Reborn To Change My Fate-Chapter 322 - Three Hundred And Twenty One

Liam stared down at Marissa. He listened to her soft, fragile voice. He saw the tears shining in her dark eyes. For a moment, his massive ego was pleased. He liked hearing that she felt helpless. He liked knowing she was completely at his mercy.

But Prince Liam was not a complete fool. He remembered how clever she was. He remembered the trap at the Golden Swan.

Liam narrowed his eyes. The cruel smirk returned to his bruised face.

"You are too scheming," Liam replied, his voice cold and suspicious. He did not move away from her. "I know how your mind works, Marissa. You set traps. You plan things. I had to take precautions tonight. That is why you are tied up."

Marissa kept her face completely calm, even though her heart was racing. She was still sitting up, trapped between his heavy knees. She knew she had to hit him where it hurt the most. She had to attack his fragile pride.

She tilted her head slightly.

"Your Highness," Marissa said softly, keeping her voice innocent. "Are you afraid of me?"

Liam frowned. "What?"

Marissa let out a small, quiet sigh. She looked at his swollen cheek, deliberately drawing attention to the place where his wife had slapped him.

"I thought only the Princess could make you afraid," Marissa whispered gently, acting confused. "I saw her strike you. I saw you cower. But I am just some mere woman. A woman tied up on a bed. Why would the powerful Crown Prince fear me?"

The change in Liam was instant. The mention of Princess Dahlia, and the reminder of his ultimate humiliation in front of the guards, shattered his calm completely.

His face turned a dark, ugly shade of purple. The veins in his neck popped out.

"How dare you mention that?" Liam hissed.

He lunged forward. His large, sweaty hands shot out and grabbed Marissa’s delicate neck.

He tightened his grip instantly. He pushed her backward, pinning her against the pile of red silk pillows. His thumbs pressed hard against her windpipe, cutting off her air.

Marissa gasped. Her eyes widened in genuine panic, but her mind stayed sharp. She did not kick. She did not fight his hands. She let herself go limp against the pillows, acting like a broken, helpless doll.

"Do you think you are smart?" Liam growled, his face inches from hers. He smelled strongly of sour wine and stale sweat. It was disgusting. "Do you think you can mock me in my own bed?"

Marissa struggled to breathe. She looked up at him with wide, watery eyes.

"The... the entire residence..." Marissa spoke, her voice cracking painfully because of his tight grip. "It is filled with your guards... I cannot escape."

She slowly brought her bound hands up from her lap. She held them right in front of his face so he could see.

"L...Lo...Look," she gasped, her voice tiny and broken. "Look how red my wrists are."

The thick, rough rope had rubbed her skin raw. Bright red marks circled her delicate wrists. She let her hands tremble, showing him her pain and weakness.

"Such roughness..." Marissa whispered, forcing another tear to slide down her cheek. "It is not fit for a delicate flower. Please, Your Highness. You are hurting me."

Liam stopped. He looked at her red wrists. He looked at her crying eyes. He saw her struggling for air, completely defenseless under his hands. His sick, twisted mind felt a surge of total power. He had broken the proud Grand Duchess. She was finally begging him.

Slowly, Liam relaxed his hands. He let go of her neck.

Marissa coughed quietly, sucking in deep breaths of air. She kept her head down, acting perfectly submissive.

Liam sat back on his heels. He looked at her with a mix of anger and extreme lust. He reached out and grabbed the thick knot of the rope around her wrists.

He began to untie the rope.

"You witch," Liam whispered roughly, his fingers working on the tight knot.

He leaned closer to her as he worked. He was so close that Marissa could feel his hot, sour breath brushing against her cheek. She wanted to turn her face away and vomit, but she forced herself to stay perfectly still.

"All the humiliations you caused me," Liam promised, his voice low and evil, "all the trouble you brought to my door... it will all be repaid tonight. You will pay for it with your body. Over and over again."

The thick knot finally loosened.

The heavy rope fell away from Marissa’s red wrists, dropping onto the silk sheets.

Her hands were finally free.

Immediately, Marissa acted. The docile, frightened woman vanished completely.

She did not reach for his face. She did not try to punch him. She brought her right hand up near her own mouth.

On her index finger, she wore a thick, beautiful silver ring. Derek had given it to her months ago for her protection. He had told her it was a secret weapon.

With her thumb, Marissa quickly twisted the top of the silver ring. There was a tiny click.

A hidden compartment inside the ring popped open. It released a fine, white powder into the palm of her hand. It was a special chemical mixture designed to cause extreme pain and temporary blindness.

Marissa took a deep breath. She brought her hand right up to Liam’s face.

She blew hard.

Whoosh.

A cloud of white powder flew directly into Liam’s wide, lustful eyes.

The reaction was immediate and violent.

Liam threw his hands up to his face. He fell backward off her legs, tumbling onto the scattered rose petals.

"Ahhhhh!" Liam screamed at the top of his lungs.

It was a horrible, high-pitched scream of pure agony. The powder burned his eyes like hot coals. He thrashed blindly on the bed, rubbing his face frantically, which only made the powder burn deeper.

"My eyes!!!!" Liam roared, his voice cracking with pain. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the white powder. "What did you do to me? It burns! Ahhhh!"