Chapter 5 Forced Consent

Chapter Four

Seven Days Later

The sound of the cellar door opening made Serena raise her head. 

She was huddled by the corner of the cold, dark little room where she’d been kept for seven days, and fed only once a day.

“Get up.” A cold voice uttered from the doorway, “The madam is asking for you. Come out.”

Serena glared at the guard from where she was sitting. He was one of Evelyn’s people and his cold tone suggested he held no regard for her just like Evelyn.

At her silence and hesitation, the guard marched into the room and hauled her to her feet. Without another word, he started leading her out of the room, holding her roughly by the arm.

“Let me go! I can walk by myself!” She hissed at him as he dragged her along, taking long strides across the carpeted floor

“You lost your chance,” The guard sneered at her, “I will not have the Madam waiting.”

“How dare you treat me this way?” Serena’s voice was hoarse.

Probably from days of shouting, and yelling and kicking down in the cellar.

Seven days ago, as soon as Julian had led her upstairs under the pretense of taking her to rest, he’d immediately pushed her to the ground once they were alone.

“You stupid bitch!” He screamed at her, “How dare you try to ruin my plans?!”

Before Serena could get her bearings, Evelyn had marched up to her and gripped her throat, “Oh you vicious woman!” She snarled, “Were you trying to ruin the contract signing?! I never should have let you into this family! If it hadn’t been for the Marsh land, I’d have gotten rid of you ages ago!”

The old woman was impossibly strong but Serena managed to push her away, and stumbled to her feet, coughing deeply.

“You…you will never have my land!” She swore, “Where is my son?!”

At those words, Camille and Julian exchanged amused glances and laughed out loud.

“Your son? Why, Theo is upstairs in his room,” Julian uttered with a smug smile. He leaned in to say in her face, “He will be your son till he gets his surgery, and the land that you will pass to him as his inheritance! You hear me?!”

Serena spat in his face, and he staggered back in disgust and horror.

“You disgusting bitch!” 

“That will never happen!” Serena bit out, breathing hard, “This is the last time I’m going to ask! Where is my son?! And God help you if anything has happened to him! I will destroy you!”

Camille stepped forward, her face a mask of fury, “Destroy us? The Voss family?” She laughed mockingly, “And how are you going to do that? You’re just an orphan with no name and no family to care about you. You dare to still fight back?!”

The next instant, she raised her hand and smacked Serena across the face, the hit drawing blood from her lips.

“Know your fucking place, before I throw you back to the gutters!”

Serena lunged at her but suddenly, she was held back by strong hands and pinned down.

“Julian Voss, how could you do this to me?!” She cried out, her voice guttural with pain and tears, “What have I ever done to you?! I’ve given you nothing but love these nine years! How could you…”

She choked on her sobs, their laughter and mocking gazes beating down on her all the more.

“I never loved you, Serena. You were just a sore loser of an orphan who tagged after me annoyingly!” He barked at her, then raked a hand through his hair as if to keep his anger at bay.

He wrapped a hand around Camille’s wait and slowly drew her towards himself. She preened and laid her head lovingly on his chest, “Camille is the only woman I’ve ever loved, that I will ever love! If you hadn’t forced grandmother to arrange our marriage, she’d have been my wife by now! But thank God that old hag is gone!” He smirked down at Serena, “And now, you can go with her.”

Serena felt her heart aching all over again. How on earth did she become like this?

She was not actually from the gutters, as Camille had put it. She was the daughter of the Marsh family, a reputable real estate mogul Empire which had quickly declined at the death of her parents.

She was also the last survivor of the family, with only a trust fund to her name.

When she was nine, her parents had met with death in a plane crash. The share of assets had been bloody, with relatives snatching everything they could lay their hands on.

The house, cars, management rights to the company… 

No one had wanted to take her in. No one cared about the little jinx, the only one who’d survived the calamity which befell her family.

No one except Margaret Voss, the Matriarch of the Voss Empire.

Margaret had taken her in, and since then she’d been a ward of the Voss family and met Julian.

Or as Evelyn so often put it, a burden.

For twenty years, she’d been shamelessly in love with Julian and the world knew it.

For the nine years of their marriage,  she’d given up her career as a research scientist  at Evelyn’s insistence, she’d been the one taking care of his meals, and nursing Theo when he fell ill. 

She’d always made sure Julian was comfortable and took care of every detail including his clothing and meds but Camille was the one he’d  ever truly loved?

Her heart clenched painfully.

Even with everything she’d ever done, Julian’s heart still remained with his first love.

Julian had her taken to the cellar in the meantime, so she can reflect, and then they get to decide if her life would be spared.

Now, seven days later, they brought her back into the same living room where she’d been held down.

All Voss family members were there.

Evelyn sat regally at the head of the table, a well dressed, bespectacled man standing by her chair holding a folder.

Julian and Camille sat adjacent to her.

As soon as Serena was brought in, Camille slipped her hand around Julian’s possessively while staring directly at her, a mocking smile on her lips.

Serena did not care.

Her heart was as cold as ice, and if Camille was trying to get a reaction out of her because of Julian, she was going to wait a long time.

Any feelings she’d had for Julian died the day he threatened her with her son’s life in that hall.

The guard forced her into a seat, and Evelyn nodded to the bespectacled man. He stepped forward and placed a pair of documents in front of Serena.

Serena glanced at the first one, scoffing silently at the words on top of the paper.

Divorce Agreement.

“Sign them!” Evelyn thundered, “And get the hell out of the Voss family. Forever!”