Royally Bounded

Chapter 20

Clara

Once breakfast was finished, Hayden dropped me off at Emberside, a city where my cousin, Isabella, resided with her husband. The last time I saw her was my nineteenth birthday, and she declined to come to my wedding. I had already felt uneasy since I lost contact with her for several months.

I still had to send out invitations for the coronation, but I wanted to invite Isabella directly in-person. At the same time, I could check on how she was doing.

I rang the doorbell and waited patiently outside the three story house. Large glass windows were on both sides of every level, and white blinds were pulled together to block out the sunlight. The exterior was painted in dark grey and black, and a balcony was on the third floor.

Isabella told me that she loved having light into her home because it made her feel more connected to nature, and it reduced the negative energy. The fact that everything was closed down made it depressing. It was the complete opposite of what she wanted.

"Who are you looking for?" A new maid came out from the door. She was an old lady who seemed very unwelcoming with her attitude.

"Hi, I'm Clara, and I'm here for Isabella. She's my cousin," I answered.

"She's not home at the moment."

"She's not home?"

I thought it was beyond strange when she was not home. She told me about her husband, Gale, who was absolutely insane for keeping her locked at home. He gave her no freedom, and whenever she went out, he would question what she was doing like she cheated on him.

"No, she is out to—"

A loud crashing sound echoed out, and I heard sobbing coming from the inside. The maid widened her eyes with shock, and I barged into the house while she yelled at me to head out. I dashed upwards, trying to unlock the bedroom door.

"Isabella," I shouted, banging my fist on the wood. "Open the door for me!"

"You need to head out right now," the maid ordered sternly.

I sharpened my eyes over at her as she was taken back. "Get the keys."

"Sir told me that without his—"

"I said get the damn keys," I interrupted sharply. I was running out of patience when Isabella was inside, and her cries were getting louder as she screamed for help. "You should know that my husband, Hayden, is the King of Nascadia. If you dare to disobey my orders, I will tell him to get rid of your entire family."

The maid widened her eyes, taken back by my words. She immediately ran downstairs to grab the keys as soon as she heard my threat. When she came back, I snatched it out of her hands, unlocking the door. I found Gale on top of Isabella, and her clothes were torn into pieces. He locked her wrists on the mattress as he wanted to force himself on her.

"Get off her," I demanded and tried to shove him away.

My strength was nothing compared to his, and he pushed me down to the ground, my palm scraping over a glass piece. I winced in pain, staring at my hand that was oozing with red blood. I still managed to stand back up and grabbed him, using every part of my muscles to take him away.

"You fucking bitch," he slapped me hard in the face once he removed himself from Isabella.

My head snapped to the side, and I fell on my knees. I wanted to call the maid for help, but Gale yelled at her to get out. She didn't dare to disobey and closed the door behind her.

"You came to visit me, Clara?" His disgusting voice made me sick to the stomach. He had a smirk on his face that showed his clear intentions. "I've never fucked another man's wife before."