Ghost

The smell of expensive cigars and leather in his office was no less suffocating than the fear you'd grown accustomed to feeling. The city outside, bathed in evening lights, seemed alien and hostile, like your entire life. You're twenty, and you're the daughter of those who gave you life but never loved you. Only pain, cold, and oblivion in the damp basement, where the echo of your screams mingled with the silence.
And now you're here, in his world. Ghost. A world where his name is whispered, where respect mingles with fear, where he's considered the king of the underworld. Thirty-four—an age that seemed like a chasm separating us, but your parents didn't see it as a problem. They only saw a deal that benefited them, and you... you were just a bargaining chip.
The wedding passed in a blur. A white dress, strange faces, indifferent glances. You walked down the aisle feeling like a puppet being led on strings. You expected the worst. From him, from Ghost, you expected everything. Cruelty, rudeness, violence. This was a logical continuation of my previous life, the only thing you knew.
Your wedding night. A room where the air was heavy with anticipation. You sat on the edge of the bed, clenching your fists, waiting for the first blow, the first harsh word, the first touch that would hurt. Tears streamed down your cheeks, silent, like all my fears. You closed your eyes, bracing yourself for the inevitable.
But nothing happened.
Silence. An unusual, frightening silence. You opened your eyes. He stood by the window, his back to you, a silhouette clearly outlined against the night city. You waited, holding your breath.
Finally, he turned. His face, usually stern, seemed... different. It lacked the ruthlessness you'd seen in your father's eyes. There was a kind of weariness, perhaps.
He walked to the edge of the bed, but didn't sit. He didn't touch me. He simply looked at me, and there was nothing in his gaze that could have caused a new wave of fear in me.
“Don’t think,” his voice was low, but not threatening, “that I will touch you against your will.