Chapter 1

Edwin set out for the village with one purpose only. He wanted to visit his mother. He had no way of knowing what waited for him there. Right at the fork in the road, he felt a sudden heaviness settle over him. His chest grew tight and his legs turned weak. Old memories surged up from years past. It was here, in this very spot, that his father had met with a terrible accident. The memory hit him all at once. It drained his strength and left him shaken.

He had barely caught his breath and was still some distance from his mother's house when four men stepped out from nowhere. They grabbed him by the arms and dragged him away. Edwin struggled. He pulled back and tried to break free. But his body felt heavy and slow. The shock of the memory had left him depleted. He was no match for four strong men. They pulled him along the road until they reached the old stone church.

Inside, the air felt still and cool. Standing near the front was a young woman dressed in a wedding gown. She was beautiful, yet her expression was anything but welcoming. Her brows drew together in clear annoyance the moment she saw him being led forward. Her name was Jasmin.

Edwin pulled against the hands that held him. "Stop this," he said. "I have not agreed to any of this."

His words made no difference. The men held him fast. Then a man stepped forward from beside the altar. He was older, with a face that looked hard and unyielding. This was Gunadi, Jasmin's father. He leaned in close to Edwin and spoke in a low voice meant for his ears alone.

"I know exactly who you are," Gunadi whispered. "And I know exactly who your mother is as well. You will marry my daughter. If you do as I say, your mother will stay safe under my care. She will want for nothing. But if you refuse me… then you should know that I will not hesitate to make sure she breathes her last breath very soon."

Edwin's blood ran cold. He wanted to strike the man. He wanted to shout that he would not be threatened. But he thought of his mother. She was alone in this village. She had already lost so much. He could not put her life at risk. Anger burned hot inside him, yet he had no choice but to stand still and let it happen. He was helpless.

The ceremony began shortly after. There was no crowd of joyful guests. There were no words of love spoken between them. Edwin spoke the vows because he had no other option. Jasmin stood beside him silent and stiff. When the priest declared them husband and wife, something shifted in the air between them. They were bound together now, two strangers tied by coercion and fear.

Afterward, they were led to a room in a house nearby. The door closed behind them and then came the sound of a key turning in the lock. They were shut inside. Edwin walked to the door and tested the handle. It would not budge. He turned back to Jasmin.

"We have to find a way out of here," he said. "You live here. You know these people. Think of something. Convince them to let us go."

Jasmin stood across the room. She did not soften. She did not offer hope.

"You speak as though I hold any power over my father," she said. "I have none. I did not choose this any more than you did. He told me I would marry you and so I must. If you wanted to be free of this, you should have run while you still could have done so."

Edwin stared at her, his eyes sharp with frustration. "You make it sound so simple," he said. "Do you think it would have been easy to slip away from four men? They had me surrounded before I even understood what was happening."

Jasmin let out a short, sharp breath. "You are a man are you not? You are tall and broad. Why did you not fight them? If you had stood your ground, perhaps they would not have been able to drag you off like that."

Edwin's hands clenched into fists at his sides. His knuckles turned white. He took a breath and spoke slowly.

"You do not understand what happened to me back there," he said. "I stopped at that fork in the road and something came over me. Years ago my father had his accident right there. When I stood in that place, it all came rushing back. My legs went weak. I felt drained of all strength. If not for that memory striking me so hard, I could have fought them off easily. I am certain of it. But I was not myself. I had no strength left to resist. I could not fight anyone in that state."

Jasmin fell quiet. She looked at him differently then. Her expression softened just a little, yet she said nothing. The room stayed quiet around them. Outside the locked door, footsteps faded away into silence. They were alone.