Chapter 5: The Silent Prisoner

His brother was staring at him, shock and disbelief etched on his face.

"Valérien," he began, his voice thick with concern, "what has happened to you? This isn't who you are."

For a moment, Valérien's mask slipped, the weight of his actions crashing down on him like a wave. He had hurt her in ways that could not be undone, and for what? A moment of jealousy that had driven him to the brink of madness.

But he couldn't show that weakness now, not in front of his brother. He straightened, the coldness returning to his eyes as he turned away.

"She disobeyed me," he said flatly, as if that explained everything.

His brother shook his head, his expression pained. "She's your wife, Valérien. She's carrying your child. You can't treat her like this."

But Valérien was already closing himself off, retreating behind the walls he had built so carefully.

"She'll learn," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "She has to."

He left the room without another word, the weight of his brother's gaze heavy on his back. As he climbed the stairs to the upper floor, the echo of his wife's cries still lingered in his mind, a haunting reminder of the darkness that had taken hold of him.

When he reached her room, he found her curled up on the bed, her hands protectively cradling her swollen belly. She looked up as he entered, her eyes wide with fear, but she said nothing, too afraid to provoke him further.

Valérien stood in the doorway, his heart a turbulent mix of emotions—anger, guilt, confusion—but he couldn't bring himself to comfort her, to offer the solace she so desperately needed.

Instead, the coldness settled deeper into his bones.

"Why were you smiling?" he asked quietly, crossing the room.

As he neared her, she flinched in fear. He looked down at her trembling form as she sat on the bed, her gaze lowered, waiting for him to strike.

He grabbed her jaw again, the mark from earlier still visible as he squeezed harder.

He yanked her forward, his grip rough, forcing her to face him.

His face hovered inches from hers, the fury in his eyes unmistakable—a storm of anger, jealousy, and something far darker.

"I was merely..."

She opened her mouth to protest, to explain that she had only been answering his brother's questions, but Valérien silenced her with a brutal kiss.

His lips crashed against hers, hard and unforgiving, punishing her for her perceived betrayal. She whimpered against him, her hands pushing weakly at his chest, but he didn't relent.

He kissed her until she tasted blood, the metallic tang mixing with her tears as they streamed down her face. When he finally pulled away, her lips were swollen and bleeding, her eyes glazed with pain and terror.

"You haven't smiled at me once since our wedding," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "Don't smile at him again. Better yet, don't speak to him at all."

She didn't reply, and he didn't expect her to. She was nothing more than a silent prisoner now, bound by the chains he had wrapped around her heart, as she waited in fear for the day those chains would tighten and finally break her.

*****