Contracted To The Beast novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Chapter 59

“Nia Nia…Nia!”

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I ignored Maddox and kept walking. My feet moved faster along the path back to the villa. I wasn’t in the mood to chat with him. Especially not with those questions still hanging in the air like heavy smoke.

The memories came anyway, uninvited. After Zara was born, everything fell apart. I didn’t just hit rock bottom, I dropped straight into hell. Postpartum depression crashed over me six months later, and it swallowed me whole. Zara’s cries used to send panic racing through me. Sometimes I’d stand outside her nursery door with my hand on the knob, trying to gather enough strength to walk inside.

I used to count to ten before opening the door. Sometimes I’d make it to ten. Sometimes I’d walk away and cry in the bathroom instead. The guilt was suffocating because I loved my daughter fiercely. I just didn’t recognize the woman I’d become.

Some days I couldn’t stand being near her. I left the house for weeks and stayed with Natalie because the guilt and exhaustion made it impossible to look at my own baby. I hired a nanny so Mom wouldn’t carry everything alone. I loved Zara more than life itself, but in those dark months I could barely stand myself. It still felt like a bad dream sometimes. I had come so far, and I never wanted to go back there.

Being asked what it was like to have a baby in college already triggered me. Hearing it from her biological father made my chest tighten painfully. The insomnia had been brutal. Days blurred together without sleep. That was when a neighbor introduced me to weed. It was the only thing that quieted my racing mind enough to let me rest. I had fought hard to climb out of that hole. That was why I avoided talking about it.

“Nia.” Maddox grabbed my arm as we stepped inside the villa. His grip was firm but not painful. “Are you mad at me?”

“I’m not, Maddox. I’m just not in the mood to talk,” I replied, pulling away slightly.

“Because I had my security chase your friend away?” he asked, still holding my hand.

“My friend?” I echoed.

“Yeah, the man you were talking to,” he said. “And smoking with.”

“I don’t even know his name,” I replied. “He was just being nice.”

He scoffed. “Nice? You really can’t be that naive. He was staring at your lips the whole time. He just wanted to fuck you.”

“And?” I yanked my hand free. My pulse pounded in my ears. “What if he does?”

I watched his mouth open and close. Good. He better choose his next words carefully. I kissed my teeth and turned to walk

away.

He yanked me back hard, pulling me flush against his chest. One hand pinned both of mine behind my back. The other I grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His gray eyes burned.

“Now listen to me carefully, Nia. I’m not someone you play games with. If I see you close to that man again, I’ll bend you over my knee and spank that little ass of yours.”

My stomach twisted.

I should’ve been furious. I was furious.

But beneath the anger was something else I didn’t want to acknowledge. The rough edge in his voice had sent heat skittering down my spine, and that only made me angrier with myself.

Chapter 59

What the hell was wrong with me?

He didn’t get to order me around. He didn’t get to decide who I spoke to.

So/why was my heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with fear?

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I swallowed hard. Bella’s words echoed in my head like poison. He doesn’t just fuck. He’ll leave marks on your skin.

“I know you understand me, Nia,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “So don’t test me.”

“Yes,” I replied in a small voice. My knees felt weak.

“Good girl.” He released me and walked off.

The words hit harder than they should have.

A shiver ran down my spine, unwelcome and immediate.

I hated how my body reacted to him.

Hated that a single phrase in that deep voice could leave me standing there speechless while my pulse stumbled inside my chest.

I dropped onto the couch. My legs shook. Heat pooled between my thighs. Where the hell did that come from? I pressed my thighs together, trying to ignore the ache. He couldn’t dictate who I spoke to. He wasn’t my father. I wasn’t one of his little whores he could command however he liked.

Maddox came down shortly after, dressed in workout clothes.

“We’re exploring the streets today. Go take a shower. Your glam squad will be here in thirty minutes max,” he stated.

His gaze swept over my face for a second longer than necessary.

“You look tired,” he muttered. “Eat something before we leave.”

Then, as if he’d said too much, he turned and walked away.

“Fucking asshole,” I muttered under my breath.

We explored the cobbled streets of Chora in Mykonos Town. My tiered gathered skirt swished softly with every step. It paired perfectly with the sleeveless crochet crop top, silk scarf, oversized Gucci sunglasses, and Prada crossbody bag. I was lucky Mr. France had chosen sandals today. My steps had already hit twenty thousand, and dusk was still hours away. Maddox walked beside me in an all-black linen two-piece. This was the first time I had seen him in anything other than jeans, dress pants, or sweats. It looked good on him. He actually looked like someone on vacation for once.

We wandered through Little Venice, lined with lively seaside bars, and visited the majestic windmills just a short walk away. I lost myself in street shopping, picking up tons of souvenirs for my friends and Mom, plus cute trinkets and jewelry for Zara.

For a little while, I stopped waiting for something to go wrong. I laughed, I shopped, and I let myself enjoy the moment without guilt.

Dusk had settled by the time we returned to the villa. I had loads of fun. Today had to be my best day of the entire trip. If I

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Chapter 59

ever got the chance to return to Mykonos, I would explore these streets again without hesitation.

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Maddox stepped out for dinner while I ate in. We hadn’t had a decent conversation since our altercation this morning. I couldn’t deal with him right now.

I took a long shower and came downstairs with a duvet, which I turned into a makeshift bed on the couch. Maddox wasn’t back yet. Even if he were, I couldn’t bear sleeping in the same bed with him. Especially after how I woke up this morning. 1 couldn’t take any chances.

I woke the next morning and tried to stretch, but my movements felt restricted. Déjà vu hit me hard.

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