Chapter 3

REMY I had been living in the ridiculously large mansion for the past week now, and I hadn’t seen my ‘husband’ since our wedding day—and maybe that was a good thing. Because he was the last person I ever wanted to see. The only thing he had done was send a butler to give me a black card so I could get whatever I wanted. I hadn’t used it. It still sat on the nightstand where I had angrily dropped it. And just like he had promised, my family’s debts were paid, my mother got her heart transplant this week, and I was stuck in a cage. Every single time I tried to go out, I was stopped and told that ‘boss’ had specifically ordered that I wasn’t allowed to leave. The news of my wedding to Kai Blackwood was still one of the trending topics, though at least it had buried the s*x video of me with him. I dragged a brush through my silver-dyed hair, something my parents had always frowned upon, and stared at myself in the mirror. When the hell had I ever listened to people? I wasn’t the type to just sit around and do… nothing. With that, I gritted my teeth, snatched my bag from the dresser, and made my way out of my overly spacious bedroom. My heels clicked against the marble floor as I walked. “Mrs. Blackwood, lunch is ready,” the cook said. A shiver ran down my spine at the name. “It’s fine,” I replied, forcing a small smile. “I’ll be having lunch with my parents.” She hesitated, glancing at the butler—Steve, like she needed him to do something, and he immediately stepped toward me. “Mrs. Blackwood—” “Remy,” I cut in, like I always did. He gave a polite smile but didn’t correct himself. “Mrs. Blackwood, I don’t think that would be advisable.” I ignored him and made my way to the garage, pulling out the car keys I had been given on my first day, the same ones I hadn’t used once, and for a second I just stared at them, my grip tightening slightly. If I had keys, then I had a choice. Didn’t I? The sound of footsteps behind me answered that question before I could even finish the thought. Of course not. I got into the car anyway. “Ma’am, please step out of the vehicle,” a bald, heavily tattooed man said, stepping forward, his jaw tight like I was the last thing he wanted to deal with. I started the engine anyway and the others quickly moved in front of the car. “The gates are locked,” he added. “You won’t get through.” My fingers tightened around the steering wheel. My grip on the wheel tightened even more before I leaned forward slightly, my voice dropping lower. “Open the gate,” I said. The guard didn’t move. “I said open it,” I repeated, slower this time. “Ma’am—” “If you don’t,” I said, my voice coming out sharp, “the next thing your boss comes home to will be my blood all over this car.” Silence followed after that and they all exchanged glances, but still, they didn’t move. “You think I’m bluffing?” I let out a soft, humorless breath, shaking my head. “Try me.” Still, no one moved. Then the guard’s jaw tightened as he turned away, pulling out his phone and speaking in a low voice. The others stepped back slightly, their attention moving between me and whatever decision was being made on the other end. Seconds later, he lowered the phone and nodded. The gates opened. I blinked, surprised. I hadn’t expected that to work. But I didn’t waste time questioning it. I pressed down on the gas and drove out. The moment I left the compound, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. ——— I stopped at the hospital. The moment I stepped into the room and saw my mother sitting up, laughing softly at something my father had said, something in my chest loosened. They both turned when they saw me. “Remy,” my mom said, reaching out. A choked sound left my throat as I moved toward her and wrapped my arms around her carefully. “I’m so happy the surgery was a success,” I said, forcing a smile. “All thanks to you, sweetheart,” she murmured, glancing at my dad. I nodded, even though something inside me twisted because they didn’t know the truth. I had told them that after the scandal, Kai and I had somehow hit it off—that it was love at first sight, that the marriage was to silence the media. They didn’t know he had forced a ring onto my finger. Didn’t know I was being blackmailed. Didn’t know I was trapped between two monsters. We chatted for a bit, and I glanced down at my watch, realizing it was already getting late. I gave my mom a small, strained smile as I stood up to leave. “I… I have to go back to the house now,” I said, and a shiver ran through me at the thought of it. Just thinking about going back to that cold, empty place made my chest clench tight. “Oh yes, go back to your husband,” she said gently. I forced a nod, then turned to my dad and gave him a quick hug, holding on for just a second longer than usual before pulling away. My family might be involved in some… shady underground business, but they weren’t the cold, heartless people the media painted them out to be. I stepped out of the room, pushing my hair back from my face as my heels clicked softly against the floor. I had barely taken a few steps before I stopped. A man in a black suit stood at the end of the hallway. My stomach dropped. Slowly, I turned around to see three more. They were blocking my way. “f**k,” I muttered under my breath, my fingers tightening slightly around my bag as I looked back at them, because I already knew who they were. The one in front lifted his hand and crooked his finger at me. My throat went dry. I took a slow breath and forced my legs to move, even though they felt shaky beneath me. When I got close enough, he jerked his head toward an open room. I stepped inside. And my heart dropped. Alexander Voss was seated on the bed, one leg crossed over the other, his eyes closed like he didn’t have a single worry in the world. “Remy… Remy… Remy,” he murmured, almost like he was savoring my name. “You’ve been a hard woman to get a hold of these past few days.” His eyes opened slowly and locked onto mine instantly. My throat tightened as I took a small step back, my heart already racing. “H-he won’t let me leave the house,” I said quickly, the words stumbling over themselves. “I haven’t had the chance to—” He clicked his tongue softly, like I had already disappointed him, and reached into his pocket to pull out a cigarette. The lighter flicked and the flame briefly illuminated his face before he took a slow drag and exhaled the smoke directly into my space. “No need to look so nervous, sister-in-law,” he said with amusement, but there was something in his tone that made my stomach twist. “We’re family now… remember?” The word family didn’t sound right coming from him. It sounded more like a threat. He took a step closer, close enough that I had to tilt my head slightly just to keep my eyes on him. “Now,” he continued, his tone losing that lazy edge, “tell me something useful.” My fingers curled at my sides. “I haven’t seen him since the wedding,” I said, forcing the words out even though my voice felt tight. “I don’t know where he goes or what he’s doing. His office is guarded and I can’t just walk in there and—” His hand slammed against the wall beside my head. The sound made me flinch so hard my breath caught in my throat. For a second, I couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. “Do you think I’m stupid?” he asked quietly. That was worse than shouting. My eyes snapped to his, fear rising in my chest. “No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I’m not lying. I really don’t know anything.” He stared at me for a long moment, like he was trying to decide if I was worth the effort. Then he exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face before dropping the cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his shoe. “You have one week.” My stomach dropped. “One week to bring me something I can use. I don’t care what it is—his deals, who he meets, what he moves. You live under his roof now, Remy. Don’t tell me you can’t find something.” “I—” My voice broke, and I swallowed hard before trying again. “I’ll try.” His gaze sharpened slightly at that. “Try?” he repeated. He leaned in just a little, not touching me, but close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him. “Let me make something very clear,” he said softly. “This isn’t something you try. This is something you do.” I understood exactly what he was saying without him having to finish. His eyes flicked toward the door for a brief second, then back to me, and I didn’t need him to spell it out to understand what he meant. My parents. Mara. Anyone. Everyone. My chest tightened painfully as I nodded, my fingers digging into my palms. “Good,” he said, straightening like the conversation was already over, like I was already dismissed. “Then we won’t have a problem.” ——— By the time I got back to my car, the tears were already falling. One week. I had one week to spy on a man I couldn’t even find. One week to keep my family alive. ——— The drive back felt too short. The gates opened immediately when I arrived, and the house was silent like always when I stepped inside. My heels echoed against the floor as I walked down the hallway, my chest tightening with every step toward my room. Something felt… off. And the moment I pushed the door open, my heart stopped. Because sitting on my bed…Was my husband. Kai Blackwood. And he was looking right at me.