by Fawn Bailey
Chapter 19
Ophelia
"We are going to go on a little trip today."
I looked at Max over my plate laden with pancakes. I'd been moving them around for the past few minutes, unable to sum up any kind of appetite for them.
"Where are we going?" I asked him, and he gave me a mysterious smile.
In moments like these, I almost believed him to be the same boy who used to be my best friend.
"Somewhere I can show you off," he said. "We were invited to a private viewing of a ballet. I believe your old friend, Harlow, will be dancing the main part."
"How exciting," I said, and for once, I actually wasn't lying.
I felt so alone in Max's home. There were no women around, and even if we had guests, Max kept me jealously locked away. I'd realized a while ago he hated it when people looked at me. It was as if I were a prized possession. I'd been behind bars with Kain, but with Max, they felt more real than ever.
I didn't see him for the rest of the day, and this time I got to pick out my own outfit. I'd learned my lesson the last time though, and I knew not to pick out something too daring. Max wouldn't have liked it.
I settled on a floor-length red gown made of a luxurious velvet. It was sleeveless and covered me up modestly. I wished I'd still had my mother's jewelry, but as far as I knew, it had stayed with Kain. The necklace would have looked beautiful with the dress I'd chosen.
I met Max outside the house where a limousine was waiting for us. If he was surprised by my demure choice of attire he didn't show it, making no remark as he opened the car door for me. I managed to climb inside with the strappy black heels I was wearing, and once we were sitting, Max handed me the program. Harlow would be performing The Swan Lake, dancing in both the main roles - Odette and Odile.
I didn't have much knowledge about ballet besides the obvious, but I knew two roles would be exhausting for my friend. My heart fluttered at the thought of seeing her again. It had been several weeks since I'd been around her, and I found myself missing another woman's company. Hell, even Pia from back at Thorn's Mansion would've been better than nothing.
The drive took two hours, and Max and I didn't speak a word on the way there. It only showed me how big the chasm between us had gotten. I had nothing to say to him anymore. He wasn't who he used to be, and the distance between us seemed insurmountable that night.
The limousine came to a stop in front of a beautiful historical opera house, and we climbed out on the red carpet. There were no photographers, but plenty of nosy onlookers who stared at us as I wrapped my faux fur wrap around my shoulders and walked towards the building. Max caught up with me, his hand proprietorially resting on the small of my back as he guided me into the opera.
The building was full of people I didn't know, but my heart soared with fear and happiness combined. It had been so long since I'd been out in public. At the same time, it filled me with fear and excitement.
Max handed me some opera glasses, still without saying a word. It seemed as if he were intent on ignoring me that whole night, which I was perfectly fine with. I was too enamored by my beautiful surroundings, curious about all the people who had come to watch Harlow's performance.
I glimpsed Thorn a few times, and finally, he came over, offering me a big grin.
"How are you doing, Ophelia, Max," he said, nodding at my companion.
Max looked stern and angry just like he usually did, and I didn't understand. Weren't the two supposed to be friends? I, on the other hand, was genuinely pleased to see Thorn, and I offered him a bright smile when he kissed the top of my hand.
"You must be proud to see Harlow dancing," I said softly.
If Thorn was surprised by the fact that I was speaking, he didn't show it. He just smiled and nodded.
"Very much so," he said softly. "Her biggest performance yet. I have no doubt that she will excel in her role."
He chatted with Max for a while before excusing himself, and I couldn't help but notice the concerned looks he was throwing in my direction. I suppose rescuing broken women was his job, and maybe he was still worried about me. I wished desperately I could tell him how much I hated my life, but I doubted it would make much of a difference. The Marinos had owned me for a long time. I had a debt to them, a promise I hadn't fulfilled, and now it was time to pay for it.
Finally, we all started moving towards our seats. I saw Thorn sitting in the front row, but Max and I got seats in the balcony. As we sat down, I asked him to see the program again, and he handed me the crumpled piece of paper.
I opened the pamphlet and my eyes grew wider when I saw a message scribbled on top of the paper.
Behave yourself.
I looked around, trying to see if he was there. It was unmistakeably Kain's handwriting, and the mere sight of it was like a shot of adrenaline to my heart.
"What are you looking for?" Max barked at me, and I covered the pamphlet with my hand.
"I was hoping to see Harlow," I said with an innocent smile. "I suppose she's backstage, though."
"Of course she is," Max grunted, then turned away from me to speak to the man sitting next to him, forgetting all about me.
It served me well because my heart was pounding and my thoughts revolved around one person only - and it sure as hell wasn't Harlow, though I was excited to see her performance.
I glanced down at the crowd, and for a second, I was sure I'd seen him standing amidst the people, staring right up at me. But the second I blinked, he was gone. Was I imagining it all? Had my poor mind finally stopped working, playing tricks on me until I was a confused, shaking mess?
I didn't have long to think about it. The lights dimmed and the curtains opened, and there she was, beautiful Harlow Granger standing center stage as Odette, the Swan Princess.
I watched her performance, completely forgetting about everything going on in my life. When Harlow danced, it was impossible to take your eyes off her. She was a beautiful girl but on the stage she truly came alive. I wondered how Thorn saw it - he'd blocked off the entire front row and he sat there alone, watching her every move closely.
I was enchanted by her performance, and by the time the break happened, everyone in the opera was talking about her incredible dancing.
But I was back to worrying about the phantom I'd seen amidst the crowd.
"You seem distracted," Max told me, and I looked right at him, pretending everything was okay as I laughed nervously.
"I suppose it's because I haven't been out in such a long time," I confessed. "It's been years..."
"Understandable," he nodded, then gave me a sideways glance. "Why don't you get yourself a snack? Come back here before the break ends."
He handed me some money and I stared at the crisp bills barely believing my luck. I thanked him and left the booth, practically running downstairs.
I'd almost reached the concession stand when I ran into an expensively dressed woman. She laughed out loud and stopped me with her hands on my shoulders.
"Now, who have we here?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "I haven't seen you before, but you do look awfully familiar. What's your name?"
"Ophelia," I said, my eyes dancing over the crowd, trying to locate him. I didn't have time for chatter. I needed to make sure I found Kain if he was actually there.
"Ophelia? Ophelia who?" The woman giggled, and I finally gave her a better look.
"Ophelia Sokolov," I told her, and in an instant, her face paled.
"S-Sokolov?" she whispered. "You're... You're Ophelia Sokolov?"
"Yes," I nodded. "Why?"
By then my curiosity had gotten the better of me and I decided to pay more attention to the woman in front of me. She did look oddly familiar... But I couldn't place her.
"Have we met?" I asked her, and she looked away.
Was I imagining it or had I seen a trace of tears in her eyes.
"I used to know your papa," she admitted. "Many years ago. Ophelia, you must know..."
; "Know what?"
A hand wrapped around my waist, and I looked over my shoulder to find Max standing there, glaring at the woman who suddenly looked even more flustered.
"Hello, Max," she said, her tone changing instantly. She seemed more guarded, careful now. "I was just speaking to Ophelia about... old times."
"Old times belong in the past," Max replied with an icy smile. "And I do believe I've had just enough of reminiscing. Come, Ophelia."
He tugged on my hand but I refused to move, my eyes glued to the overly emotional woman in front of me.
"Are you alright?" I asked her worriedly, and she waves her hand dismissively.
"I'll see you again, Ophelia," she said softly. "I'll see you very soon."
Max smirked at her and dragged me away. As we were moving towards the exit my faux fur wrap came undone and dropped to the ground. I started to bend to pick it up, but Max kept pulling me forward determinedly.
"Wait," I begged him. "Max, please!"
"Keep moving," he barked at me. "Don't you fucking stop."
I felt people staring at us as we made our way out of the opera. Once we were outside, the red carpet didn't look so fancy anymore. It looked like the floor was covered in blood.
"Max, what's going on?" I asked exasperatedly. "Where are we going? There's a second part to the ballet!"
"I know," he barked at me. "And you're not going to fucking see it, princess."
With those words, he stashed me in the limo that had suddenly appeared in front of us as if on command. Someone must've been on standby waiting for us.
Max forced me into the car and I cried out when he scratched my skin in an effort to wrestle me in the car. My eyes filled with tears, not because I was scared but because I was angry. He had no right to treat me that way, and my anger brewed underneath the surface as he stashed me in the car.
He didn't speak to me for the rest of the ride home, even when I started to sob helplessly. The fear was too much to handle, and I didn't understand what was going on. Yet he didn't offer an explanation.
Once we got back, he didn't open the door for me. He stormed inside, slamming doors as he walked into the house, and I followed sheepishly behind. In the commotion of everything that had happened, I'd manage to lose the program with Kain's handwriting.
As I lay in my cage that night, I couldn't help wondering whether I'd imagined it all.
Chapter 20
Ophelia
3 months later
It was official - the wedding was happening. We were in the final stages of preparation. The seamstress was coming in for the final fittings and I was supposed to be beaming with joy over finally becoming Max's wife like I had been supposed to all those years ago. So why was I filled with sorrow? It wasn't because of Ryker... and I didn't want to admit to myself that it was because of Kain, either.
I'd been having dreams about him night after night. He snuck into my cage at night, held me close and told me all the dirty things he was going to do to me once he got me back. It was no question whether I'd still be his - I'd never stopped belonging to my Master. But he made sure to whisper all the ways he was going to hurt me in my ear, and my body responded to the delicious treats even in my sleep. I kept waking up panting, covered in sweat, with painfully hard nipples and my hand between my legs.
I tried to stop thinking about him as I stood in the library, where I was swatched with fabric. The seamstress was thrilled, chattering about this and that and trying to narrow down the choice of veils I had. If she was confused by my unenthusiasm, she didn't mention it. I suppose in her line of work, being hired by people like the Marinos, she'd seen plenty of weddings with unwilling brides.
"Arms up," she said cheerfully, and I obeyed while she took some extra measurements. "You're just dropping weight much too fast. We're going to have to take the dress in an extra inch!"
I stared ahead without expression any kind of feeling about her statement. This seemed to annoy her, and she pricked me with her pins, making me glare at her.
But really, I was jealous of the poor woman. She had a life of her own and probably made her own decisions. I didn't have that luxury. When I was a little girl up to then and there, I'd been a pawn in someone else's game.
"The dress looks wonderful," the seamstress said, ignoring my pointed look from before. "Let's slip it on. And we also have your trousseau ready. I do think you'll look exquisite in the midnight blue color, especially with your pale skin..."
The veil came off, the negligee came on. And then she put on my wedding dress, with a thousand little buttons in the back of the bodice. They were a pain to get done, and she spent long minutes doing up my back while I held up my hair. Finally, the woman stepped back with a triumphant look on her face, as if to say she'd accomplished the impossible even with such a pain in the ass client.
"You look beautiful."
I turned around towards the sound of the voice, and my cheeks blushed a deep red color as I saw Max standing the doorway, staring at me hungrily, like a wolf.
"Max!" I said with exasperation. "You're not supposed to be here... You know the groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding!"
"I don't believe in stupid superstitions," he said, shrugging and approaching me slowly as if he were stalking his prey.
The seamstress blushed and stepped aside, giving us some privacy. I could tell Max made her nervous, but I didn't feel sorry for her. She wasn't the one marrying him, after all, and he'd be much more cruel to me than he'd ever been to her.
"It suits you," he said, and I turned back toward the mirror, looking at my reflection.
The dress had a fitted bodice and a princess-like tiered skirt. The fabric was white, fluffy and sequined, embellished to perfection. It truly was the dress a princess would wear... And I didn't want it. I didn't want any of this.
"Thank you," I replied, my body freezing when he approached me from behind, his finger tracing the line of buttons on the back.
"This will be hard to get off," he said thoughtfully. "I'll have to rip it off you."
"Please don't," the seamstress cut in, giving him a horrified look. "It's an authentic Wang... We don't want to ruin it."
"No?" Max asked with his eyebrows raised, tugging on the buttons. "I say we do whatever the fuck we want to with it. I've got enough money for a new one, don't I?"
"Yes, of course," the woman hurried, trying not to offend my fiancé. "But the timing... It's only a couple of days. We'd never get a new gown."
She swallowed nervously and Max stared into his eyes, then grinned widely and laughed out loud. And then he started ripping the dress. Slow, methodical rips, until the buttons were flying off and the seamstress was so pale I thought she'd just pass out on the floor.
I just stood there uselessly, too afraid to fight it and too stunned to do a thing.
"Much better," Max said, the sound of rows and rows of buttons still hitting the floor. "I like you better with your tits out anyway."
The seamstress gaped as he leaned forward and took my mouth in a punishing kiss, not giving me a second to catch my breath. I was still as a statue, too afraid to do something that would set him off even more.
He moved away and glared at the poor woman who was still standing uselessly in the corner.
"Get the fuck lost!" he roared at her, and the woman scrambled out of the room.
She couldn't get out of there fast enough, and my heart fluttered with jealousy because at least she'd been able to get away.
Max touched my tits cruelly, twisting my nipples until I yelped in pain.
"Maybe I'll make you walk down the aisle like this," he told me darkly. "That's what that monster Kain would have done, isn't it?"
I didn't dare answer, just shut my eyes tightly and prayed he wouldn't hurt me.
"You better look at me, princess," Max threatened. "I want your eyes on mine all day when the wedding happens. I want you grateful for what you're marrying into."
He tucked a stray strand o
f hair behind my ear and I swallowed thickly, my body alight with the fear I felt being around him.
"You do know you're nothing without us, don't you?" he asked softly. "Nothing without our kindness... You'd still be with that son of a bitch if it weren't for us. You know that, right?"
I nodded without making a sound.
"Damn right you should be grateful," Max grunted, pulling on my nipple so hard I had to bite my lip so I wouldn't cry out.
I didn't want to provoke him. I didn't want this to end worse than it already was.
"I'll see you soon, princess," Max said, and for some reason, it sounded more like a threat than a promise. "Goodbye."
He walked out of the room, leaving me with a ripped wedding dress that cost thousands, and buttons scattered all over the floor.
I was getting to sleep, still shaking after everything that had happened with Max.
It was late at night, and I assumed Max was out doing God knows what like he usually was those days. It was a nice and balmy night, so I left my bedroom window open wide when I crawled into the cage.
I knew Max hated the cage, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he took that away from me, too. I clung to it because it was my only reminder of Kain. I knew Max would enjoy taking it away from me, but there mere thought of sleeping in a bed with him made me sick to my stomach.
I was slowly drifting off to sleep when I heard the smallest noise from outside. I tried to ignore it, but the sound was persistent, so I finally sighed and crawled out of the cage to close my window. As I approached it, I saw small pebbles littering the windowsill, and my brows knitted together in worry. What was going on?
I looked through the window into the dark, warm night. The moon was almost full, giving the gardens below an inviting glow. But that wasn't what I was noticing. My eyes settled on a familiar figure beneath the window.
He was motioning for me to come down.
It couldn't be him. Surely I was dreaming.
I rubbed my eyes and when I moved my hands away, the figure was gone. Surely I'd imagined it.
