Chapter 23
I couldn’t bear to sleep in the same bed as Colson after what happened, so I found refuge in Easton’s room.
He was off on another surfing adventure and wouldn’t be back until the rehearsal dinner and wedding festivities.
At least in his room, I felt a semblance of safety.
When I checked my room that morning, Colson was gone, leaving only the ghost of last night’s horrors behind.
I avoided him all day, taking an Uber to the office and keeping my door locked.
The man who had been so calculated and balanced was now showing a side of himself I never knew existed—a side that terrified me.
His forcefulness last night was a revelation I hadn’t been prepared for, and now, the lies he was piling on only fueled my growing resentment.
He knew who pushed me down the stairs, and his deceit about the party was a knife twisted deep into my back. Vaughn had tried to tell me the truth, and I had been too blind to see it.
Just before noon, I heard Vaughn’s voice echoing down the hallway, followed by the slam of his office door.
I knew I had to talk to him before the whirlwind of wedding chaos swept us both away.
Summoning my courage, I walked to his office and slipped inside without knocking.
The door clicked shut behind me, and Vaughn looked up, his expression darkening when he saw me.
“What do you want?” he growled, the hostility in his voice palpable.
I stood my ground, widening my stance and crossing my arms over my chest. “You were right.”
He frowned, rising from his chair. “About?”
“Your father. He didn’t choose me at the party. He had it planned all along.”
Vaughn’s eyes softened with a mix of frustration and pity. He stepped closer, placing his hands on my shoulders. “I wasn’t lying, Joey. I know him too well. End it.”
“I can’t do that, Vaughn. He’ll destroy my family,” I whispered, the weight of the truth hanging heavily between us.
Vaughn’s jaw tightened, and something fierce flickered in his eyes. “Then maybe this will convince you.”
Before I could react, his lips crashed down on mine, and for a moment, I was lost in the intensity of his kiss.
I responded instinctively, my fingers curling into the hair at the nape of his neck.
Vaughn pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around my waist as if he never wanted to let go.
When he finally broke away, I was breathless, my heart pounding in my chest.
“We could be so good together,” Vaughn murmured, his voice filled with a longing that shook me to my core.
The words sent a jolt of anger through me. I slapped him hard across the face, my teeth grinding in frustration. “This is your fault! Why did you act like I was the plague all these years?”
Vaughn rubbed his cheek where my hand had left its mark, a bitter smile playing on his lips. “Because I had no power, Joey. My life’s been planned from the moment I was born. I’ve been matched with Serena Henderson. We announce our engagement a month after your wedding.”
I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth in shock. “You’re not free either. You expect me to end it with no exit strategy? You don’t understand what you’re asking.”
He gripped my chin, his gaze intense and unwavering. “How the fuck am I supposed to live under the same roof with you, knowing you’re in his bed every night?”
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay strong. “Deal with it, Vaughn… I am.”
He stared at me, and I was the first to break the standoff, tearing my gaze from his. I brushed by him, not looking back as I threw open his door and walked out.
I skipped lunch, retreating to the relative safety of my office.
I needed to think, to process the storm that was building inside me as the reality of what was about to happen in a few days hit me like a freight train.
I barely noticed I had forgotten to lock my door, too consumed by the whirlpool of emotions swirling within me.
The weight of it all—marrying Colson, knowing what he had done, the lies, the deceit—pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. I stood by the window, staring out at the cityscape, trying to calm my racing thoughts, but the tightness in my chest only grew.
The soft click of the door behind me pulled me out of my reverie.
I turned slowly, dread creeping into my veins as Colson stepped into the room.
He never stopped by my office unannounced; it wasn’t his style.
He preferred control, liked to keep me guessing, always on edge.
But here he was, and his presence felt more suffocating than ever.
His gaze swept over me, assessing, calculating. "You weren’t at breakfast," he remarked, his voice calm, almost casual.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. "I wasn’t hungry," I replied coldly, my voice edged with the anger I’d been holding back for days. Weeks, even.
Colson’s eyes narrowed slightly, sensing the tension that hung heavy in the air. "You’re upset," he stated, taking a step closer. "What is it, Josephine? Tell me."
I laughed bitterly, the sound sharp and hollow in the small space. "What is it?" I echoed, shaking my head. "Where should I start, Colson? The lies? The deceit? The fact that you pressured me into sex before marriage when you made me a promise? Or maybe the drunken attack last night?"
His expression remained stoic, but his eyes darkened. "A momentary lapse in judgement. “Let’s move past it," he said, his tone clipped, as if he was trying to maintain management of the situation.
"Move past it?" My voice rose, and I took a step toward him, my fury finally breaking free. "You think we can just move past everything? Like it never happened?"
Colson’s jaw tightened, his hands slipping into his pockets. "We’re getting married in a few days, Josephine. You need to focus on that. We can’t afford distractions."
"Distractions?" I repeated, my voice incredulous. "That’s all this has been to you, hasn’t it? Just a series of distractions you brush aside to get what you want. But I’m not a distraction, Colson. I’m a person, and I’m done pretending that everything’s fine when it’s not."
He closed the distance between us in two strides, his hand reaching out to grip my chin, forcing me to look up at him. "You knew what you were getting into," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "This marriage is more than just love or attraction. It’s power, control, legacy."
I stared up at him, my heart pounding in my chest. "I’m not your puppet," I hissed, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. "I won’t let you use me."
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my skin. "You already are," he whispered, his eyes locking onto mine. "And you will be, whether you like it or not. You will bear the Ashworth name, Josephine. Don’t forget that."
I pulled away from him, my eyes blazing with defiance. "I won’t forget," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "But don’t think for a second that I’m going to be the obedient little wife you want me to be."
Colson’s gaze hardened, but he didn’t move, didn’t say anything. The silence between us was heavy, charged with tension, until finally, he stepped back, his expression unreadable.
"Three days," he reminded me before turning and walking out of my office, leaving me standing there, shaken but resolute. In a few days, I would become an Ashworth, but I wasn’t about to let him dictate what that meant.
Colson's summons via text came the day before our rehearsal, and despite the storm of anger roiling inside me, I had no choice but to answer. He had a way of demanding compliance without words, a silent expectation that made it clear—resistance was futile.
I entered his room, my heart heavy with the weight of what was to come.
He stood there, a vision of sculpted perfection, dressed in nothing but lounge pants, his chest bare.
He was the devil in a god’s body, and I was his chosen sacrifice.
I had thrown on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, refusing to play into the charade of seduction.
It didn’t matter what I wore—he would take what he wanted regardless.
Without a word, he stepped closer, his presence overwhelming.
He pulled me into a hug, his arms strong and unyielding.
His breath was warm against my ear as he whispered, “I’ll try to do better, Josephine.
Don’t hate me.” His voice was laced with a mix of regret and desire.
“When I saw how much of a beautiful woman you’d grown into, I knew I had to have you. ”
His words stung like a barb, twisting deeper into the wound he had already inflicted.
It wasn’t an apology, not really. But it was as close to one as I was likely to get.
My mind screamed to push him away, to run, but I was trapped in this gilded cage, and there was no escape.
In two days, I would be Mrs. Josephine Ashworth.
“Don’t lie to me again,” I heard myself say, the words hollow in my mouth. This was my life now—a life I hadn’t chosen, but one I would have to endure. The title of Ashworth would be mine, and with it, a world of power and darkness I was only beginning to understand.
He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, searching for something—maybe forgiveness, maybe submission. I didn’t give him either, but I didn’t pull away. This was the man I would be bound to, and the battle for my soul had only just begun.
“Stay with me tonight. We’ll be apart tomorrow night,” Colson said, his voice low and steady, leaving no room for refusal.
I had planned to stay in the guest house with my parents and Logan while Colson remained in the mansion.
It would have been perfect if we could’ve stayed in our old house, but it was being renovated—for what purpose, I didn’t know.
The distance, however small, would’ve given me some space to breathe before our wedding day.
I nodded, my voice lost somewhere in the tension between us. He took my hand, his grip firm but not harsh, and led me toward the bed. There was an unsettling calm in his movements as he pushed my shorts down, watching them pool at my ankles before tugging my T-shirt over my head.
I stood there, almost naked, save for the tiny black mesh thong that clung to me. Colson’s hands roamed my body, his touch gentle as he cupped my breasts, his eyes dark with intent.
“Get into bed,” he ordered, his tone soft but commanding. “I’ll be back.”
I slipped under the soft sheets, the fabric brushing against my bare skin as I waited.
The silence in the room was heavy, the anticipation thick.
When he returned from the bathroom, the scent of mint clung to him, fresh and clean, a stark contrast to the intensity of the moment.
He slid into bed beside me, his body warm and naked against mine.
He pulled me close, his arms wrapping around me, molding his form to fit mine.
For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself to sink into the comfort of his embrace, the solidity of his body against mine offering a false sense of security. But I knew better. Colson’s moods were unpredictable, and his tenderness could shift to something else in an instant.
He captured my mouth with his, kissing me with a passion that was both familiar and unnerving.
His kiss was not unlike the one Vaughn had given me the day before, both demanding and consuming.
Colson’s hands found their way to my ass, cupping it as he pulled me closer until his erection was pressed firmly against my center.
The pressure was a reminder of the power he wielded over me.
My mind raced, caught between the present and the inevitable future. In two days, I would be Mrs. Josephine Ashworth, bound to this man in more ways than one. But for now, I was simply his, and there was no escaping that truth.