Sentenced to Marriage by MadlainQ

Facing the enemy 

Callan stood in front of me, his eyes looking at me with an odd sadness and pain. He had no jacket on. His shirt was half–unbuttoned, and its sleeves were rolled up. The sleekly combed hair he had before was now ruffled. As he stepped toward me, I could smell alcohol in his breath. 

“Why are you with him, Cora?” he asked softly. 

“W–what?” His painful tone caught me off–guard more than his words. “Is it because I have never told you that I’m a Winton?” He stepped closer, his eyes tightly locked on mine. 

“What are you talking about?!” I stepped back, desperately trying to keep my distance. 

He sighed heavily and sat on the bed. “It was my Grandfather‘s idea. He forced me to use my Mother‘s name, scared that I would somehow dishonor the Winton name by involving myself in scandals while away from home. Only the professors knew that my name wasn‘t Garrod.” 

“Why are you telling me this? Why now?” I took another step back and found myself leaning against the wall. 

“I should have told you who I am...” he mumbled. “Would it change anything? You dumped me, remember?” I huffed. He pulled himself back up to his heels and lurched to grab me by my arms. “I had to! Grandpa would have disinherited me if I wanted to marry someone who… who...” 

“Someone like me?” I scoffed. “Someone without money or connections?” 

He lowered his head, stroking down my arms‘ length with his fingers, making me flinch. 

to leave,” I said, his touch nauseating

he whispered. “My family has already met

talk about getting back together, let alone marrying?! There were days when I wished he had proposed, but it was long before I realized how abusive this person might

not your business. You need to leave,” I squeezed through

what could come to his sick head at the moment he was drunk, frustrated, and angry. I was in

weaker by the

eyes scanning my body wrapped in a silk nightgown. “Does he

way I fucked you. It did feel good,

me, pulling me into a tight embrace as he tried to kiss me,” I‘ll make you

I screamed, tilting my head away and trying to slap him,

play rough as always.” His icy laugh brought back the

him. 

release myself, but his grip only tightened. A moment later, I found myself withering and helplessly fighting against his strength. “Let go, you psychopath!” “Cora?!” I heard Aren‘s voice coming from behind the

ounce of remaining strength within me. “Aren!” I shouted before Callan clamped my mouth with his hand to silence me. I used a moment of his distraction and stomped on his foot. As he loosened his grip on me, I bit his hand. “Aren! Help!” Aren rattled the door handle violently, but it was locked. Callan smirked mischievously, his cold, predatory eyes locked on me. “You bastard!” I used all of my strength to push him away and rushed to the door to open it. He was faster. He stopped me and violently pushed me

as he threw himself at me, pinning me

again. I screamed and cursed at Callan, but he didn‘t stop. I tried to kick him, but he restrained me. My weak body couldn‘t match his strength and the body weight of an over–six–foot–tall man. His sleazy hands went underneath the silk of my gown, touching my thighs and trying to slide between them. Suddenly, the door broke, and Aren barged into the room, his eyes blazing in fury. Callen jumped away from the bed, a wicked grin curving his lips. “She let me in herself. She was the one who seduced me,” he said, pointing at me while I lay on the bed trembling.. Aren glanced at me, his jaw clenched. His icy stare

Faring the party 

as he lurched at Aren, trying to rain him down. Aren punched his ribs, and a split second later, threw Callan over his shoulder. I gasped, barely registering his movements. Once Callan hit the floor, Aren started punching