T/W: Manipulation, dubcon
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Ding! Dong!
The bell continued ringing, sending alarm bells buzzing in Stephanie’s mind because she knew she couldn’t turn away from facing Leon. He was just outside, separated by the door.
Leon usually let himself in by keying the password and scanning his palm. Stephanie hadn’t changed the code nor erased his data from the security system despite what he had done.
Why didn’t he try opening the door himself?
Was he playing so kind of ga?
Ding! Dong!
"Urgh..."
Stephanie hurriedly rushed to the entryway, seeing Leon’s smiling face displayed on the intercom monitor. She ran her fingers through her hair before smoothening her dress, knowing she had to look presentable in front of him.
Opening the door, Stephanie flashed a demure smile at Leon. He arched his brows, his eyes flickering with delight once their gazes t.
As if he hadn’t shown how deceitful he could be toward her.
"How have you been, my dear? Do you miss ?"
Pulling Stephanie closer by her waist, Leon crooned beside her right ear. His warm breath fanned her delicate neck, sending goosebumps flaring to her entire body.
Stephanie hated how her body seed to crave Leon’s touch after everything he had done to her. Still, knowing that she had to fool him, she raised her hand before placing her palm on his chest.
"I missed you," Stephanie whispered, her eyes drifting to look into Leon’s, "I’m sorry, I didn’t contact you much. I had to sort my mind..."
Leon seized Stephanie’s lips, not allowing her to finish her words. She whimpered slightly when he imdiately plunged his tongue inside her mouth, plundering every inch aggressively.
"L-Leon, wait..."
"Can’t."
Leon whispered above Stephanie’s lips. He pushed her to the wall, one of his hands roaming under her skirt, tracing his fingers on her soft skin.
"W-wait!" Stephanie exerted so force on Leon’s chest, her breathing slightly haggard, "Don’t you want to discuss the wedding? I’ve been checking the dresses and the venues."
Stephanie didn’t dare to bring up her dream wedding dress that she wore last weekend. Leon might be mad at her because it was a reminder of her broken wedding with Matthias.
"Oh, let’s get to that," Leon chuckled, his husky voice low, "I won’t wrong you, my bride. I’ll give you a much better wedding than that man did."
Nodding once, Stephanie curled up her lips. She stood on her tiptoe, pecking a corner of Leon’s lips. She grimaced inside when he laughed, clearly happy by her kiss.
Stephanie dragged Leon by his waist, still assuming an intimate position with him. She pretended to scowl when he teasingly pinched her waist.
"Sit here with ."
Stephanie dared not show her displeasure when Leon pulled her to sit between his legs once they reached the couch. Her back sensed the vibration from his chest as he laughed.
Leon’s mood seed to be better once he saw the bridal magazines scattered on the coffee table. Stephanie’s tablet was also there, the screen showing the hopage of a popular bridal website.
"How about holding our wedding abroad?" Leon wrapped his arms around Stephanie’s waist, pulling her even closer to him, "Autumn’s peak in Switzerland for example. A wedding during autumn will be much better than in sumr, don’t you think so?"
Stephanie blinked, wondering if Leon tried to one-up her ruined wedding with Matthias last week. The comparison was small but, might hold a deeper aning.
"In autumn? That’s great," Stephanie laughed, hoping it didn’t sound too fake. As an idea crossed her mind, she said cautiously, "You know, I’m too ashad to go out right now. Everything will die down when autumn cos, right?"
They were currently the hottest subject of high society’s gossip, including being the new laughingstock.
Stephanie still deliberately touched on the issue, wondering how Leon would react. She unconsciously held her breath, still staring at his face.
Leon arched his brows, the look in his eyes indecipherable. When he spoke, his voice remained low and soft, "Don’t worry. No one will dare to ridicule you again."
Putting his chin on Stephanie’s right shoulder, Leon continued speaking, "My mother isn’t as mad as before. I’ll bring you to et her in a week or two. She’ll be completely okay by then."
Mrs. Holt was beyond enraged the first ti she heard about Leon having an affair with Stephanie. The latter rembered when Samantha fighting verbally with Mrs. Holt through phone calls.
"How about your father? And... the other family mbers? Relatives?"
Stephanie believed Mr. Holt shared the sa feelings with his wife. Even the others scorned them, mostly putting the bla on her rather than Leon.
Just imagining it upset Stephanie. She knew they had been calling her all sorts of nas, degrading her because of the affair.
"Oh, my dear," Leon whispered. He raised one hand, running his fingers through Stephanie’s silky blond locks, "They’ll be tired of saying things about us. We just have to focus on getting married, okay?"
"...okay."
Stephanie wanted to ask Leon more, including his promise about not framing her as his accomplice and the truth behind the attack on Lariette.
Despite knowing how untrustworthy he was, she needed the reassurance.
In the end, Stephanie asked nothing about the incident. She didn’t want to trigger Leon and earn his wrath. She reminded herself ti and again how her acting had to be perfect.
"Let’s go to the courthouse next Monday."
"...what?"
Blinking, Stephanie froze once Leon’s words were registered in her mind. She stared at him blankly, wondering what he ant.
Leon curled up his lips, one corner rising higher, "To register our marriage, of course."
"Haven’t we planned to get married this autumn?" asked Stephanie, flabbergasted, her voice cracking slightly, "Why next Monday?"
The smile on Leon’s face remained but, his gaze suddenly turned frosty. He cupped Stephanie’s face with one hand, his thumb pressing on the side of her neck.
"We’ll register next week and have a wedding this autumn. I can’t let you run away, you know?"
Stephanie flinched, sensing a threat from Leon’s dangerously low voice. Even the iciness of his gaze seed to freeze her entire being.
Marrying him next week?
What... what the hell!
"L-Leon, about that..."
Stephanie stuttered, only to be shaken by a sudden slamming sound and shouting.
BAM! SLAM!
"LET HER GO!"
The noises jolted Stephanie. She abruptly looked at the main door, to where the noises ca. Her eyes widened once she saw Alaric’s figure storming inside.
"E-Eric!" Stephanie hurriedly stood up, her voice cracking in fear, "What are you doing here?"
Leon was as surprised as Stephanie yet, he welcod Alaric’s presence with a smirk, "Oh, you’re here too?"
Fuming with rage, Alaric rushed to Stephanie, pulling her away from Leon. His chest heaved up and down as he tried to hold back his anger.
"Get the fucking away from her!"
Alaric’s holler blared inside the apartnt but, Leon remained with his smirk. He stood up from the couch, his body language languid as if nothing was worrying him.
"Our discussion ends here," Leon said, his tone lacing with chuckles. His eyes drifted from the enraged Alaric to the panicked Stephanie, "Don’t forget what we’ve talked about, my dear."
"GET LOST!" Alaric scread. He held back from grabbing Leon to punch him, "Don’t you dare ss with my sister again!"
Leon simply sneered before turning around. Alaric and Stephanie watched him leave with conflicted emotions warring within them.
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