Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Author's Pov:

Present Day:

Isabella turned her head to stare at her father as if he had suddenly grown two heads. The way Kade casually relaxed in the chair made her stomach churn; he looked like he was genuinely enjoying the panic on her face.

"Dad, tell me it is not true?" She squeezed her hands into tight fists, nails digging into her palms. Kade had to be lying. He was just trying to mess with her head. Her father would never hand her over like a piece of property, not unless he was ready for the whole world to discover what she truly was.

"Dad." Her voice cracked as the silence stretched between them. Her father kept his gaze fixed on the floor, incapable of looking at her. That quiet response confirmed everything. The prince was not lying. Her father had given her away. But why?

A soft rustle of fabric broke the heavy quiet. From the corner of her eye, she caught Kade rising from his seat, smoothing his clothes before walking directly toward her.

"Your father was too deep in debt, you can hardly blame him," the first minister interjected, his tone carrying a sickening hint of satisfaction, as if he was relieved Alpha Raja had made the deal.

"Dad, so you traded me?" Isabella shouted, her chest heaving with betrayal and raw frustration as her father refused to meet her eyes. She didn't even care about Kade as he walked past her. She assumed he was headed for the exit, and speaking to her father was far more important to her than dealing with that cold-blooded serpent.

"For how much? For a handful of gold coins?" she asked but her father was still quiet. Before she could speak again, a sudden chill wrapped around her from behind.

Kade closed the distance, his arms sliding possessively around her waist, as he pulled her close. She stiffened, stunned by his complete lack of shame, holding her so intimately in full view of everyone in the hall.

Her eyes widened in shock as he leaned his head down, his lips brushing against her ear. His breath was like ice against her skin, sending a wave of dread shivering down her spine.

"Correction on that, sweetheart. It is not gold, it is silver. I do not bother with gold, not for someone of my status." He let out a low chuckle against her ear. "I guess your father simply could not resist that kind of money."

In the currency hierarchy of the beast world, shillings held the lowest value, followed by gold, while silver was the highest. Only the wealthiest could ever dream of accessing that kind of fortune.

Those words Kade had just said shattered what was left of her heart. Her father had kept her hidden away from the world her entire life to protect her secret, yet now he was handing her over to the exact man who had already murdered her once. It felt like a death sentence. In this world, the fate that awaited a healer was always brutal.

She tried to wrench herself away, but his grip tightened, pulling her flush against him so she could not budge. She glanced around the room, catching the ministers staring at them, and shame flushed hot through her cheeks.

"Let me go," she gritted out through clenched teeth.

Kade spun her around in one swift motion, pinning both of her wrists together in his palm and dragging her close.

"I own every inch of you now," he murmured, a dark grin spreading across his face that made her throat lock up. "I can do whatever I please with you."

When Isabella had first laid eyes on him, his handsome features were the first thing she noticed. Now, all she saw was a monster. Terror seized her, pushing her to get as far away from him as possible.

Kade turned his attention toward the doorway and motioned to one of his guards from the Serpent kingdom. Once the guard stepped forward, Kade shoved Isabella roughly into the man's grip.

"Take her home. Tell the maids to bathe her and prepare her for me." he instructed

Isabella felt a cold shock run through her. What did he mean by prepare her? Was he planning to butcher her, or something far worse?

Using the last bit of strength in her body, she turned to her father, who was finally looking up. Tears blurred her vision as she locked eyes with him.

"Please, Dad! Don't let him take me away, please!" she begged, kicking and pulling against the guard's iron grip as she tried to break free and run to her father's side.

She could see tears pooling in her father's eyes, threatening to spill over. He looked completely broken, but she could not understand how he could let this happen.

Did he really value money more than his own daughter? she asked herself as panic squeezed her chest. She had never been separated from him before, and the thought of being taken away made her physically sick.

"Please! Let me go!" she shrieked, twisting frantically in the guard's hold.

The guard snapped and grabbed her roughly by the hair to force her still that was when Kade's head snapped up instantly.

"Are you fucking stupid?" Kade growled at the guard, his eyes darkening as he settled back onto the edge of the table. "Don't grab her by the hair. That hair is the main reason I am paying extra."

The seven ministers, along with Alpha Raja, stared at him in silent disbelief.

Kade glanced up, catching the stunned expressions pinned on him.

"What?" he asked, tapping his fingers against the table with a light, playful shrug. "I like her hair. Am I not allowed to?"

Nobody answered him. The entire room remained dead quiet, picking their words with extreme caution. Deep down, every man in that hall was terrified of him. They could not tell if he was actually being playful or setting a trap.

Serpents were known throughout the realms for their deceit, and no one dared to provoke him.

Kade took a deep breath and waved a hand toward another guard, who stepped forward and set a heavy golden box directly at Alpha Raja's table.

Standing up, Kade rapped his knuckles against the table to get the king's attention.

"Thanks, father-in-law. I will make sure to send you an invitation. The official wedding is in a month." He flashed a bright smile. "I hope you stay alive long enough to attend."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. It was outright treason, telling a king to his face that his days were numbered. Yet no one moved to question him; he held all the power, and he knew it.

Alpha Raja understood the threat clearly. He had once warned Kade that he would hand Isabella over only over his dead body, and Kade was reminding him of that vow.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Your Majesty," Kade offered a shallow bow, mocking him to the very end.

He had won completely, leaving Alpha Raja to swallow the bitter rage of knowing he was entirely powerless to stop him.