♥ Chapter 5♥

Yara Blake.

18:10 '' Yara's House. '' Eldoria.

After showering, I dress quickly, putting on a simple but comfortable outfit. I walk down the stairs carefully, feeling the coldness of the ground on my bare feet. As soon as I reach the last step, the front door opens with a bang, revealing Ronan. He gives me a cold look, and his first words, as usual, are full of impatience.

''Is dinner ready?'' he asks, without a trace of affection in his voice. ''I'm starving.

I nod quickly, trying to avoid any kind of confrontation.

''Y-Yes, it's ready. I made it earlier, but it must be cold now… Why don't you take a shower while I warm up?'' My voice comes out shaky, and before I know it, I'm looking away.

His gaze is piercing—the kind of gaze that makes me feel small and insignificant. He looks at me with contempt before exploding in anger.

''You know I'm coming at this hour, and you haven't heated up the food yet?'' His voice rises in pitch, laden with frustration. What were you doing? You're useless!

He brushes past me, bumping into my shoulder, and heads for the bedroom. I feel tears starting to form, but I swallow them down, struggling to keep control. I try to push away the thoughts that plague me, but it's no use. The questions I always ask myself come back in full force.

Why is he like this? Why did he agree to marry me if he didn't even respect me? And why do I have to go through all this? I hate what my parents did, they took away from me the chance to be free and to choose my own path. My life has always been decided by others.

As these questions consume me, I feel a tear run down my cheek, but I wipe it away quickly. I don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I go into the kitchen and start heating up the food. My movements are mechanical, and my mind is far away.

Just as I finish, Ronan enters the kitchen. He's changed his suit for casual clothes, but his posture is still rigid and intimidating. He sits down at the table without looking at me.

''Serve me soon. '' he orders brusquely.

I do as he asks, placing the plate in front of him, my hands slightly trembling. As he begins to eat, I feel a wave of fear wash over me. I need to talk to him, but the fear of his reaction paralyzes me for a few seconds. I take a deep breath, trying to gather my courage.

''I've been accepted as a maid at Mr. Darkmore's mansion. '' I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Ronan looks up from his plate and stares at me coldly, his eyes narrowing.

“When is it starting?” he asks, his voice laced with disdain.

''On Sunday night… '' I begin to explain, but I feel my voice weaken. ''I-I have to spend the week there. I won't be home until Friday night.

As soon as I've finished speaking, he hits the table so hard that the plates fall to the floor, the sound scaring me. My whole body shakes as he gets up, his gaze now filled with an intense, almost insane rage.

'' I won't allow it! You're not living in anyone's house, Yara! '' he shouts, his voice echoing through the kitchen.

I was startled, and the glint of anger in his eyes terrifies me. I need to be strong, I need to try to argue, so I speak in a whisper, my voice almost breaking.

''T-The salary is good… It's fifteen thousand dollars… I want to be able to help you.

For a moment, his chin rises, and I see the glint of greed flash through his eyes. The smile that forms on his lips is cruel, and he looks at me as if his mind is made up.

''Um, with that kind of money, it's worth it. I'll let you go,'' he says, his voice now calmer, but still carrying something dangerous.

He walks around the table, approaching me with slow steps, each one increasing my dread. When he finally stops in front of me, he grabs my shoulders tightly. The pain I feel is immediate, and a moan escapes my lips.

''I'm going to tell you something,'' he says, his eyes full of madness. ''If I hear that you've given morals to any man, you'll regret it.

''You're hurting me, Ronan.'' I whisper, trying not to let the fear show.

He squeezes my shoulders even tighter, and I feel my body shrink with pain.

''Did you hear what I said?'' he shouts, his face now close to mine. ''If I find out that you've given some man the slip, I'll make you suffer. Did you hear me, Yara?

I just nodded, unable to speak, the fear completely paralyzing me. I feel my heart beating so fast that it feels like it's going to burst out of my chest. He lets go of my shoulders, but before he pulls away, he kisses me on the lips—a long, uncomfortable kiss.

''Good girl.'' he whispers with a sadistic smile before leaving the kitchen, leaving me paralyzed.

My hands are shaking as I try to process what has just happened. I feel the tears welling up, but this time I can't hold them back. They run down my face, carrying the weight of the humiliation I've just suffered. I feel small and broken, like the plates that are now scattered on the floor. I look at the shards, and, with a heavy sigh, I bend down to start picking them up. Each piece I pick up seems to cut into my soul, and the pain of knowing I have no one to vent to eats away at me.

A feeling of loneliness envelops me, making the atmosphere even more suffocating. I finish picking up the pieces, carefully cleaning the floor. I put away the rest of the food and washed the dishes. The sound of running water is the only thing that fills the oppressive silence of the kitchen. When everything is clean and tidy, I turn off the light, letting the darkness take over.

I walk into the living room and see Ronan slumped on the sofa, watching a game on TV. He seems oblivious to what has just happened, as if nothing matters to him apart from that game. I don't say anything, I just walk past him in silence, my body exhausted and my mind even more so. I climb the stairs slowly, each step feeling like an extra weight on my shoulders.

As soon as I enter the room, I go straight to bed. I lie down, wishing that sleep would take me away from all this, even for a few hours. But the physical and emotional exhaustion is so great that the tears come again, and all I can do is let them fall, hoping that tomorrow will bring some hope.