Chapter 6

VALERIA 

Not long after Mrs. Hale left, one of the house helpers knocked gently on my door. She informed me that the people sent by the man I was to marry had arrived.

I wasn’t surprised he hadn’t come himself. Why would he? In his eyes, I likely wasn’t important enough to warrant a personal appearance, not after he'd maintained his mysterious person for so long.

Still, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Or at least... uneasy.

Marrying a man I knew virtually nothing about felt like walking off a cliff blindfolded. All I had to go on were the rumors of his personality. Ruthless. Vicious. Heartless. 

There were more. But they all meant the same thing: my groom wasn't going to be easy to please. In fact, living with him will likely be no different from being on a survival show. 

Fortunately, I had a trump card.

Something I’d been keeping tucked away, originally meant to negotiate my freedom with my father when the day came