on our wedding day. But in truth, I'd seen her three years before. It was during a traffic jam when she caught my eye. Faith had been standing on the sidewalk, waiting for someone, looking like an angel in a white dress as she struggled to tame her wild hair that blew in the wind. I couldn't stop staring, captivated by the slight irritation on her face.

Something about her stirred the unknown in me. Call it love, lust, or obsession...I didn't care.

When my phone rang, I reluctantly answered it. But by the time I looked back, she was gone, as if she had never been there. As if she was nothing more than a beautiful figment of my imagination.

It took me months just to find out her name. I was stunned when I learned she had been missing for nearly a year. My further investigation led me to discover that she had been staying under the care of Reena, a woman who ran one of my brothels.

The only explanation that made logic was that Faith had been kidnapped and forced into prostitution. I promised myself Reena would suffer a slow, agonizing death for what she had done.

The idea that anyone else had touched Faith filled me with a rage I could barely contain. Foolishly, I even felt betrayed, knowing full well she was the victim. Fortunately, Faith wasn't in my sight or else I would definitely have hurt her in my fury.

Yet, despite it all, I still wanted her. Even the possibility of her being a prostitute didn't diminish my desire to make her mine. I was furious, of course, but not disgusted.

Later, I found out she wasn't a prostitute after all—just a maid. Reena had intended to force her into sex work, but some boy, whose name I can't even remember, had stopped her. When Reena had referred to him as Faith's lover, I almost snapped Reena's neck.

I was ready to spill that bastard's blood, but then both Faith and the man had vanished without a trace.

Then I saw her on the day of our marriage. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined I would find her there. I had searched for months, scouring every corner for any trace of her, only to find nothing.

The moment I saw her expression, I knew she was forced into this. She didn't want to be here.

Adrian was practically drooling over her, and as much as I wanted to put a bullet right between his eyes, I restrained myself. A few years ago, I would've wiped them all out without a second thought, but things are different now. They had too much power, and I couldn't afford to act impulsively.