Midnight call: married to the deadly CEO by dark queen

Anna's pulse thundered in her ears.

The cursed phone vibrated under her palm, warm and alive like a trapped heartbeat. Ethan's hand pressed hers down, forcing her to feel every buzz.

RING.

She swallowed. Her mouth was too dry to speak. She looked up — Ethan's face was so close she could see the tiny scar under his left eye, the tension in his jaw.

"Answer it," he ordered, voice low but leaving no room for questions.

Anna wanted to scream at him — You answer it! You're the one who knows what this is!

But she couldn't move. Couldn't run. Couldn't breathe.

RING.

She pressed her thumb to the screen. The vibration stopped. The line clicked open.

Silence.

For a second, Anna thought it was a sick joke — until a voice slid into her ear, soft and too close.

"Anna."

She flinched. The voice was clearer than before — no static. Just an unnatural calm that made her skin crawl.

"Anna, are you listening?"

She forced herself to whisper. "Y-yes."

The voice chuckled — a wet, rattling sound that didn't belong in her warm, safe world.

"Good girl. You have a job tonight."

Anna's eyes shot to Ethan's. He nodded once — talk, keep it calm.

Her fingers dug into the table. "What job?"

"Go outside. Go to the streetlight at the end of the driveway."

She shook her head. "It's daylight — there's nothing there—"

The voice cut her off, sharp. "Go. Now. Or someone will come to you instead."

Ethan pulled the phone away from her ear. He spoke into it, his tone ice-cold and commanding. "You'll speak to me now. Not her."

Silence. Then a soft laugh that made Anna's stomach twist.

"She's marked, Ethan. Not you. She obeys. Or you bury her next."

The line went dead. The phone screen turned black.

Anna ripped her hand free. "What do they want? I'm not going out there—!"

Ethan grabbed her shoulders, pinning her panic in place with his calm fury. "Look at me. Look at me."

She did — and hated how it made her heart slow, just enough to breathe.

"I'm not letting anything touch you," he said. "We follow the command — on our terms."

He let go and crossed to a drawer in the wall. He pulled out a small pistol, checked the magazine like he was picking up a pen for work.

Anna's knees nearly gave out. "You're bringing a gun? For a phone call?"

Ethan tucked the pistol inside his suit jacket. "Stay behind me. If I say run, you run."

"Run where? I can't even step outside without them finding me—"

"Then don't break the rules," he snapped. He grabbed her bag, shoved it into her arms. "Move."

The front door closed behind them with a heavy click. Anna's heartbeat echoed in the crisp morning air.

The mansion grounds were too big — wide driveway, manicured lawns, iron gates that felt more like a cage than protection. At the far end, the lone streetlight flickered in the morning sun, the bulb buzzing like a trapped fly.

They reached the streetlight. Ethan scanned the shadows, one hand brushing her elbow like he'd catch her if she bolted.

Anna stared at the empty ground under the pole. "There's nothing here."

She felt stupid for saying it — but the fear still strangled her throat.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Wait."

He stepped forward, crouched low, then swore under his breath. He reached into the grass and pulled out a small box — plain, wooden, no lock, no markings.

Anna's mouth went dry. "What is that?"

Ethan didn't answer. He opened it — inside, resting on red velvet, was a single gold ring. Old. Faded. Its edges carved with tiny symbols that made Anna's head hurt just to look at them.

The moment the box opened, her phone buzzed again.

She jumped so hard she nearly dropped it.

**1 NEW MESSAGE: Put it on. **

Anna's hands shook. "I'm not touching that."

Ethan's jaw tensed. He took the ring, held it out. "It's not asking."

She backed away. "No. No! What if it marks me worse? What if it traps me—"

His voice cut through her panic like a knife. "Anna. Listen to me."

He stepped closer, took her trembling hand, and pressed the ring into her palm. His touch was warm, steady, real.

"If you don't do this, you die faster. You want out? You play the game."

Anna's eyes blurred. She looked at the ring — then at him. Cold, ruthless Ethan Cole — the man who owned her life now.

Her breath shuddered out.

She slipped the ring onto her finger.

Nothing happened.

No wind, no voice, no scream. Just the streetlight buzzing overhead. The phone in her pocket went still.

She looked up at Ethan. "Now what?"

His eyes, for just a heartbeat, softened.

"Now," he said quietly, "we get ready for what comes next."