chapter 27
The massive, black 1969 Dodge Charger glided smoothly through the night, a silent, comfortable cage. Inside the insulated compartment, Jian was still lost to her grief, her body shaking with silent, exhausted sobs. Jinman watched her, his handsome face etched with an unfamiliar shade of uncertainty.
He sighed, a barely audible expulsion of breath, and then gently reached across the seat, offering her a pristine white handkerchief. She flinched away from his touch, turning her head violently toward the dark window glass, pointedly denying the small gesture of comfort.
Jinman withdrew his hand, his lips pressing into a thin, tight line. He clearly didn't know what to do next. Dealing with emotional distress was clearly outside his typical, rigid playbook. After a moment of frustrated silence, he pulled out his phone and quickly texted Pasin for advice.
"Give her some time, Jinman. She's processing trauma. When she gets normal, then talk to her. She won't talk to you now,' Pasin advised.
Jinman pocketed the phone, accepting the advice with a reluctant nod to himself. He checked the time on the dashboard clock, his practical nature immediately resurfacing.
"It's already 7PM," he muttered, addressing the barrier glass to the driver's side. "Get some packed food, good quality. Have it delivered to my villa. Okay?" he ordered, his voice returning to its usual authoritative tone.
''Quit crying, Love. You are hurting yourself,' He thought to himself.
Jian kept thinking about her Omma, her brother, and Arisu. But above all, about herself. What awaited her life now!
After fifteen minutes, when there were no more tears left in her eyes, she stopped crying. She remained still for a long time, trying to collect her scattered thoughts, before she finally turned to Jinman.
"W-where is Arisu?" she asked.
Jinman clenched his jaw in anger, but he knew it was no time to scare her more. He had just gotten her to stop crying.
"I told you, Love, he is safe," he said.
"But where is he?" she insisted, looking at his eyes.
"I will tell you when you will not try to do anything stupid," he replied, letting a cold warning into his tone.
"Do you realize what you did?" she asked.
"Yes. I claimed what is mine," he said curtly.
"I am not a possession, Jinman," she fired back.
"I know. It was not my intention to create such a drama. You forced me to do so," he said angrily.
"I? I never told you to come and do what you did!" she said.
"When I told you clearly that day on the boat, that I want to marry you, then how dare you plan to marry someone else!" He asked, fighting hard to not shout at her.
Jian sighed in defeat. She looked out of the window, looking at nothing. Jinman came close to her and by instinct, she scooted more towards the door. He followed her action with his gaze, an expression of annoyance briefly crossing his face.
"You must realize now that, I will not let you go, Love. So, it is better you accept me... as your husband," he said with an absolute finality.
Jian scoffed at this.
"Husband? That..... was not marriage," she said firmly.
"Oh really! So how are you going to prove that? As much as I remember, you were the one who was willingly performing all the rituals," He said with a light, mocking laugh.
"I... I..." She stammered, not knowing what to say. It was true, they were married, whether she accepted it or not. They had taken promises in front of deities, and it would be a sin if she does not follow those promises.
Jinman sensed her confusion and dipped his head in her hair, inhaling her scent.
"You smell beautiful Love," He praised.
"G..get away f..f..from me," She said with a shaky breath.
"Nope, can't do. You are my wife and I have all rights. Right Love!" He joked.
"P..please Jinman.. I..I am n..not comfortable," She said.
Hearing her, Jinman sighed and sat straight.
"Don't worry, I will give you time," He said truthfully. He didn't have any intention of taking her to bed as soon as possible, because he knew, that until she was agreeing to it, their intimacy would be termed rape. And he did not want to curse their love with such words. He wanted to call it 'love' when they do make 'love'.
He continued to look at her and praised all her features. She looked beautiful in the wedding dress. She wasn't wearing much makeup, which showed her real beauty. Her body looked very appealing to him and his member stirred in desire. It was definitely difficult to control his emotions, and he wondered, for how long he would be able to resist his desire.
He recognized the area they were moving through. It was getting more and more secluded.
"We are close, Love," He announced. After ten minutes, the car came to a halt and Jinman opened the barrier.
"Park this car outside the garage. I may need it at night," He told the driver, and turned towards his wife.
"Now, love, be a good wife, and do not come out until I open the door for you. I have some business to attend with my men first. It will take a few minutes. And.... do not think of running away. Because I am very tired, and I don't want to chase you around. Even though I will if you run. Okay!" He asked.
"Yes," She answered meekly. Jinman dipped his head again and pecked her cheek, to which she closed her eyes in disgust. What more could she do?
Jinman came out of the car and instructed his men who were behind him, to go back to their home. He asked ten men to guard the villa. He then turned towards Pasin and instructed him.
"I don't think I will be able to come out for work for few days. So, till then, you are responsible for all the things. Okay? And if you get any doubts or face any major problem, call me," He said.
Pasin smiled.
"Don't worry, brother! I will take care of everything. You enjoy yourself with your wife," He said suggestively. Jinman smiled and turned around.
"Jinman!" Pasin called him.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"Congratulations brother! May the creator bless you both. I am very happy for you," Pasin said and hugged him. Jinman hugged him back.
"Thank you." He said with a genuine smile.
Suddenly, all his men shouted congratulations to him and he waved his hand in approval.
"Now go. Your wife is waiting!" Pasin said and winked at him. Jinman shook his head at his childishness.
All his men went back to their assigned work and Jinman quickly came towards his car. He opened the door.
"Come love," He said and asked for her hand. Jian looked at him and came out, without taking his hand. But, Jinman still took her hand and guided her towards the villa.
Jian wasn't interested to see anything. She just looked at the pavement on which they were walking. Suddenly Jinman stopped and looked at the villa.
"This is our temporary home, Love. Isn't this pretty!" He said.
Jian looked at the villa this time, and gasped.
The "temporary home" was a spectacular, almost intimidating sight.
It was a sprawling modern villa, charcoal grey against the dark, secluded hillside landscaping. The entrance was flanked by towering cypress trees, their dark shadows creating a dramatic contrast. The façade was all clean lines and geometric shapes, with large, floor-to-ceiling windows that glowed faintly with soft, interior light, revealing glimpses of luxurious, minimalist décor within.
She could hear the faint, steady sound of water—the smooth, glassy overflow of the infinity pool that edged the sprawling main terrace—lending a deceptive air of tranquility to the isolation. The view from this vantage point, a sweeping panorama of the valley below and the horizon beyond, only emphasized how high and remote she was.
It wasn't a cozy home; it was a fortress of wealth, beautiful, yet utterly cold and remote, emphasizing her complete removal from her old life. The size of it alone was enough to make her breath catch.