Page 9 of Cruel Promise

A white bed. Gray carpet. Gray walls. It’s all so depressing. The home my mom and I built together was so full of color and life. The reason was because my father never allowed any color in our house. It was all white all the time. If I ever made a mess, he would scream at me.

“I’ll let you be.” Edmund leaves before I can object, shutting the door behind him. I slump onto the bed.

Still, I don’t cry. I can’t think of my mother in this place. I can’t think of her lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to her stomach.

I need to move. I need to do something.

So, I leave the room.

Edmund didn’t lock me inside, which tells me I’m not a prisoner here.

I walk down the hallway, slowly, paying attention to everything I see, and once again, everything I see is … nothing. No pictures anywhere. No paintings. No nothing. Just dark gray and black walls.

There’s a door at the end of the hallway. It has a large lion’s face for a doorknob. It’s pure and utter Gothic, and I need to know what’s behind it.

I reach my hand out for it …

“What are you doing?” a man’s voice asks. A voice I haven’t heard yet.

With a yelp, I turn around and freeze.

This manscreamsdangerous. Tall, dark hair, a scowl, and an intimidating presence.

A deep scar covers his face, but it doesn’t make him any less handsome.

“Uh …” is all I can say.

“That room is not for you. Go back to your own room.”

I nod quickly and run past him, going straight into the room Edmund put me in.

After I shut the door behind me, I realize—I think I just met Nikolai Petrov.

Chapter

Two

Ipace around my bedroom for a long time after my encounter with that scary man. I assume it’s Nikolai, the man who bought me, but who knows? There could be even more people living in this black and white Gothic mansion.

But no. I know that was Nikolai. His presencescreamed“man of the house.” He just looked so angry when he told me to go back to my room. Why would he buy me, make a deal for me with my father, then just ignore me?

The scar along his face was ugly, I’ll admit. It only served to make him more intimidating. But I’m full of questions. How did he get it? Why does he want me? And why hasn’t he come to talk to me?

I want that man far away from me, but I can’t deny I’m curious. I have nothing left to lose anymore. My mom is dead. My father betrayed me to the core. I was treated like property when I was sold to Nikolai.

The last thing I want is to die in this house.

I want to live even though the pain of losing my mother tears at me. I still push the tears away. I’m not ready yet.

There’s a full length mirror in the room. Black ornate edges with carving in them. I see a lion’s face within it—just like on thedoor Nikolai didn’t want me going into. This whole place is full of beasts. I’m going to get eaten alive.

Staring at myself in the mirror, I notice the stark contrast between myself and the black, white, and gray interior of this place. My hair is golden, and my dress is white with yellow flowers. It’s like I’m Persephone, minding my business in my mother’s garden until Hades comes to steal me away.

I didn’t have much light growing up. My father made sure of that. So, when my mom and I left him and made it on our own, I made sure to always have my own light. Now, I can feel it slowly getting snuffed out.

My eyes flick behind the mirror to a walk-in closet full of clothes. Women’s clothes. Dresses and tops and skirts. No pants, I notice. Everything is either black or gray. No white, curiously enough. No pinks or blues or greens or purples. There’s no color to this wardrobe.

I check the size on one of the dress and go cold. It’s my size. Did Nikolai buy these for me? Or are they left behind from a previous woman?

---