Iris POV
Present time

"Iris!" My mother hisses, her voice containing urgency and I immediately know that I have to wake up. I jolt awake, my eyes puffy and tired because I probably only got an hour of sleep.

My body is so sore from the beating I had gotten last night and I don't know if I'll be able to cover it up today. God knows he would find pleasure in my pain. I won't let him see my pain.

"Iris! You're late. He's going to have a fit! Get in the kitchen before he notices!" My mother scolds, pure hatred for him in her voice. She rubs a chained hand through her hair, yanking a little at the full locks that have somehow never lost their radiance in all these years.

"I'm sorry, mama." I mumble, and a tear falls onto her beautiful face.

"It's okay sweetheart, it isn't your fault. But get going now, si?" She says, her voice back to its usual soft tone. I nod before doing my best not to limp my way out of the basement and into the kitchen.

Once I'm in the kitchen, I send a quick 'thank you' to myself for having prepared waffle batter last night. That would certainly save me a shit ton of time. I rummage through the ample amount of cupboards, trying to find the waffle maker and sigh in relief when I finally find it.

He is rich as fuck but he treats us like the dirt under his shoes. Thankfully, he didn't want a me to be a 'fucking useless piece of shit' so he hired tutors for me since the time he'd taken me.

I don't remember anything about my life before I was forcefully taken here, but mi mama makes sure to tell me stories about my brothers and father. I know everything that she knows about them, however I also know that they would have changed since the last time we'd seen them.

The man who had taken us, though rich is most definitely a miser. He only spends money on a maid who comes in twice a week to clean his house, she cleans everywhere except the kitchen and I have to stay hidden away in the basement with the only person who keeps me sane.

Other than that, every other day I have to clean the kitchen, his room and his bathroom. He lives like a fucking pig.

The only people I've been allowed to interact with since I had been taken were him, my tutors who hadn't been aware of the situation and his friends who are absolute pieces of trash and my mother, of course.

My mother on the other hand is only ever allowed to interact with him or with me. It's a pretty miserable way to live especially since mama was used to spending time with loads and loads of people.

I quickly prepare the waffles and leave them ready before turning to walk away when I hear footsteps.

Shit.

Mother fucking asshole couldn't be late today.

"Hmm, I wonder what the hell you're doing out of your room so late." The man who ruined my mother's and I's lives says. There, standing before me is Antoine Dubios looking more than happy to have seen me. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson last night."

The smug bastard takes a step toward me, and I being the smart person I am take a step back. Eventually, like all the cliche books my mother tells me about I end up being trapped when I walk into a wall. Fuck! I should have known better.

The next thing I know, a slap sounds through the room and my cheek is stinging. Then there's a crack and I realise he's punched my jaw.

He then pushes me to the floor and kicks me in the ribs. How fucking original is that!

"You just never fucking learn!" He screams, his face red and angry. For fucking what reason only this asshole knows, he has his fucking breakfast and I was going away, what the fuck is his problem?

"Get to the basement! The rest of your punishment will be decided later." He says, smiling sadistically and I find my face going pale. Fuck. That means Antione's friends will be coming over.

I crawl my way to the basement, knowing that if I tried to walk there I would undoubtedly keel over because of the pain in my ribs.

My mother panics when she sees me and immediately orders me to get the box of medical equipment that Xander, one of Antione's friends brought over. He's the only decent one that Antione has and thankfully, Antione is so stupid that he hasn't noticed any of the equipment.

"Oh, fiore. I'm so sorry for all of this. It's all because your father and I refused to be allies with him." My mother apologizes, her eyes glossy with tears that she wills not to fall.

"It's okay mama. It's not yours or papa's fault. It's his." I reply, wanting to wrap my arms around her but knowing it would only aggravate my ribs.

My mother dresses my wounds and puts me to sleep with my head in her lap. Something about this makes me feel an awful lot like a child but I don't care, I never got to he a normal child so I'll take these moments whenever I get them.

The last thing I remember before I allow the darkness to embrace me is the sound of my mother's voice telling me the story about how my third eldest brother, Andrei had managed to somehow dye her wedding dress purple a week before the wedding.

I dream of a life that I could have had, a life that was ripped away from me and when I wake up I find that maybe, just maybe that dream will come true.

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Chapter two is all over and done with, ngl this is the most I've written in 24 hours in a while-

Watch how that changes soon enough lols.

Anyway, I wanted any readers that I may have to choose the title of the book.

The options are:
1) Burning ties
2) Darkness has fallen
3) Comment any other ideas lol

Thanks for reading,
Please vote and comment