Chapter 7

Abigail’s POV

As the night wore on, I felt like a prisoner in a golden cage. Everyone around me was celebrating, but I was drowning in a sea of despair.

I couldn't bear the thought of spending the rest of my life with a stranger, no matter how charming he seemed.

I excused myself from the table, pretending to go to the bathroom, but instead, I slipped out into the garden, desperate for some fresh air and a moment of solitude.

The cool night breeze hit me like a slap in the face, snapping me out of my daze.

I walked along the garden path, my heels sinking into the grass, as I tried to process the events of the day.

How did my life come to this? One day, I was a successful businesswoman, and the next, I was a pawn in a game of corporate alliances.

I stopped in front of a fountain, staring at the water as it moved over the edges. Then I heard his voice from behind me.

"You're a hard woman to find."

I turned to face him, my heart racing.

"What do you want, Elijah?"

He took a step closer, his eyes burning with intensity.

"I want to know why you're so unhappy, Abigail. You're my wife now, and I want to make you happy."

I laughed, a bitter sound.

"You want to make me happy?

You don't even know me."

He smiled and took a step closer to me, but I took a step back.

“I know you better than you think, Abigail. I'll do anything to make our marriage work."

“Marriage? You call this marriage? This doesn’t feel or look like marriage. It looks like a means to an end.”

“Well, not to me.” he said, his hand in his pocket as he spoke.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice serious.

"You're not even trying to hide the fact that this is a business arrangement. A merger, not a marriage."

Elijah's smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered.

"You're right, Abigail. Our families did want to merge their businesses. But that doesn't mean I don't want to make this work between us."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Save it, Elijah. You don't even know me. You don't know what I like, what I hate, what I want out of life.

How can you possibly make me happy?"

Elijah’s eyes furrowed. “I want to know you, Abigail. I’m willing to learn more. If you tell me.”

I scoffed.

“You're willing to learn more?

You're willing to learn how to control me, how to use me to get what you want.

That's all this is, Elijah. A power play."

He looked angry.

"That's not fair, Abigail. I'm trying to make this work."

"Fair?"

I laughed.

"You want to talk about fair?

You've taken away my freedom, my choices, my life. And you want to talk about fair?"

Elijah's face was very close to mine. "I'll give you what you want, Abigail. Just don't leave me.”

There was silence between us as I didn’t know what to say. We stood there for a moment.

“I didn’t…see your brother.” I said, breaking the awkward silence between us.

“Why didn’t he come for your wedding?”

Elijah’s brow furrowed, his eyes furrowed slightly.

"Um...why don't we head back inside, before you catch a cold?"

He took a step closer to me, his eyes locked on mine.

He wrapped his suit jacket around me, pulling me close to his chest. I felt my heart skip a beat at the sudden intimacy.

"I don't want my wife catching a cold on our wedding day."

I got goosebumps as he guided me back towards the reception hall, his arm around my shoulders.

His touch was warm and gentle, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that he was hiding something from me. But what could it be?

---

After the reception, we were escorted to the car. My stepmother, Nora, approached me with a calculating smile.

She wrapped a warm scarf around my neck, her fingers brushing against my skin. Leaning close to my ear, her voice took on a menacing tone.

"Abigail, darling, I want you to do whatever it takes to make this marriage work," she whispered.

"If you don't, I won't continue to support your sweet grandmother's medical bills.

So, behave and don't do anything that would jeopardize my plans for the merger.

The companies are merging immediately after you return from your...ahem...romantic honeymoon."

She paused, her eyes were determine.

"So, do whatever you can to get Elijah to agree to the terms. I expect nothing but success from you."

As she spoke, her grip on the scarf tightened, her nails digging into my skin.

I felt a chill go down my back as I realized how much she was controlling me. Elijah, not noticing the tension, smiled and opened the car door for me.

I hesitated, my heart beating fast, before getting into the fancy car. Nora's eyes stayed on mine, her look strong and controlling. I knew I was in trouble, caught in her trap.

As I settled into the car, Elijah got in beside me, his leg brushing against mine. My heart skip a beat, but it wasn't from excitement.

It was from anxiety. I was trapped, caught in a web of Nora's making, with no escape in sight.

The car pulled away from the curb, and I gazed out the window, watching as the city lights blurred together.

Elijah's hand reached for mine, but I pulled away, pretending to adjust my veil.

"Abigail, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice low and concerned.

I forced a smile onto my face. "Nothing, Elijah. Just tired, that's all."

He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine.

"We'll be at the airport soon. Then we can relax on our honeymoon."

I felt a chill when I thought about being alone with him, stuck in a fancy trap set by Nora.

The car stopped at the airport, and Elijah helped me out, his hand on my back.

I felt a tiny thrill at his touch, but it disappeared when I remembered my situation.

As we got on the plane, I knew I was in for a tough trip - both physically and emotionally.

I was a pawn in a game of business deals, and I didn't know how to get out….