You possess me, Lilith

Apollyon couldn't help but chuckle as he delicately brushed his fingertips against his cheek, feeling the lingering sting from Lilith's powerful slap. She had clearly exceeded her limits, yet he couldn't help but understand the depths of her fury. "If there had been another human in your position, it would have been their final day," he proclaimed with a hint of amusement.

"Who gave you the right to toy with my life?" Lilith grabbed Apollyon's shirt, pulling him down to face her at close range.

"It is a curse, not a mark of protection. For the past ten years, I have suffered because of it. I was forced to live alone in a hilly region with no one around me. How could you do this to me?" Lilith's angst for him kept growing. The more secrets Apollyon would reveal to her, the more disgusted she would feel. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"If a man sees a woman with lustrous gaze, he must be punished," Apollyon declared through clenched teeth. He gently grasped her hand to lower them. "You were never alone. I was always by your side. But I couldn't bring you here," he softly explained. Apollyon felt no anger towards her for slapping him twice—such emotions were foreign to him.

Apollyon's thumbs reached Lilith's cheeks tenderly wiping the tears that strained them.

"I don't know who your father was. Why would I kill the father of the woman, who revived me? Don't blame me for the things I never did. Indeed, I eradicated the royal family's existence, but that was my personal grudge against them," Apollyon affirmed, clarifying that he never killed her father. He now knew the misunderstandings between them existed because Lilith thought he was the reason for her father's demise.

"Don't lie to me," Lilith retorted firmly.

"Prove that I'm lying," Apollyon challenged her.

Lilith yanked his hands off her cheeks, taking a step back.

"I am not your bride, nor shall I ever become your wife. Since I can not kill you, I will take my life," Lilith stated. She would accept death than live with him as his wife.

"I do not allow you to die. I have already said this." His voice was firm and he had a grim expression.

"You do not possess me," Lilith said without fearing a bit.

"Indeed." Apollyon agreed, his deep voice resonating in her ears. "However, you possess me, Lilith," he said in his deep voice. "Your blood courses through my veins. I have waited for my bride for thousands of years. I waited for you, Lilith. I have decided to marry you tomorrow, rather than in two days. It feels more appropriate," he added, a fleeting smirk gracing his lips.

Lilith scrunched her brows. She had no idea how she would escape this place. She had been grievously mistaken in believing that everything would be set right by taking his life. Instead, Apollyon had trapped her. Till now, Lilith got aware of his capabilities.

"Don't think of running away from here, dear," Apollyon gently brushed away strands of hair from her face, his hand moving to her nape. He pulled her close, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Only I can take you out of here."

She narrowed her gaze and met his intense stare as he leaned back. 

Apollyon's gaze shifted towards the center table, where the remnants of once beautiful gifts lay in ruins. "I sent you such exquisite presents, only for you to destroy them," he remarked, a tinge of disappointment in his voice.

Lilith turned quiet. She no longer wished to converse with Apollyon. He called for Zoey, who shortly entered the chamber with her head down. 

"Bring the gown which is in my chamber," Apollyon ordered her. As Zoey departed, Lilith expressed her reluctance to wear anything he provided.

He chuckled, the amusement covering his face. "I am well aware of your rebellious nature. That is precisely why I have decided to personally dress you in the gown," he declared.

Lilith's eyes widened, and she shook her head in vehement refusal.

"If you refuse my assistance in donning the gown, then you must willingly wear it yourself," Apollyon presented his condition. "There is another matter you must bear in mind—do not destroy the items I send to you. Should you do so, someone else will bear the punishment for your actions. I will make you the instrument of their demise. I assure you, I mean every word," Apollyon's words carried a chilling weight, causing Lilith to swallow hard.

"Zoey gave you the dagger, didn't she? I could have driven that very blade into her heart, right before your eyes. However, today is your birthday," Apollyon stated.

"Please, don't harm her," Lilith pleaded, choosing not to hide the truth from Apollyon.

"I won't as long as you cooperate. As much as I am loyal to you, I am loyal to my principles too," Apollyon asserted.

Lilith responded with a hum of acknowledgment. "I despise you, Apollyon. You should not force me into the marriage," she attempted to convince him to abandon the idea.

"Hatred can be transformed into love," Apollyon remarked, a glimmer of conviction in his eyes.

"Your awakening brought about the death of my father. I hold you responsible for his demise. You claim your eyes were always upon me, but do not deceive me, Apollyon. Our encounter has been nothing but a curse upon my life, and it shall forever remain so," Lilith declared, meeting his gaze with unwavering fearlessness.

Apollyon reached her in a blink of an eye and his hand hooked one side of her neck. "You cannot expect life to be easy, Lilith. Perhaps, you should find the answer to your father's death instead of remaining in agony," he suggested to her. 

"Why should I seek answers when I know it was you!" Lilith pointed an accusatory finger at him.

"So, you have no trust in me at all. Would you like me to reveal the memories of that day?" Apollyon offered her a choice.

Lilith furrowed her brows together, wondering how he would do that. 

"Perhaps I shouldn't. Witnessing my cruelty may only deepen your hatred for me," Apollyon affirmed.

"No! Show me now!" Lilith demanded. Her desperation to know the truth overwhelmed her.

Apollyon placed a finger against her soft, plump lips. "Then allow me to kiss you," he asserted with a smirk.

Lilith immediately stepped back, rejecting his proposition. "I don't want to see," she declined, prompting a smile to curl upon Apollyon's lips.

Apollyon found Zoey had entered the chamber with the gown in her hands. "Dress your mistress well. I would like to see her in my chamber shortly," he asserted, "you cannot refuse it," and left her sight.