FORCED MARRIAGE WITH BROTHER IN LAW

chapter 31

The silence in the room was suffocating. The soft light of morning did nothing to ease the weight pressing on Y/n’s chest. She stood near the window, arms wrapped tightly around herself, watching the world outside move like she wasn’t a part of it. Like she never had been.

Behind her, she felt Thv stir — that quiet shift of sheets that always made her heart race. It wasn’t fear of the sound itself — it was what always followed. The unpredictability. The tension.

She heard him rise, felt his eyes on her back. "Why are you standing there?" His voice was calm, but she knew better than to trust it. Calmness could turn to fury in an instant.

"I just… needed some air," she said softly, keeping her tone neutral, careful. Always careful.

Thv walked toward her slowly, his steps deliberate. She felt the heat of his body behind her before he even touched her. But then his hands slid around her waist, pulling her back against him. She flinched — she couldn’t help it.

He noticed. Of course, he noticed.

"You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?" Thv’s voice was low, almost a whisper, but the edge of bitterness cut through every word. His breath brushed against her ear, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine — not from desire, but from fear. There was something dangerous beneath his calmness, something that always surfaced when his jealousy took hold.

"After everything that’s happened between us," he continued, his fingers tightening around her wrist, his grip bruising. "After I’ve given you everything — and taken everything — you still dare to think of him."

Y/n shook her head quickly, her throat too tight to speak, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t listening. He never really listened.

"You love him when you have nothing left," Thv hissed, his words growing harsher. "When your body is broken, when you belong to me — do you understand that?" His other hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer with a force that made her wince. "You’re mine to ruin. Mine to break. Mine to use — however I want. And you will remember that."

He leaned in closer, his lips brushing her skin, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Your body… your mind… your fear… even your pain. It all belongs to me. And I will make sure you never forget that."

"I will not ....

"Don’t lie to me, Y/n." His grip tightened, his fingers digging into her sides. Not enough to hurt — not yet — but enough to remind her how easily he could. "I see the way you look at me. Like I’m some kind of monster."

She swallowed hard, her throat dry. "You’re my husband." The words tasted bitter.

"And you belong to me." He turned her to face him, his fingers tilting her chin up so she couldn’t look away. His eyes were dark, unreadable, but the simmering anger was always there — just beneath the surface. "I don’t like it when you forget that."

"I haven’t forgotten," she whispered, even as her heart pounded violently against her ribs.

"Good." His thumb traced her lower lip, his touch deceptively gentle. "Then why do you keep trying to run from me?"

"I’m not—"

"You are." His other hand slid into her hair, his fingers tangling there — not pulling, not yet. But the threat was there. "I see it in your eyes every time I touch you. Every time I come near you."

Y/n forced herself to breathe evenly, to keep the panic from showing. "I’m just… tired."

He didn’t believe her. She could see it in the way his eyes narrowed. But instead of pressing the issue, he leaned in, his lips brushing hers with a softness that felt like a trap.

"You don’t have to be afraid," he whispered against her mouth. "I only get angry when you make me."

The words sent a cold shiver down her spine. She wanted to pull away, but she knew better. Knew what would happen if she pushed too hard. So she stayed still, her body rigid in his arms.

Thv noticed that too.

"Relax," he murmured, his hands sliding down her back. "Why do you always make this so difficult?"

"I’m sorry." She didn’t even know what she was apologizing for — only that it was safer that way.

But the apology didn’t soften him. If anything, it only seemed to spark his frustration. "Sorry isn’t enough, Y/n." His grip on her hair tightened just slightly, enough to make her gasp. "Not when you keep giving me reasons to doubt you."

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them away. She couldn’t cry. Not in front of him. Not when it would only make things worse.

"You don’t have to doubt me," she said softly, her voice trembling despite her efforts to keep it steady.

"Then prove it." His eyes burned into hers. "Stop looking at anyone else the way you look at me."

"I—"

"You think I don’t see it?" His voice hardened, his fingers tightening in her hair. "You think I don’t notice the way you flinch when I touch you, the way your eyes go soft when you talk to him?"

"There’s no one else," she whispered, desperate now. "I swear—"

"Liar." The word was a hiss, sharp and cutting.

The fear she’d been trying so hard to control finally spilled over, her body trembling against his. "Please, Thv—"

"Shh." His grip softened just enough to be confusing, his hand sliding back down to her waist. "You make me like this, you know. If you’d just listen… if you’d just trust me… I wouldn’t have to get so angry."

Y/n nodded because it was the only thing she could do. Because arguing would only make it worse.

But inside, she was crumbling.

And she didn’t know how much longer she could survive it.