Chapter 8 Isabella's POV

Against my better judgment, I wrench my foot free of his grip, and in a second, his body is engulfing mine with his arms supporting himself on either side.

The quick, intense act of closeness left me frozen.

He had shown me affection on occasion during my life, but it had never been this close.

He was making noises and uttering incoherent words, which sent my mind into a panicked state. "...will be mine first."

"Leader?" My arms remain frozen to my sides as I speak in a trembling little voice. Did you decide to accept me into a school in New York after reviewing my application? I re-question.

His piercing green eyes look directly into mine as he sighs and straightens his head. Is that all you're concerned with? He chuckles to soften his tone, but it's clear that he's dissatisfied with it.

I blinked up at him to avoid upsetting him by letting him see how uncomfortable and upset he was making me feel.

You did, after all, invite me here based on the status of my application. I try to reason, not understanding why he's so agitated.

He quickly leaves me while muttering obscenities beneath his breath. When will you realize this is the end of your plans to visit New York? You will be nearby, so I can watch out for you. He blows up.

As tears start to form in my eyes, I sit up. I apologize for upsetting you..

He glares at me with eyes like serpents and says, "Well, you did!" He grabs my face and pulls it up to his, despite my attempt to flee. "You are acting like an unappreciative brat here, when are you finally willing to accept me! Do you realize how long I've been waiting for you?"

I lowered my head in shame and tried to gather myself, but I had no idea what to say or do. I'm very perplexed. I'm sorry, but I can't keep up. I speak quietly because I'm afraid of enraging him more.

Don't you understand? Your future is also mine. You are mine to adore, cherish, and carry my offspring. He snaps, wrapping his hand around my waist to draw me close to him.

While my heart calms, my ears continue to pound louder.

That's not logical at all. You have given me a task; you are our Almighty Leader; you do not get a task. I mutter as I pull away from his embrace.

He advances and grips my face once more. How are you so stupid and incapable? Do you need me to explain it to you again? My eyes suddenly widen as he jerks and violently presses his lips on mine.

His lips press on my still ones while I remain motionless. I don't realize the salty taste in my mouth from the tears that are running down my cheeks and into my mouth and lips until he pulls away.

This is not what I wanted.

His grip on me becomes tighter, and as he turns to face me, a loud noise fills the room, stopping him in his tracks.

He releases his hold on me and walks over to his desk to pick up the phone. "What?" He howls.

He listens in silence for a short while before straightening up, clearing his throat, and revealing a pale face. "Excuse me, sir."

I don't care to hear the remainder of what he has to say since I've been given an opportunity and it would be foolish of me to pass it up.

I spin on my heels and storm down the stairs away from the man who was supposed to be the one to go to in situations like these, my bare feet stomping on the hardwood floorboards.

What took place? What went so wrong, and where?

I experienced difficulty breathing. I had just begun to come apart as the world began to break apart. Mr. Gaius wouldn't be pleased, and I was without a support system.

I was a complete mess, and I had trouble focusing on my surroundings. I only knew that I had to get out and talk to someone who could relate.

But as I approached the town hall's exterior front doors, a mop of blonde hair came into view, and the next thing I knew, he had a firm grasp on my wrist and was dragging me outside.

I was way too distracted and reeling from the events of the last few minutes to see Antonio's joyful glimmer of anticipation.

As we approached my house, I was far too terrified and rattled from what had just happened to even notice my surroundings.

I was far too upset to notice him leading me into my bedroom, and I was far too preoccupied with my own thoughts to prevent him from pushing me into my mattress, where I lay immobilized.

I lay in shock, far too startled and perplexed to notice Antonio pulling up the skirt of my dress, and my reaction was far too slow to notice the sharp pain that suddenly pinched me from beneath the wall of white cloth that was obstructing my view of what was happening.

And by the time I finally realized what was happening and regained consciousness, my shouts were already much too loud for him to hear what I was saying.

He repeatedly violated me in my most private area while disregarding my cries for him to stop, and my mind was far too preoccupied to ask for aid.

My screams were louder than the man's groans or the sounds of him pressing against me; his movements only served to exacerbate the anguish and dull the hammering in my chest.

Even after he left, I continued to scream, and by the time he was standing in front of me, I was too preoccupied with the excruciating pain emanating from below to be able to talk.

But there was one thing I did notice: when I turned my head to gaze up into his eyes, mine were glazed with tears and sorrow, and the man I would spend the rest of my life with just smiled down at me, reassuring me that everything would be okay.

However, I was unable to understand him because of the white noise that was drowning out my ears, making me feel like the rest of my body was about to erupt. The only thing I could concentrate on was the faint bloodstain that was spread across the bottom of his white dress shirt.

Finally, I couldn't move or even breathe; all I could do was close my eyes and hold my breath while trying to force my mind into a tub of water in the hopes that it would drown everything out because I had never experienced anything like this before.

I wished not to experience it.

I did not want to consider it.

I didn't want to be breathing, either.

I wanted to experience the emptiness that followed stopping my breathing, and I never wanted to return to this place.

However, I was unable to maintain my breath for long, and the moment my body opened my mouth to allow air to enter my lungs, the weeping began. raking harder than ever through my paralyzed body.

Eventually, I started to lose consciousness and couldn't even bear to remember that I was still wearing my blood-stained white dress. I was lying in my childhood bedroom, which is where I felt most at ease, a location inside my home-the spot where I felt the safest. Additionally, they were both located on The Outpost's grounds, which is where I felt most at home.

But suddenly everything was contaminated.

And being far away was all I desired.