Diana couldn't breathe.
"Why are you in my father's house?"
The words echoed in her head as she slowly turned. Ethan stood there—her ex-fiancé, the man who broke her—staring at her like he'd seen a ghost.
"You…" his voice tightened. "What are you doing here?.
Diana opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her throat felt dry, her heart pounding too fast.
Footsteps sounded behind her. Slow. Controlled.
She froze.
Victor.
"Ethan." His deep voice cut through the tension.
Ethan straightened immediately. "Father."
Diana closed her eyes for a second. So it was true. No escaping it now.
Victor stepped closer, his presence heavy, commanding. His gaze moved from Ethan to Diana, sharp and unreadable.
"You know each other?" he asked calmly.
Ethan let out a short laugh. "Yeah… we do." He looked straight at Diana. "She's my ex-fiancée.
Silence fell.
Diana felt the shift instantly. The air grew thick, dangerous.
Victor didn't react the way she expected. Instead, something dark flickered in his eyes. Interest.
"Well," he said slowly, "that certainly makes things… interesting."
Ethan frowned. "Wait. Why is she here?"
Victor stepped forward, stopping beside Diana. Close. Too close. Then he reached for her hand and intertwined their fingers.
Diana's breath caught.
"She's here," Victor said calmly, "because she lives here."
Ethan blinked. "What?"
Victor's grip tightened slightly. "She's my wife."
The words hit like a slap.
Ethan staggered back. "You're joking."
"I don't joke."
Diana could feel Ethan's eyes burning into her. "You married him?" he demanded. "You married my father?!"
Anger finally broke through her shock. "You don't get to question me," she snapped. "Not after what you did."
Ethan flinched. Good.
He ran his hand through his hair, pacing. "This is insane…"
Then he stopped, glaring at Victor. "This is revenge, isn't it?"
Victor raised a brow. "If I wanted to punish you, Ethan… you would know."
The room went cold.
"Then why her?" Ethan pressed.
Victor's gaze shifted to Diana, slow and deliberate. "Because I choose what belongs to me."
Diana's heart skipped. That didn't sound like a lie. It sounded like a warning.
"She's not something you can own," Ethan snapped.
"She's my wife," Victor cut in, his voice sharper now. "You will treat her with respect."
Ethan clenched his jaw. "You expect me to accept this?"
"You don't have to accept it," Victor said. "But you will respect it."
Diana stood between them, her past and her present colliding. And suddenly, she realized something terrifying—she hadn't escaped anything. She had stepped into something worse.
Later that night, Diana stood alone in the massive bedroom, staring out the window. The door opened behind her.
Victor.
"I want to change the terms," she said quickly.
"On what grounds?"
"Your son," she replied, turning to face him. "I didn't sign up for this."
Victor walked closer, each step steady, controlled. "You signed a contract. I don't break contracts."
"Neither do I," she said, lifting her chin.
They stared at each other, tension thick in the air
Then Victor leaned in slightly, his voice low. "Then you'll adapt.
Diana's breath caught.
And in that moment, she understood the truth.
This wasn't just a marriage.
It was a trap, and she had walked straight into it.