Page 511 of Hate Mates

Besides his initial hesitation over my father’s stipulation that I came as part of a package with my specific bodyguard, Carlos Medeiros' first son, Benicio, was every bit the perfect gentleman in public—smiling, charming, exchanging pleasantries with the elite who came to celebrate this twisted arrangement…and constantly kissing the back of my hand in reverence. I knew having an intact maidenhood gave me more value…but this? It was almost disgusting how he and his father beamed at the news. His grin was always wide, the kind of grin that you could never quite trust. His eyes—dark, calculating—always lingeredjust a bit too long, making my skin crawl every time they found mine.

But the moment the final vows were exchanged, when the rings were slid onto my trembling finger, everything changed.

The moment we were out of sight of the guests and behind the closed doors of our new home, Benicio's smile disappeared. The facade cracked, revealing the cold, ruthless man beneath. I could feel it in the air—an immediate shift, like stepping from one world into another.

The car ride to our new mansion was silent, save for the sound of the engine rumbling beneath us, as if it, too, could sense the heavy shift in the atmosphere. My stomach twisted with anxiety, my chest tight as the miles rolled by. Romy was forced into a separate vehicle behind us and for once, I admittedly regretted the distance. Though I didn’t trust Romy, I trusted Benicio Medeiros even less.

Romy was the most familiar of two evils here.

When we finally arrived, I barely had time to take in the sprawling estate—large, ominous, like a prison waiting for its new inhabitant. I felt like an intruder in my own life. This washishouse now.

Benicio didn’t speak as we entered, only gesturing for me to follow. The hallway stretched ahead, a tunnel of darkness and cold, and as I stepped through the threshold, I felt my throat tighten with dread. His mansion was an extension of his soul—elegant, yes, but suffocating, with walls that seemed to watch and whisper.

We hadn’t even exchanged a word before he spun around on his heel, his hand grabbing my wrist with a force that made my breath hitch in my chest.

“You’ll learn to behave here, Nádia,” his voice was a low growl, sending a chill through me. “You’re not the little princess anymore. You’remywife now. And you’ll obey.”

I could barely find my voice. What the heck was he talking about? “What do you?—”

He cut me off with a sharp laugh, his grip tightening painfully around my wrist. “You don’t get to ask questions, not anymore. You’re here because of a deal, and that’s all this is. Adeal, Nádia. Nothing more. Don’t think for a second you have any control over what happens next.”

I tried to pull away, but his hand was like iron, his gaze hard and unforgiving as he walked me backward until the back of my knees hit a couch. There was a darkness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen during the ceremony—the mask had slipped, and now I saw the monster that lurked beneath.

“Get used to it,” he hissed through gritted teeth, his breath hot against my ear. “You’ll be seeing a lot of this side of me.”

His clammy hands began undressing me right there. I shuddered, but it wasn’t from the cold. What? I wasn’t even allowed the decency of a bedroom? Surely there were servants about? I wasn’t about to put on a show. I struggled against his grip and kneed him in the chest, creating enough distance for me to slip around the other side of the couch.

His pupils dilated and a wicked smile stretched across his face as he began to follow me, removing his shirt in the process.

Each step I took in the sprawling mansion became heavier, the silence more oppressive. I wanted to scream, to run, but Benicio’s eyes followed me everywhere, cold and measured. He was daring me to continue this insubordination. I was contemplating how fast I could run to his kitchen to grab the nearest knife.

“This is how you want to start our marriage, Nádia?” he chuckled, licking his lips. For every step he took, I took one step back, trying to find my escape. “I heard about how lenient your father had become with you. It was one of the main reasonsI wanted you. It’s been a long time since I could play with something so…feral.”

What did he just say?

“You’re mine now, Nádia. Bought and paid for,” he smirked.

“Over my dead body.”

“Don’t give me promises you can’t keep, baby girl. You’re mywife. You’ll learn to behave, or I’ll teach you,” he purred right before he lunged for me, knocking a lamp off the table.

I shivered at the coldness in his words, realizing just how much of a prison this mansion had become—more so than my own home.

I turned to run, only to have my face slam onto the floor as he grabbed my ankle, dragging me back with a cackle.

I snapped, unable to hold it in any longer. “You can’t just?—”

He cut me off by dragging me across the floor to the closest wall, then forcing me to my feet. Slamming his hand against the wall beside me, he leaned in and licked the side of my face like a rabid dog.

“The taste of innocence has always been my favorite flavor,” he groaned, thrusting himself against me between our clothes. My hand moved before I could give it a command, slapping his face with a loud smack that reverberated through the room. I ducked just quick enough for his fist to land through the drywall. Bringing my knee up, I slammed into his crotch, giving me enough time to run out the front door.

I caught some of the maids with their hands over their mouths, their eyes full of betrayal as they glared in my direction. Me? ME? They were all serving a tyrant!

The moment I crossed the threshold of Benicio’s mansion, something stirred within me—a fleeting, foolish hope that I could escape. I should have known better. It was all a cruel lie. Where would I go? I couldn’t go back to my father’s house.Benicio was right about one thing—I was already bought and paid for, sealed in a contract of power and blood.

But still, my eyes were drawn to the sprawling woods surrounding Benicio’s estate. My pulse quickened as I stared at it, a weak beacon of escape. I just needed to run…

“Nádia!” Benicio’s roar shattered my thoughts. Heart pounding in my chest, I kept running down his steps, already knowing what was coming but willing to risk it anyway.

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