Zayden's POV:
I had been seething even since Edith walked out of the hotel opening ceremony without a second glance. Though her parents returned to finish the night, she didn't, which filled me with a rage I hadn't felt in a long time.
I didn't go there for speeches or handshakes, rather I went there for her. And the night turned meaningless without her there.
That night, I fought the urge to chase after her, drag her back to the conference hall and make sure she understood who was in charge. But creating such a scene in that public place would have been disastrous. So, I held back, waiting for the right moment.
Later, her parents had told me that Edith wasn't happy about the marriage, which only made my anger worse. I had never handled rejection well regarding our businesses and the rejection from a woman stung more than I cared to admit.
Throughout the entire conference, my mind was consumed by thoughts of Edith. She was supposed to be my little bird, the one I'd trapped in a cage, yet she dared to fly away again. I was furious, but more than that, I was fixated.
All it took was one night, only one and the woman had me wrapped around her finger. There wasn't any inch of my being that hadn't been consumed by her.
When I finally got my hands on her number, I didn't hesitate. I called her. I needed her to know that there was no running away from me even if she tried. It didn't matter where she went, where she ran to... I'd always be right behind her.
As she recognized me, her disbelief told me everything I needed to know. She wasn't indifferent rather just playing hard to get.
"How do you get my number?" Her irritation was clear and it only fed my hunger.
I let out a low chuckle leaning back in my chair, ignoring her demand for how I got her number.
"You really want to waste time on that, little bird? I've been missing you way too much to answer silly questions."
The silence on her end was perfect after hearing me.
"What do you want, Zayden?" She snapped, trying to sound in control.
I paused, savoring the moment as she called my name again. I wondered how it would sound when she would scream it on top her lungs as I would fuck her tight little pussy into oblivion for abandoning me again.
"I can't wait to see you tomorrow at your cousin's wedding." I said after a long pause.
I could practically hear her heart skip a beat, before she stammered. "Wh...What! You're coming? At our family event?"
"Of course," I replied casually, enjoying her surprise. "As your fiance, I'll be attending anyway."
"You're not my fiance," Edith spat, clearly rattled. "And don't even think about trying to get under my skin."
I chuckled, dark and amused.
"My little bird, I want to do more than just get under your skin. I want to be inside of you. In more ways than one..." I said, my voice dropped lower, almost dangerously. "Mark my words, Edith... I'm going to ensure that you'll always feel my hands lingering on your skin, underneath it, all over you, every fucking where."
I let my words sink in, as I hear her sharp intake of breath through the phone, trying to stay composed, which was enough to confirm she was picturing us.
"Does that hot cunt begin dripping by the remembrance of my thick cock, little bird?" I teased, pushing further. "I bet you would finger yourself after the call while imagining me doing that."
"Shut up!" She snapped, her voice cutting through the phone.
But that only made me laugh as I knew I had her cornered. And I decided to twist the knife just a little more.
"There is something I want to remind you..." I began, my tone now serious. "No matter how much you try to deny me, leave me or ignore the marriage, pretending it doesn't matter... there's no escape from me. Sooner or later, you'll see the truth, Edith. You're mine..."
My phone pressed to my ear, as her silence stretched on. I could almost feel her struggling with what to say. She had no idea how much I enjoyed that silence.
"I'm not yours, Zayden. I'll never be yours. You deceived me and forced me into this... this bargain," she finally spoke, her voice shaky but full of defiance. "And I hate you."
"Good... That would made our fucking a lot more fun," I said casually though her words hit me in a way I didn't expect.
I could feel the weight of her anger on the other end.
Edith obviously misunderstood me somehow, but I didn't feel the need to correct her. If anything, her hatred would only make things more interesting.
"I'm not fucking a bastard like you again..." She scoffed, her voice dripping with disgust.
I grinned, feeling an odd sense of satisfaction. If she hated and disgusted me this much, it probably meant she was thinking about me more than sh'd admit.
"What kind of diamond do you like?", I asked changing the topic, enjoying how it threw her off balance.
She probably thought I was asking for the wedding ring, but I wasn't. Not yet.
"Why do you care?" She hissed, her annoyance clear.
"Not for the wedding, little bird. For something else," I chuckled softly. "Tell me what particular diamond you prefer because I want to give you something to seal you... to remind you of who you belong to."
Her irritation only deepened, and I could almost hear the frustration in her breathing. Being an independent woman, she obviously hated the fact that I was claiming her, dominating her while I was liking every bit of her resistance.
"You're so full of yourself, Zayden," She seethed, before hanging up on me.
The line went dead, and I sat back, smirking to myself. This marriage wasn't going to be easy for me, and I liked that. She'd fight me, resist me, but in the end, she'd still be mine.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I arrived at the wedding event with my entire family, my eyes began to scan the crowd, eager to catch a glimpse of Edith. There was a certain excitement bubbling up inside me, but the moment I spotted her, all that excitement twisted into anger.
She was standing near the bridal party, laughing and chatting with her cousins. The bridesmaid dress she wore.... it was beautiful, sure, but also far too revealing. The neckline plunged deep, showing off too much of her cleavage, and the slit on the side revealed her thigh every time she shifted.
She was mine, and she had the nerve to flaunt herself like that. My jaw clenched as I watched her, wondering if she intentionally wore such a slutty dress to piss me off.
What made it worse was the look she was getting. Some guys were eyeing her with open lust, and I could feel my blood boiling. I knew her beauty was undeniable, but it wasn't meant for their eyes.
'How do they even dare to look at what's mine like that? I felt a surge of possessiveness rise inside me, the need to remind her, and everyone else, exactly who she belonged to.
I clenched my fists, trying to keep my temper in check as I made my way over with my grandparents and Lucas. As we approached, my grandmother pulled Edith into a warm embrace, her face lighting up with genuine happiness.
"It's so good to see you, my dear," she said, her voice brimming with excitement.
I stood back, watching as Edith smiled politely, returning the hug. Then my grandfather and Lucas greeted her, and Edith responded to them warmly but she barely even glanced in my direction.
Her emerald eyes lit up with genuine affection as she interacted with them, as if I didn't exist. She was ignoring me on purpose. I could feel the rage simmering under my skin, my grip tightening.
When Lucas made some stupid joke, she laughed, that light, carefree sound only fueled the fire burning inside me. But when her gaze still didn't land on me, it took every ounce of restraint I had not to drag her in the center of the hall and fuck that good damn attitude right out of her in front of everyone until all she could think about me.
She wanted to play games? Fine. But it was me who was going to win in the end.
I stepped forward, cutting into the conversation with a calm smile that masked my rage. "Excuse us for a moment. I need to speak with my fiance in Private."
Edith finally looked at me, her smile fading.
"I don't think there's anything for us to discuss in private," she said firmly, making it clear she had no intention of going anywhere with me.
But I wasn't asking. I stepped closer to her, leaning in until I was near enough to whisper in her ear. "I thought I'd return the ring you left at my penthouse. Don't you want it back, little bird?"