Reign of Obsession

After the feast, Emily moved toward her family, her steps hurried and her expression anxious. She found her younger brother, Aiden, and pulled him into a tight embrace, her relief evident as she looked him over, ensuring he was truly unharmed.

"Aiden, are you all right?" she asked, her voice a blend of worry and tenderness. "I was so worried about you."

Aiden returned her hug with a gentle smile. "I'm fine, sister. He…treated me well enough. I think he just wanted to intimidate you." He paused, his gaze softening as he continued, "Now that you're his wife, maybe he won't trouble us anymore."

Her heart squeezed painfully at his words, but she pushed down her feelings, turning to her father, who stood nearby. His face was lined with concern, his eyes shadowed with regret as he met her gaze.

"I'm sorry, my child," he said softly, his voice rough with remorse. "I couldn't prevent this. I couldn't protect you as I should have."

Emily's lips pressed into a thin line as she looked at him, torn between her love for her family and the bitterness of her new reality. Her gaze drifted to where Niklaus was conversing with one of his generals, his presence commanding, his posture relaxed yet powerful, as if he owned not only the room but everyone within it.

Swallowing her frustration, she said quietly, "No need to apologize, Father. I suppose this is…my fate." She didn't miss the bitterness that crept into her voice, nor the resigned glint in her eyes.

As if he had heard her words, Niklaus looked over his shoulder, his dark eyes locking onto hers. A knowing smirk curved on his lips, a smirk that told her he knew exactly how she felt—and that he enjoyed it. He broke away from his conversation, striding toward her with an almost predatory grace, his gaze fixed on her with a possessive intensity that made her stomach tighten.

Emily quickly turned back to her family, hoping to ignore him, but she felt his presence right behind her. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her firmly to his side. She stiffened, feeling the press of his hand as if it branded her.

"And how are my lovely in-laws doing tonight?" Niklaus's voice was low, but the sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable, reverberating in the tense silence that filled the room.

Her father's expression tightened, his mouth set in a grim line as his hand instinctively moved closer to the hilt of his sword. Beside him, Aiden's jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists as he resisted the urge to retaliate, anger simmering beneath his cool facade.

Niklaus barely paid them any attention, his focus remaining on Emily. His thumb brushed slowly against her waist in a calculated gesture, his grip on her unyielding. The subtle touch felt like a claim, a taunting reminder of his control. His dark eyes glittered with amusement as he looked down at her, daring anyone to intervene.

"Seems no one here is in the mood for pleasantries," he said smoothly, his eyes narrowing on Adrian. "Then I'll simply take my queen with me."

Adrian's jaw tightened as he took a step forward, his hand still close to his sword. "We have nothing to discuss with a man who would force a woman into marriage."

Niklaus released Emily, his gaze sharpening as he moved directly in front of Adrian. His towering figure loomed over him, every inch radiating power and unspoken threats. "You misunderstand, little prince," he said, his voice dropping to a cold, deadly tone. "It isn't force when the woman is your life. Your every thought. Your obsession."

Emily's glare could have cut through iron. She was done with the tension, the posturing, and most of all, Niklaus's insufferable arrogance. "That's enough!" she snapped, her voice laced with authority as she looked between her father and brother. "Father, please. I believe you were leaving?"

Her father's shoulders sagged with resignation as he gave her a weary nod. Adrian, though visibly reluctant, obeyed, casting one last icy glare at Niklaus before stepping back. Emily's heart clenched at the helplessness of the moment—the frustrating realization that she held no control over either her husband or her family, bound by duty to both yet unable to reconcile the two.

As her family departed, Niklaus's hand found its way back to her waist, his grip firm and unrelenting, as if to remind her of his claim. His smirk returned, eyes gleaming with an almost cruel satisfaction as he leaned in and whispered, "Poor thing… You may dismiss them, but you can never dismiss me."

Emily's glare was fierce, her pulse racing as she fought to maintain her composure. She stared up at him, her chin tilted defiantly, anger blazing in her eyes. "I know that very well, because you are a monster," she bit back, her voice steady, her words as sharp as a blade. With a swift movement, she yanked herself from his hold, determined to show that, despite everything, her spirit remained unbroken.

But her attempt to escape was short-lived. She barely made it down the corridor before Niklaus's hand wrapped around her arm, his grip unyielding as he pulled her back, his strength leaving her with no choice but to follow. He guided her into a darkened room, closing the door behind them, the lock clicking with finality. The shadows cast by the dim light played across his face, giving his features a dangerous edge as he towered over her, blocking any possible escape.

"The next time you call me a monster," he murmured, his voice a low, threatening whisper, "you'll remember this." The dark promise in his words sent a shiver down her spine, but she refused to show weakness. Her chin remained defiantly raised, even as he drew her closer, shrinking the distance between them until the tension was almost unbearable.

Niklaus's hand moved from her arm to the back of her neck, his touch unexpectedly gentle yet firm, his thumb tracing a slow path along her skin. He studied her face intently, his gaze sweeping over her features, lingering on her eyes, her mouth, her cheekbones—as though he were etching every detail into his mind. His expression was unreadable, but there was a possessiveness in his eyes, a consuming hunger that made her heart race.

"You may despise me," he whispered, his voice barely more than a murmur, "but you belong to me now, Emily." His words were a dark claim, laden with an intimacy that unsettled her, his gaze never breaking away from hers. His fingers tightened slightly, pulling her even closer, their faces mere inches apart, his breath mingling with hers. She felt trapped in his gaze, unable to look away, caught between defiance and the unspoken pull that seemed to radiate from him.

Emily swallowed, her anger simmering beneath the surface, her heart hammering in her chest. Niklaus was relentless, his presence overwhelming, but she forced herself to meet his gaze, refusing to show him even a flicker of vulnerability. His smirk returned, a shadow of satisfaction curling at the corner of his lips, as though he knew the power he held over her, and was reveling in it.

Without releasing her, he leaned down until his lips brushed against her ear, his voice a low, tantalizing whisper. "No matter how far you try to run, you'll always end up back here, right by my side." His words were laced with dark certainty, each syllable embedding itself into her thoughts.

And despite her hatred for him, a twisted part of her feared he was right.