I won't deny that I saw the signs.
I'd had an inkling that something was different with Michael since we were about seven months into our relationship. I liked Michael because he was open to doing whatever I wanted. In other words, he was submissive and couldn't even make decisions without me showing him the ropes.
That wasn't the sign. I'd dated a lot of submissive men before Michael.
The first sign was the fact that he wasn't attracted to me. Nothing I did was sexy to him. He faked it, of course. God, he was a good faker. But I was fucking good at reading people, and I'd had enough experiences with men—family included— that I could spot the liars from the genuine ones.
I also knew he was on Tinder.
The truth was that I'd known he was gay, but I just hadn't cared because I loved being in control. There was nothing I loved more than a man that I could bend to my will. Michael was fine with being my bitch and that was why I kept him.
The only thing he had done without seeking my permission was propose. He'd caught me off guard at that family dinner three weeks ago where he asked me to marry him.
Of course, I agreed to marry him. If he was trying to get married to me to use me to keep up appearances, I genuinely did not care. I was earning way more than Michael could only ever dream of, and I had my side piece. I was getting good sex.
I was willing to tolerate his bullshit even if it was just for a little while. But the one thing I would not fucking tolerate was Michael fucking another man in my house!
Derek and Michael pulled apart the moment they saw me. It was a pathetic sight, really. Their sweaty, guilty faces as they tried to catch their breath. Derek's face was red as he hurriedly searched for his clothes and placed them in front of his body to cover his… impressive-looking cock.
Honestly, if I was in a better mood, I wouldn't even blame Michael for being attracted to Derek. He was a beast in bed.
I should know. I'd been fucking him for the past six months.
"Baby," Michael started as he hurried to put on his boxers. "I can explain this."
Really? He was gonna use that line on me?
I chuckled, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Okay, I'll humor you, Mike. Explain to me why you're fucking my assistant in my house."
"Miss Vaughn—" Derek stepped forward, now fully dressed in his pants and t-shirt.
I held out my hand in a gesture to silence him, not taking my eyes off my fiance. "I need you to get me on the next available flight to Spain. Don't piss me off any more than I already am."
I heard a soft "Yes, ma'am," before he walked past me and towards the elevator.
"Remi," Mike continued, "I swear I wasn't—"
My palm cracked against his cheek, the sound echoing through the air as his head jerked to the side. I felt the lingering sting in my palm but I dropped my hand to the side.
"Get the fuck out of my house," I seethed, forcefully pulling the ring off my finger and throwing it at him. "You disrespected me. This is fucking over."
I didn't watch to monitor the expression on his face. My heels clicked against the floor as I hurried to my room to pack.
I settled on packing only a small bag, and when I went back into the living room, Mike was still there, looking pissed as hell.
"So what? You're just gonna leave me here?"
I tilted my head slightly. "Well, yeah. You know what?"
I stepped towards him, smirking when I noticed that my hand had left an imprint on his cheek.
"Actually, you don't have to get out anymore. This place is yours now." I raised my hand to stroke his hair once, chuckling when he flinched. "Tell anyone where I am, and I'll make sure you live in the streets."
With those last words, I exited my apartment for the last time.
When I got downstairs to the garage, Derek was leaning against my car, holding a piece of paper and my passport.
"Your flight has been booked," he said, offering me the documents.
"Good," I replied curtly as I snatched them from his hand.
Derek hesitated, shifting from one foot to another uncomfortably. "Miss Vaughn, I just wanted to say I—"
"Not one word, Derek," I interrupted, opening my door and sliding into the driver's seat. "You're fired. Stay out of my way."
I slammed the door, revving the engine and enjoying the look of sheer shock on Derek's face. I wound the windows down. "Oh, and Derek?"
When he looked at me with his jaw clenched, I smiled wryly at him. "Keep your fucking mouth shut. You never saw me."
I peeled out of the garage, seeing Derek's subtle nod in the rearview mirror.
I didn't care about the chaos I was leaving behind—my so-called family, my cheating fiancé, the assistant who fucked my cheating fiance, and who thought he had the right to speak to me after what I'd just witnessed. All I cared about was getting out of this city and as far away from Axel Blackwood as possible.
Because if I didn't run, I was about to be doomed.
But as I sped through the dark streets of the city, there was a sinking feeling at the bottom of my stomach. My father was a man who didn't take "no" for an answer. Running wouldn't stop him. It would only delay the inevitable.
Still, I couldn't stay and let my father and brother be dictators over my life. Not when I had a chance to escape.
I arrived at the main airport. Parking my car in the long-term lot, I stepped out with my bag. As I turned to look at my car one last time, my eyes spotted the small gift bag in the backseat. The gift bag my baby sister gave to me that I never got to open.
I started to reach for the door handle, but before I could pull the door open, I felt something cold against my forehead.
I knew without looking that it was a gun.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, trying to think of the most logical thing to say. Something that wouldn't get my head blown off.
My assailant was silent as my body vibrated with fear. And as I opened my mouth to beg for my life, I heard a voice to my left.
The thing was, this voice was so familiar to me. Deep. Cold. Calculating. A voice that wasn't capable of being anything but that.
It was a voice that could bring even the strong to their knees. I should know. Because it'd been two years since that voice whispered filthy things into my ears as he fucked me hard from behind.
"Going somewhere, Remira?"