Chapter 127 The Beginning of Hell

Chapter 127 The Beginning of Hell



As the engagement party wound down, the guests' lingering excitement still hung in the air. Thomas grabbed Vivian by the wrist and pulled her aside at a hallway corner, where they stood for quite a while.

Thomas gripped her hand, his tone even more enthusiastic than it had been during the banquet. "Vivian, listen to your father. Dimitri is the heir to the Orlov family fortune. Now that you're his fiancée, our entire family's investments and connections will depend on you. Keep him happy, make him fall head over heels for you, and the Vance family's best days are still ahead of us."

Thomas patted her hand, then added, "You're the pride of the Vance family. If I've done things in the past that hurt you, please don't hold it against me."

Vivian lifted her chin slightly, unable to suppress the smile spreading across her face.

She looked at Thomas's ingratiating expression, and a wave of unprecedented satisfaction washed over her.

Vivian smiled triumphantly. "Don't worry, Dad. I know what to do."

Thomas nodded repeatedly, gave her a few more instructions, then released her hand and watched with a beaming smile as she walked toward the car waiting at the bottom of the steps.

When Vivian slid into the back seat, the smile still lingered on her face. Dimitri, leaning against the opposite seat, glanced at her and smiled as well—but that smile darkened for a split second as streetlights swept past the window, too quickly for anyone to notice.

The car wove through the city lights for a long time, heading farther and farther out. The scenery shifted from high-rises to sparse tree shadows and scattered standalone buildings.

Vivian leaned back against her seat, her mind full of the joy of marrying Dimitri. But when she turned to look at the increasingly dark night outside the window, she turned back to Dimitri. "Where are we going? I thought we were heading back to the estate?"

Dimitri reached out and took her fingertips, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles. "I've prepared a gift for you. I know you'll love it."

Vivian's heart leaped first with delight, but she feigned a coy complaint. "What kind of gift requires us to drive this far to unwrap it?"

"You'll see soon enough."

The car turned onto a narrow road and stopped in front of a standalone villa with tightly shut iron gates.

The villa wasn't particularly large, but its exterior walls were covered in climbing vines. Under the streetlights, they cast dense, shadowy silhouettes that made it look uninhabited.

Dimitri got out first and gentlemanly extended his hand to help Vivian out of the car. Then he pulled a dark silk blindfold from his pocket.

"Put this on. Can't spoil the surprise." Dimitri smiled.

Vivian's heart swelled with secret joy. She figured that if Dimitri had brought her all the way to this remote villa, it must be for something special—maybe an Orlov family heirloom!

At the thought, Vivian grew excited. She smiled and closed her eyes, allowing Dimitri to tie the blindfold. Once her vision went completely dark, Dimitri took her hand and led her forward step by step.

The ground beneath her feet changed from stone pavement to carpet, then to soft wooden flooring. Her footsteps echoed faintly in the spacious interior.

Vivian heard a door open, and in her mind, she pictured a room filled with treasures.

But once inside, Dimitri's hand released hers. His footsteps retreated a few paces and stopped near the doorway.

"All right, you can take it off now." Dimitri's voice came from several steps away, carrying a strange, slightly elevated tone that seemed tinged with excitement.

Confused, Vivian pulled off the blindfold and blinked to adjust to the light.

The room was spacious and luxurious, with a fire blazing in the fireplace.

Vivian instinctively began searching for jewels, but the smile on her face froze abruptly when she saw a man sitting on the sofa in the center of the room.

The man was half-reclined there, wearing a shirt unbuttoned halfway down, his belly bulging through the gap in his shirt. His face was covered by a heavy gold mask that concealed everything above his eyes, revealing only the lower half of his face—thick-lipped and wearing an oily smile.

Vivian stood frozen, confused. After two seconds, she turned to look at Dimitri by the door.

Dimitri leaned against the doorframe, hands in his pockets, his posture relaxed as if watching an entertaining show.

"What is this supposed to mean?" Vivian's voice rose, her tone trembling slightly at the end.

Dimitri tilted his head, his tone casual. "Your task tonight is to keep this gentleman happy. Once he says he's satisfied, you can leave."

Vivian's eyes widened. She stepped back until her back pressed against the cold door panel. "What... what are you saying?! I'm your fiancée! How could you do this?!"

"This is exactly why I married you." Dimitri smiled, his expression still gentle.

But beneath that gentleness, his eyes gleamed with madness. He no longer maintained that mild facade. His gaze fixed directly on Vivian's face, his voice soft and slow, as if coaxing a disobedient child. "Besides, he's not the only one tonight."

Vivian's mind went blank. Her dream of marrying into nobility, of endless wealth and luxury, shattered completely in that moment.

Vivian shook her head violently. She ran to the door and tried to turn the handle. Dimitri's hand reached over from behind her, pressing against the door above, while his other hand clamped around her throat.

His fingers tightened with swift, precise pressure, as if he'd done this many times before.

"Let... let go of me!"

Vivian's breath was cut off sharply. She kicked and shoved desperately, her nails scratching bloody marks across his arm.

But Dimitri didn't budge. Instead, his smile widened, his gaze filled with an almost obsessive excitement, like someone admiring something slowly being crushed.

Only when Vivian's struggles began to weaken, her fingers sliding off his arm, did Dimitri release his grip.

Vivian slid down the door panel to the floor, clutching her throat and coughing violently. Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.

Dimitri crouched down, cupping her face with both hands. His thumbs wiped away her tears, his tone impossibly gentle. "I'm sorry. I hurt you."

Then he pulled Vivian into his embrace, comforting her like a frightened animal, his palm stroking her back rhythmically. "As long as you behave, I'll give you whatever you want. Jewels, houses, the position of Mrs. Orlov—it'll always be yours."

Vivian trembled all over, tears flowing freely, her voice shaking. "I'm your wife... you can't do this to me..."

Dimitri's hand paused. Then he slowly straightened up, looking down at her, the tenderness gradually draining from his face.

Dimitri let out a cold laugh. "That's exactly why it's more interesting. Think about it—the Orlov heir's fiancée. Playing with you is nothing like those women out there."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the reddening mark on Vivian's neck where his fingers had been. The gentle smile curling at the corner of his mouth filled Vivian with unspeakable horror.

The obese man in the room laughed. "Looks like Mr. Orlov's new fiancée isn't as obedient as the previous three."

Dimitri turned to the man, his tone utterly respectful. "My apologies. This was my mistake. I'll resolve it shortly."

With that, Dimitri stood up and dragged Vivian by her hair toward the door.

Vivian screamed and shrieked in pain, but the next moment, Dimitri's hand clamped around her throat again. The near-death terror from moments ago hadn't yet faded, and her remaining screams were forcibly choked back.

"If you don't behave, you won't even keep this fiancée status. And when that happens, you won't even qualify for tonight's 'treatment.'"

Dimitri's voice dropped lower. "I'll turn you into something anyone can trample on—a real whore."

Vivian trembled with terror, tears streaming down her face. She curled up by the door, her back pressed tightly against the cold wall, watching as Dimitri stepped aside to push open that door, then glanced back at her.

In that glance, all gentleness had vanished, leaving only a bone-chilling indifference, as if he were looking at a useful tool.

"Will you go in yourself, or should I make you?"

Vivian whimpered, her entire body numb with fear, unable to move.

Seeing Dimitri reach toward her again, Vivian screamed in terror and crawled into the room on all fours.

After she entered, the door closed again. The sound of the lock turning echoed clearly in the quiet room.

Vivian looked up, wanting to beg the obese man for mercy, only to find him grinning grotesquely, a whip in his hand, advancing toward her as despair filled her eyes.