The Tyrant's Bride: His Plaything, His Prisoner

When Aria stepped out, the waiter was just approaching with a steaming cup of coffee.

But Carter, with his ever-commanding presence, ignored him completely.

Instead, he stood up and walked toward her.

"Do you still like it?" His voice was calm, his words slicing through the air like a knife.

Aria's heart skipped a beat.

No matter how much she might have liked it under different circumstances, at this moment, she didn't want anything to do with it.

She shook her head immediately, her voice quiet but firm.

"It's not very good."

The waiter, visibly nervous, hovered awkwardly.

As he placed the cup down, Carter's sharp voice cut through the silence. "Do you want coffee?"

Before Aria could respond, he commanded, "Bring it over."

The waiter hesitated, his hands trembling as if Carter's presence alone could crush him.

The tension in the air only made things worse.

Just as he stepped closer, disaster struck, the coffee cup tipped, its contents spilling all over Aria's white skirt.

A gasp escaped her lips as the hot liquid soaked through the fabric.

The waiter's face paled, and in his panic, he fumbled, dropping the cup onto the floor where it shattered into pieces.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—" The waiter's words were rushed, desperate.

He dropped to his knees, pleading.

Carter's cold snort echoed, laced with disdain. "Is this what you call 'high-end' service?"

Aria felt her cheeks burn, a mix of embarrassment and frustration bubbling inside her.

Without another word, she rushed back to change her clothes.

When she returned, the waiter was still kneeling on the ground, looking utterly defeated.

A man in a sharp suit stood nearby, clearly the manager.

"Boss Montgomery, please forgive us!" the manager pleaded. "He's new and doesn't understand the rules yet. He just came from the countryside—"

Carter's piercing gaze silenced him immediately. "Then perhaps your establishment is best suited for country folk. Let's go."

Aria followed quietly, her steps small and hesitant.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, warmth blossomed in her chest.

It was as if, in that moment, Carter's harshness wasn't entirely cruel, it had protected her, in its own way.

But her fleeting gratitude was quickly extinguished when Carter turned to her, his tone dripping with scorn. "Shame on you. Is your mouth just for decoration?"

The words hit her like a slap, and her lips parted in protest, but no sound came out.

He was furious, but she couldn't understand why.

Didn't he know how much she wanted to be confident?

Confidence didn't come out of thin air, it had conditions, and she had none of them.

Any positive feelings she'd harbored evaporated in an instant.

The silence between them stretched as Carter led her into another fashion boutique.

Aria trailed behind, her brows furrowed, clearly unhappy. Carter didn't seem to care.

He briskly picked out two outfits, tossing them to her without so much as a glance.

"Go try them on."

She obeyed reluctantly, eventually settling on a lotus-pink knee-length dress with intricate embroidery.

It fit her perfectly, softening her features and bringing out a quiet grace she hadn't realized she had.

Carter paid the bill without a word. The two of them walked out side by side, but the air between them was tense.

From the outside, they might have looked like a quarreling couple, each too stubborn to admit fault.

Little did they know, someone had been watching.

Kai, passing by, had spotted Carter and a woman together through the store window.

His curiosity got the better of him, and he circled the block twice just to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

Finally, unable to resist, he jogged to catch up, cutting them off at the next intersection.

"Brother Carter, it's really you!" Kai was panting, but his excitement was clear.

Carter stopped, his face calm but his eyes narrowing slightly.

Kai's gaze shifted to Aria, who was just lifting her face to look at him.

His smile froze, and his expression turned to shock as if he'd seen a ghost.

"You...Ari..." The word escaped him before he could stop it.

Aria blinked, confused. "Are you talking to me? Ari what?"

Carter's eyes darkened, and Kai quickly recovered, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Uh, I meant...what a rare guest! Brother Carter, with a woman by your side? That's something I never thought I'd see!"