PROMISED TO HIM
CHAPTER 24
MAYIBUYE SMITH
I didn’t even realize when he left.
One moment Roy was standing there, so close that I could feel his breath on my lips, and the next… the door clicked shut, and the silence swallowed me whole. My body was still trembling — part shock, part anger, part something I didn’t even want to name.
I dragged myself to the mirror, stared at the reflection staring back at me. My hair was a mess wet , my lips still swollen from biting them.
When I finally made it downstairs, the smell of eggs, bacon, and freshly brewed coffee filled the air. The house staff moved around quietly, and seated at the long mahogany table was Roy’s father— elegant as always
“Morning, Dad ” I said softly, forcing a polite smile.
he looked up and smiled warmly. “Good morning, my dear. You slept well?”
I hesitated. “Sort of.”
His gaze softened, motherly but sharp. “Your face says otherwise.”
Before I could respond, Roy entered the dining room. Perfectly dressed. Hair slicked back. That usual stoic, untouchable aura wrapped around him like armor. He didn’t even look at me as he took his seat opposite mine.
“Morning,” he said flatly.
His father sighed dramatically. “You two sound like strangers. You’re married, not business partners.”
I forced a small laugh. “We’re still getting used to everything.”
he smiled knowingly, sipping his tea. “Marriage isn’t something you get used to, darling. It’s something you build. Day by day. Brick by brick. And if you don’t put in the work, it falls apart.”
I nodded quietly.
Roy kept silent well he was bored, his eyes occasionally flicking toward me when he thought I wasn’t looking. I could feel his presence even when he wasn’t speaking. It was like he filled every corner of the room without even trying.
After breakfast, his father excused herself, saying she had to meet some guests in the garden. The minute she was gone, I stood.
“I have things to do,” I muttered, turning to leave.
Roy’s voice stopped me. “Sit down.”
I froze.
His tone wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. Command. Control.
“I said, sit.”
I turned slowly, glaring at him. “What now?”
He leaned back in his chair, one hand in his pocket, calm as ever. “You’ve been avoiding me all morning.”
“I’m not avoiding you. I just don’t feel like talking.”
He smirked slightly. “You never do. But you still find ways to speak with your body.”
My heart skipped. “Excuse me?”
“Last night,” he said slowly, his eyes locking on mine.
“You were sleeping like a restless cat, moving all over me. Don’t act innocent, Mayi.”
I felt my cheeks burn. “You’re disgusting.”
“Am I?” He stood, closing the distance between us in two strides.
“Or are you just angry because I make you feel things you can’t control?”
“Roy—”
He took another step. “Because I see it in your eyes every time I touch you. You think you hate me, but your body betrays you.”
I swallowed hard, backing away. “You think you know me?”
He smirked faintly. “I already do.”
I turned to leave, but he grabbed my wrist — not roughly, but firm enough to make me stop.
“Let me go,” I said, my voice trembling.
He leaned in closer, his breath warm against my ear. “You keep saying that. But you never really mean it.”
For a second, everything went still — my breath, my thoughts, the whole world. His grip loosened, but his presence stayed heavy, wrapping around me like smoke.
Then suddenly, a voice echoed from the hallway.
“Roy! Someone’s here to see you!”
It was one of the guards.
He straightened, jaw tight, and released my wrist. “Go upstairs,” he ordered.
“I’m not—”
“Now, Mayi.”
His tone was different this time — not cold, but protective. His eyes scanned the hallway, as if expecting trouble.
I didn’t argue. Something in his expression told me not to.
I went upstairs, but instead of returning to our room, I stopped halfway down the hall, just enough to hear the faint conversation below.
A man’s voice — unfamiliar, low, slightly accented.
“Mr. Smith. I bring news about Jayden.”
My heart sank. Jayden.
I pressed my back against the wall, listening carefully.
“What kind of news?” Roy asked, his tone sharp.
The man hesitated. “He’s no longer in the hideout. Someone helped him escape last night.”
Roy cursed under his breath. “Who?”
“We don’t know yet. But there’s something else — we’ve found pictures of your wife,and things she do and the time she does it…where he was hiding”
My blood ran cold.
Me.
There was a long pause. I could almost feel Roy’s fury from where I stood.
“If he touches her,” he said finally, voice calm but deadly, “I’ll end him myself.”
The guard murmured something in response, but I barely heard it. My chest felt tight.
Jayden… was looking for me?
I stumbled back into the room, Jayden had once been my comfort, my friend, my confidant. But after everything — after his betrayal, after Roy’s warnings — I didn’t even know who he was anymore.
A few minutes later, the door opened quietly. Roy stepped in, expression unreadable.
“You heard everything, didn’t you?” he said.
I didn’t answer.
He sighed. “I knew you would.”
“Roy, what does this mean? Why is Jayden—?”
He cut me off. “It means you’re not safe.”
“I don’t understand—”
He moved closer. “You don’t have to. You just need to trust me.”
I shook my head. “Trust you? The man who keeps secrets from me? Who orders me around like I’m property?”
He frowned. “You’re my wife, Mayibuye. That means your safety is my responsibility.”
“Then stop treating me like a prisoner!” I snapped. “I’m tired of being trapped in this mansion like I’m something you’re guarding instead of someone you—”
I stopped myself.
He stepped closer. “Instead of someone I what, Mayi?”
My throat tightened. “Forget it.”
He studied me for a long moment, then said quietly, “You’re right. I do guard you. Because the world outside isn’t kind — and neither are the people waiting for a chance to use you against me.”
“Jayden wouldn’t hurt me,” I whispered.
He exhaled slowly. “You still believe that?”
I looked down. “He’s not a monster.”
“No,” Roy said softly. “But he’s becoming one.”
The silence stretched between us — heavy, suffocating.
Then, without warning, he lifted my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
“From now on, you don’t leave this house without me or your guards” he said. “And if Jayden tries to reach you, you come straight to me. Understand?”
I wanted to argue, but the look in his eyes — dark, protective, possessive — left no room for debate.
I nodded.
He released me, brushing a thumb along my jaw before walking out.
When the door closed behind him, I sat on the bed, my mind spinning.