Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27214 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
He looked at Winnie that night, her nose dripping blood from where she had been punched. One of her eyes was already swollen shut, her clothes torn and disarrayed. She had asked if he was going to kill her. The answer should have been yes. Instead, he gave her an ultimatum. She could live, but she was going to have to marry him.
He expected her to refuse. Winnie had looked at him, and then said yes. She agreed to marry him. Her life had been fucked up, and in an odd way, he’d been her savior. Now, he gave her everything.
Four years had passed, and she was the perfect wife. She never questioned him. Never complained. She asked for things, but they were never outlandish. He treated her like the princess she was.
Elias made up for Winnie’s years of being tossed aside, treated like trash, and forgotten within the system. Now, as he looked at her, she had blossomed into a beautiful woman he couldn’t stop thinking about.
Her brown hair, short when he met her, was now long, thick, and curly. He made sure she had regular appointments at the salon. He had many beauty rooms built for her, and she spent hours learning how to apply makeup.
He also watched this process. He watched her hesitate. For many weeks after they were married, Winnie struggled to be free. She kept expecting someone to come in and take it all away from her. This is what he witnessed and he hated it.
It was hard to stand back and wait for her to flourish, but eventually she did. She shone brighter than he ever anticipated.
However, he was starting to get the sense she wasn’t happy. She didn’t talk to him about it, but he knew something was starting to bother her, and he didn’t quite know what to do.
They arrived at their apartment, and he stepped out, waiting for his wife to take his hand. His men knew not to interfere. Winnie was to be taken care of, but if he caught anyone looking at her with a lingering eye, there would be hell to pay.
Walking into the building, he placed a hand at her back, and then proceeded to climb onto the elevator. In the reflection of the elevator doors, he saw her staring off into the corner.
She was the only woman he knew that never gave him a fucking clue as to what she was thinking. It drove him crazy.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he said.
This caught her attention. She glanced over at him and then looked down at herself, before looking at him again. She wore a dress that curved around her breasts and flared out, but it hinted at the shape beneath. He noticed she rarely wore clothes that emphasized her hips, and she had more than a generous handful.
“Thank you.”
“I have a few days, what would you like to do?” he asked.
“What?”
“I’m not needed for the next couple of days, so if there is anything you would like to do, let me know.”
The elevator doors opened up.
“You’re … staying home?”
“Yes,” Elias said.
“And you want to do something together?”
“Yes, so if you have anything in mind, let me know.”
It was the first time he had given her any kind of opening. Usually, he was the person to make plans, not her.
“What would you like to do?” he asked.
“Uh … I have no idea,” Winnie said. “What do you like to do?”
They entered their apartment, and the truth was, Elias did everything he wanted to do. He ruled the fucking city, and he kept people in line. This was what he did every day. He made money, and he killed people that dared betray him.
“This is not about what I want to do. What would you like to do?”
He expected her to want to go shopping, or to the beach.
“Well, there’s this … artisan marketplace that opens every few months. I’ve been wanting to go for the past year, but something always comes up. They’re here this weekend, there are stalls where farmers and artisans showcase their food, their produce, but this has also extended into crafts. There’s always food available, and games and stuff. It’s a family event.”
It sounded like a nightmare. Something he would do everything to avoid.
“This is what you want to do?”
“Yes, I mean, only if you would like to go, but there is a catch. It’s a family event, so your guards might need to blend in.”
She nibbled her lip and she looked so cute. He saw how animated she looked at the possibility of going, to what he considered a nightmare. He couldn’t say no. He didn’t want to say no.
“Then that is what we’re doing tomorrow.”
Her eyes lit up. She had intense dark brown eyes, and she always looked so beautiful to him. Now, they were full of hope and happiness. There was no way he was going to take that away from her. When it came to his wife, it would seem there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.