Chapter 2

2

As the ignored daughter of the Thorne family, I even had to buy my own wedding jewelry.

While I was picking out pieces at the boutique, Isabella's high-pitched, fake voice rang out.

"Oh my, isn't that my dear cousin?"

She raised her voice on purpose, making everyone in the store turn to look at us.

Nathaniel was holding her waist. He glanced at the golden bridal crown in my hand and scoffed.

"Aria, I thought you said you'd rather die than be my mistress. Why are you shopping for a wedding?"

Isabella swayed her hips as she stepped closer. "Aria, that crown is for a legal wife. A mistress like you…"

She picked up a cheap, plain silver pin and stuck it into my hair. "Something simple like this suits you much better."

I gripped the crown until my knuckles turned white. I was about to snap back when someone ripped the veil off my face.

Isabella was holding my veil, stumbling back a few steps with a fake gasp.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Aria! I tripped and caught it by mistake!"

The entire shop went silent. Then, the whispers started.

"Oh my god, look at her face…"

"That's horrifying. What are those scars?"

"Is that the Thorne girl? No wonder she hides under a veil."

The comments crawled into my ears like venomous snakes.

I saw the triumph dancing in Isabella's eyes.

She giggled. "Oh, Aria. With a face that ugly…"

"I don't think you're even worth the silver pin."

The cruelty of the crowd stung. I felt my scars burning under their judgment, and my eyes began to prickle with tears.

Nathaniel looked at me. Maybe he felt a tiny bit of pity, or maybe he just thought I was embarrassing him.

He waved his hand at his guards. "Clear the room! Everyone out!"

Once the crowd was gone, he walked toward me.

"Aria, stop being difficult. Look at your reputation now. Who else is going to take you? You really want to end up with a beggar?"

Isabella pouted, putting on a show of being heartbroken. "Nathaniel, you're so kind to her. I'm almost jealous."

Her eyes, however, were full of nothing but pure hatred for me.

Nathaniel ate it up. He loved being her hero.

"Don't worry, Isabella. You are my only wife. She's just a mistress. I'll never let her stand above you."

He turned back to me, his gaze turning cold and clinical.

"Aria, if you want to enter my house, you have to guarantee one thing: no children."

He signaled to his guard. The man stepped forward and held out a small glass vial.

I felt a surge of panic. I tried to back away, but Nathaniel grabbed my chin in a bruising grip.

"Be a good girl, Aria. You have to drink this medicine."

Isabella watched with a wicked, gleeful smile. She couldn't wait to see my future destroyed.

The bitter smell of the liquid hit my nose. I fought back, twisting my head. "I'm not drinking that! Who said I was going to be your mistress?!"

In the struggle, the vial hit the floor and shattered. The dark liquid splashed all over Nathaniel's expensive shoes.

His face turned purple with rage. He squeezed my jaw even harder.

"Aria Thorne, what the hell is wrong with you?"

I glared back at him, my eyes burning.

"It means… I would rather marry a literal trash-picker than spend a single night as your mistress!"

Nathaniel snapped. A dark, vicious look crossed his face.

"Fine! Since you want to be a brat, I'll give you exactly what you asked for!"

"If you won't be my mistress, you can be a toy for the street trash!"

He called out to his men, who dragged in a group of filthy, stinking beggars from the alleyway.

A group of men smelling of rot and cheap booze surrounded me.

Isabella looked delighted, though she still played her part. "Nathaniel, she's only saying that because she's jealous of me. It's all my fault."

Nathaniel hugged her. "Isabella, you're too kind. You offered her a home, and she threw it back in your face."

He looked at me with total contempt. "She brought this on herself."

Isabella leaned against his chest, her red lips curving into a smirk.

"Don't hate us, Aria. You did this to yourself."

She sighed with fake pity, her eyes sparkling with malice.

"But don't worry. These guys might be a bit dirty, but at least they're real men."

"That's still better than being married to a broken, impotent freak, right?"

I clenched my fists so hard my nails drew blood.

Nathaniel laughed, gripped Isabella's waist, and walked out the door.

"Have fun, Aria," he threw over his shoulder.

The door slammed shut, and the room went dim.

The beggars began to laugh, their yellow teeth bared as they closed in on me. The stench was overwhelming.

I backed up against the counter, my fingers digging into the wood.

Cold sweat poured down my back, but I refused to bow my head.

"Get back!" I screamed.

I grabbed a heavy copper mirror and smashed it against the closest one. "Touch me, and the Third Prince will have your entire families executed!"

the beggars paused for a second, then burst into roaring laughter.

"You think the Prince wants a used-up rag like you?"

A man with rotting teeth tore open his filthy shirt. "I've always wanted to know what a high-society girl tastes like…"

Suddenly, a dark shadow blurred past. It was followed by a blood-curdling scream.

I looked up in shock. A man in a silver mask stood before me, his long sword dripping with fresh blood.

The beggar was rolling on the floor, clutching his severed hand. The others had already scrambled away in terror.

The masked man nodded at me. Before I could even say thank you, he vanished.

He left behind a single jade pendant embossed with the Royal Crest.