"Let me go!" Kelsey shouted, yanking against him as he pulled her toward the door.
"I said let me go or I'll scream!"
Her voice echoed through the hallway, sharp and loud, but Lucien didn't even flinch. She twisted her arm hard, tried digging her heels into the floor, tried anything to wrench herself free—but he was unyielding.
"I'm not going with you!" she spat, planting both feet and thrashing like a wildcat. "You can't just walk in here and—"
Clearly tired of her resistance, Lucien stopped mid-step.
With one clean, powerful motion, he swept her off the floor and slung her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing.
"Put me down!" she screamed, pounding her fists against his back. "You're insane! Somebody help me!"
Her cries resonated down the hall, but no doors opened. No curious neighbors peeked through peepholes.
Her voice cracked from shouting, her fists useless against the solid strength of him. He didn't even stagger.
As the elevator doors opened, he stepped inside, calm as ever, and only then did he set her down. But not far. His hand stayed wrapped around her wrist like a steel cuff.
Kelsey backed into the corner of the elevator, chest heaving, wild-eyed.
"You're insane," she gasped. "This is kidnapping. This is a crime!"
He didn't respond. His eyes simply scanned her face with a passive expression. The soft ding of the elevator reaching the ground floor felt like a countdown to something worse.
Before she could bolt, his arm wrapped around her waist again and this time, he carried her bridal-style out of the elevator.
"Put me down! I'm not going anywhere with you!" she thrashed again, but it only made his grip tighten.
Outside, in the quiet glow of the underground parking lot, her breath caught.
A sleek, obsidian black car sat at the far end of the lot. His.
She hadn't even noticed it earlier, hidden behind a large pillar. He carried her straight to it, ignoring her kicks and slaps, and with one smooth motion, opened the door and shoved her inside.
He followed a second later, closing the door with a final, sharp click.
The driver—a man in black—didn't even look back. The engine purred to life, and the car slid forward into the night.
"You are an animal," Kelsey hissed, voice shaking with fury. "You're sick. What kind of man kidnaps aa person and acts like he's doing her a favor?!
Lucien stared ahead, completely unmoved by her words.
"I swear," she seethed, her fists clenched in her lap, "I will file for a divorce the second I get the chance. The first chance."
Her words bounced off him like stones off armor. She turned her head toward the window, yelling now just to hear herself over the anger bubbling in her chest.
"You want to ruin my life! I was happy! I built something for myself. And now you're back like some arrogant tyrant thinking you can just claim me like a possession!"
When she did not get any response from him, her voice eventually gave out. Her rage hadn't. But she was too tired to scream anymore. She crossed her arms and turned sharply to the window, lips pressed in a thin line, her jaw tight but it did not take long before she turned her head to meet his eyes that were already staring at her. Trying to be as calm as she could, she asked,
"Why are you doing this?"
"What?" He asked back.
"This...! First, you used my greedy parents so that you could marry me, and when I have now successfully built something of my own, you are ready to ruin it."
She responded, her eyes becoming a little teary with frustration.
There was a short silence in the car that felt somehow suffocating for her.
As she grew up, she had dreamt of having a boyfriend, getting married to someone who she loved and maybe live a simple life, just like an ordinary family. But even that had been taken away from her. Her father had quickly remarried after her mother's death, and with the new addition of new family members who never liked her, she had hoped that things would change the moment she became an adult, but itbseemed that she would lead a life of unhappiness because immediately after her graduation, she had been married off to this man.
Lucien ran his hand through his hair, and finally, after a long silence, he responded.
"Who said i want to ruin anything for you kelsey. If you could just agree to move in with me, then your life would get to go on the same way."
"But it's want none of this. I don't want a husband, I don't love you."
Her words did not draw any reaction on his face, but he moved closer to her, lifted his hand and took a strand of her hair. "It is too soon for you to decide whether you love me or not. But don't worry, my love is good enough for the both of us."
She could jot understand how he was coming up with such words in this situation and with a frustrated voice, she countered. "What if I never get to love you? It would be a waste of time for both of us."
Letting you of her hair, he said, "You don't have to worry about that. I am very confident when it comes to getting what I want." Pausing for a while, he continued,
"Do you know how hard it has been for me for the past one year. To have a wife, but no sex at all?"
His words brought a colour on her face, and he noticed it, but she looked away to face the window.
"No one stopped you from doing what you want." She responded while clearing her voice. She could not believe that this man was talking about such things even in front of his driver. What she did not know was that her words had pleased Lucien, and although she could not see it, there was a grin on his face.
"You are right. That's why the first place I came after landing into the country was to your place. It has been too long since I slept with a woman. It's driving me crazy having you this close yet I can't do what I want to do with you."
Her blood drained from her body at his words but then he added,
"_ But don't worry, I won't do anything that you wouldn't like. I will wait for you to catch up with my feelings so that I can finally have you."