Page 47 of Blackmailed to the Altar

I stood there for a moment, unable to answer. Of course, I wanted a future. But not this future. Not one where I had no control over my own life. I didn’t want to be married to a man who saw me as a means to an end. I didn’t want to be someone’s trophy wife. But Riccardo didn’t care about what I wanted. He wasn’t here to negotiate. He was here to remind me who was in charge.

“Security?” I echoed, my voice tinged with anger. “You think I need you for security? I can stand on my own, Riccardo. I don’t need to be part of your empire to feel safe.”

He took a step closer, his voice now cold, measured. “You will need me. You don’t have a choice in the matter.”

The words hungin the air between us, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. It was like everything had narrowed down to this one moment; this one truth I couldn’t escape. I was trapped in this world, bound by my dangerous secrets, by my obligations, by this blackmail. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

But before I could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket, cutting through the tension. Riccardo pulled it out without a second thought, glancing at the screen. I felt a sinking feeling in my chest. Business. Of course. It always came back to that. Always.

“I need to take this,” he said, his tone flat. “It won’t take long. I promise.”

I wanted to say something, to scream at him for ignoring me, for treating me like I was insignificant compared to whatever deal he was making on the other end of the line, but I bit mylip instead. It wasn’t worth it. Nothing was ever worth it when it came to Riccardo.

He walked a few steps away from me, his focus entirely on the phone call, his voice now cool and detached as he spoke in a language I couldn’t understand. A language of power, of manipulation, of the very thing I despised. He was already a world away, leaving me to stand there, seething with frustration, alone with my thoughts.

“Of course, I understand,” Riccardo’s voice floated back to me, too calm, too collected. “We’ll discuss the terms at the meeting tomorrow. Ensure everything is in order.” He paused. “Good. I’ll take care of it.” The call ended abruptly, and he turned back toward me, his expression now professional, like nothing had happened.

It took everything in me not to storm off right then and there. I’d spent enough time letting him manipulate me, letting him believe that I would simply fall into line. But not anymore.

“You’ll take care of it?” I asked, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “What about me, Riccardo? Don’t you care about me at all? Don’t you even see me as a person?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he simply walked back over to where I stood, his eyes cold and unyielding. There was no emotion there, nothing that indicated he cared. It was as if my feelings didn’t even register in his world.

His gaze softened as he reached out for my hand once more. This time, I didn’t pull away. Not because I wanted him to hold me, but because I was exhausted, emotionally drained from the constant tug-of-war between what I wanted and what I had to accept.

“Come with me,” he said, his voice low, his tone unyielding. “Let’s take a walk. I’ll show you that you don’t need to worry. I’ll make sure you’re happy.”

I stood frozen for a moment, my anger bubbling under the surface, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t want to go with him. I didn’t want to walk beside him like nothing had happened, like this was just another day in a life I had no say in.

“No,” I snapped, jerking my hand away from his, my voice louder than I meant it to be. “You’re not listening to me. You think you can control me. You think that your power, your money, your promises will win me over, but I’m not one of your assets to manage. I’m not here to make you look good. I’m not your prize.”

Riccardo’s face twisted into something between annoyance and frustration, and for the first time, I saw the cracks in his mask. His jaw clenched, his hands curled into fists at his sides. But then he took a deep breath, smoothed out the lines of his expression, and in a voice colder than I’d ever heard it, he said, “You’ll learn, Mya. Some things can’t be avoided. We have a role to play in this world. And you’re no different.”

I stood there, my chest heaving with anger, the words sinking into me like a slow poison. There was no escape. There was no way out.

All I wanted in that moment was to break free; to get away from him, from the life he was trying to force me into. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple.

I was trapped.

And Riccardo would make sure I stayed that way.

I tried backing away slowly as his gaze grew wicked, but he pinned me down and tweaked my nipples. I gasped, and he smiled wide. He pinched my nipples again, as he covered my mouth with his. My eyes fluttered closed despite everything, and my hands strayed down his body.

“Take your dress off and bend over the couch,” Riccardo panted against my lips as he popped the buttons off my dress.

I moaned, and did just that. I reached for my pumps, but his hand stopped mine.

“Leave the shoes.” His tenor dropped an octave, and it gave me chills.

I readied myself over the couch, waiting for that inevitable thrust.

“We are going to do honor bondage. I’ll get into detail at a later date, but for now, if I put you in a position, I expect you to hold it. I have nothing with me to keep you in that position, so you are giving me your word that you will hold it. Understand?”

I nodded my head, I already knew about that, but Riccardo pinched my cheeks. “Yes,” I squeaked.

“Keep your hands on the couch, and no matter what, don’t reach back,” he growled.

My pussy clenched at his terms alone. I was soaked and half-naked where anyone could see me. If this wasn’t living life in the fast lane, I didn’t know what was. I assumed the position, and Riccardo maneuvered my legs to suit him. He spread them obscenely, and I knew he could see both my holes with the way I was bent over.

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