Chapter 202/In the Demon’s Grasp

Chapter 202: 202/In the Demon’s Grasp

Chapter 202

Stephanie’s point of view

I knitted my brows, planting my feet firmly on the floor with every ounce of resolve I could muster. My words came out sharp and cutting as a blade.

"I am not going into your room, Mr. Vincent. I am not your doll, and I will not participate in this twisted game of yours anymore. Under any circumstances!"

His cold expression didn’t change, but his eyes narrowed in a silent, dangerous challenge. In a fraction of a second, his large hand shot out. His long fingers clamped around my trembling wrist like a vice. Before I could even gasp out a protest, he hauled me behind him with an overwhelming strength that had me stumbling forward.

We crossed the threshold, and with a swift flick of his shoulder, he slammed the heavy door behind us. The lock engaged with a sharp, terrifying metallic click that sealed my captivity.

Panic flaring in my chest, I tried to wrench my wrist from his grip as he stepped back, drawing himself up to his full, towering height in front of me. He looked down at me with a dry, elitist gaze, a mocking smirk playing on his lips that didn’t reach his eyes.

"Miss Miller... you seem to constantly forget that I hold the key to your little secret."

A cold shiver raced straight down my spine, but I forced my expression to harden. Raising my chin in bitter defiance, I tried to mask the rising terror clawing at my chest.

"Knowing my secret doesn’t give you the right to force me into anything, Mr. Vincent. You do not own me, and you don’t get to control my life!"

He leaned in slightly, his gaze holding my pale face captive with a terrifying steadiness. His deep, gravelly voice rose with a chilling, absolute confidence.

"I can force you to do whatever I want, whenever I see fit."

A bitter, humorless laugh escaped my throat, tears of frustration finally welling in my eyes. I pushed back with a desperate defiance, trying to crack his suffocating hold on me.

"Are you threatening me because you know about my relationship with Cedric? Go ahead then! Go tell Alexander! I’ll just tell him you’re a liar who’s trying to destroy us, and he won’t believe a single word out of your mouth!"

The corners of his mouth slowly curled upward, a deeply provoking, malicious smirk spreading across his features. He let out a soft, mocking exhale, and when he spoke, his voice was deadly calm.

"Oh... you poor, naive thing, Stephanie. Do you honestly believe a man with my mind would threaten you without holding concrete, undeniable proof in his hands? Proof that would crush your little lies in a matter of seconds?"

Thoughts raced through my mind like a destructive hurricane, and a burning chill swept through my chest. Did he truly possess concrete proof? Or was this just another twisted manipulation to force my submission? My eyes locked onto his sharp, unyielding gaze, and I forced my voice to remain steady despite the violent trembling of my lips.

"What exactly is your proof?"

He didn’t say a word. Instead, the corners of his mouth pulled back into an infuriating smirk. His hand slid into his pants pocket in a slow, deliberate movement, drawing out his cell phone. With a few light taps on the screen, a chillingly familiar voice shattered the silence of the room. It was Kira her voice frantic and crystal clear exposing my secret meetings with Cedric.

My entire body went rigid, the air trapping itself in my throat as the audio recording played mercilessly, signaling the absolute collapse of my final defense. Memory of that fateful night flashed before my eyes, and I gasped out a breathless accusation.

"You... you were the one who sent that voice note from my phone to yours!"

With a fluid motion, he locked his screen and slid the phone back into his pocket, completely unfazed. He looked down at me with an unwavering, elitist detachment.

"Yes, precisely, Miss Miller. I am a man who bases his moves strictly on tangible evidence and undeniable documentation."

My fingers clamped around my purse with hysterical force. A hot rush of fury flushed my pale cheeks, and I choked out a bitter cry.

"This is cheap, filthy blackmail!"

He moved past me effortlessly, stepping over to the grand window to cast a cautious glance down at the driveway. Satisfied, he turned back to me with a cold, absolute expression.

"Now... you are going to stay right here and remain quiet until they leave."

I took a few unsteady steps toward him, my eyes widening as the pieces of his little game finally clicked together in my mind.

"Is this your plan?" I demanded sharply. "Is this the godforsaken reason you forced me to come here and hauled me into this house?!"

He shed his gray suit jacket with a measured poise, tossing it carelessly over the arm of the leather sofa. A dark, enigmatic smirk played on his lips.

"Yes. My mother made her thoughts quite clear the moment you left last time. She was thoroughly convinced you were an unsuitable choice for me, which means she entirely bought our little performance. When she informed me she was bringing Claire along tonight, I had to provide definitive proof that you are my woman and someone I won’t give up at any cost."

I slammed my palm down on a nearby table, my nerves frayed to an absolute wire.

"But Claire already knows me, Mr. Vincent!" I panicked, my voice cracking at the thought of his sheer recklessness. "She is vicious and spiteful. She will absolutely dig into my background and uncover every detail of my life just to ruin me... She is going to find out I’m a married woman!"

He leaned his weight back slightly, his dry gaze completely devoid of any empathy for my plight. His response was freezing.

"That is not my problem."

"How is it not your problem?!" I shrieked, tears of pure frustration threatening to spill at his blinding selfishness. "With this stupid charade, you are directly destroying my life!"

He dismissed my outburst with a slight wave of his hand, stating dryly:

"Fine. Calm down first."

"How am I supposed to calm down when you are meticulously driving me straight toward a cliff?!" I cried out in agony.

He bypassed my distress entirely, making himself comfortable on the sofa. Leaning back, he fixed his steady, calculating gaze onto my face, cutting me off with a quiet tone.

"I will find a solution for that when the time is right."

I let out a bitter, mocking laugh, shaking my head at the absolute hopelessness of my situation.

"You don’t find solutions. You are just exceptionally talented at drowning me in complications."

He tilted his head slightly, a strange, cold curiosity flashing in his eyes as he lowered his voice.

"I must admit, I am dying of curiosity, Miss Miller... Why Alexander’s brother, of all people? Why are you cheating on him with his own sibling?"