Chapter 4

ARES

I stared out of the window, watching as Adela’s ride sped into my compound as if it was being chased my the cops. I wasn’t surprised. This was the way both Adela, and her driver preferred to drive. She had texted me a minute ago that she was here. And, my newly wedded wife, Hera, did not know who Ares Grey is. Perfect! Note the sarcasm.

The door opened and she got down, her mouth slightly open and a tiny frown on frown on her face which soon morphed into horror as she watched Adela’s ride drive out of my compound in the same speed which it had used in driving in. She watched, her head turning slightly as the gates closed by it self.

I wondered if she thought her opportunity to escape had just slipped by. Besides, she’d be doing herself more harm than good if she decided to escape. I am one hundred percent sure the only place she knows in this state is the brothel. And another one hundred percent sure that she doesn’t even know the actual address of the brothel.

She turned around, raising her head upwards to look at the full height of my mansion. Her eyes swept over it once. And again, but this time, it landed on me. Her eyes widened a bit, then she blinked once. I turned around and walked away, dropping the glass of wine on my computer table.

I picked up the file which I had requested from Vivian, on Hera. I opened the file and flipped the pages. It already has the basic things I knew. Her name. Her height. Her skin tone. Her age. Her nationality. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit.

I dropped the file and picked up my laptop. I opened the file Adela send to me. A similar file on Hera. Only that this one has more tangible information. But on Hera. And on Vivian herself.

There was a light knock on the door, interrupting my reading. The door opened and my chief maid came in. Maria. She had a bright grin on her face, and she was holding Hera like she was a kind of personal treasure.

“Ares!” she said, her grin still on her face, but her tone chiding. “You did not tell me about her!”

Maria was like a grand mother to me. She had practically taken care of my siblings and I while we were growing up. She worked for my parents then. And since I really loved her company, I convinced her to come work with me. Which she agreed to. Thankfully.

“I didn’t know…” I paused, looking for the right word. “-she would happen.”

“Poor girl!” she tutted and placed a palm on Hera’s shoulder. “She looked lost. She didn’t tell me she is the Mrs Grey everyone was talking about this evening. I had to call Adela to ask who the pretty damsel she dropped off was!”

Of course. I forgot how fast gossip spreads. I wondered how my home workers got to know about her before she even arrived.

“Mrs Grey…” I muttered, my eyes finally meeting Heras’ while I dropped my laptop. I almost missed the way she flinched. I didn’t know if it was because I finally decided to look at her, or because I called her Mrs Grey. Too bad. She would have to stick to it now.

“Sweetheart, what would you like to eat?” Maria asked, ignoring me and returning her focus to Hera. I had no doubt I’d receive a long long lecture on how I got married without telling her.

“I…um…”

Stuttering. One of the many things I hated. I couldn’t help the irritation that washed over me.

“I have eaten something,” she replied, and cleared her throat. She lied.

“Ooh,” Maria sighed and pouted. “Well then, tomorrow morning, I’ll make a proper welcome meal, and we’ll go over the arrangements of the house.”

Maria stood on her toes, and gave the confused looking girl a forehead kiss.

“Good night, darling.”

Hera blinked. Once. Twice. Before she finally spoke hurriedly. “Wait! Arrangements of the house?”

“Yes. Arrangements of the house,” Maria replied casually. “You’re now the lady of the house. It’s not what you want and what you do not from now on.”

My eyes narrowed to stilts. Great! Now my opinions do not matter.

Maria opened the door and walked out, while Hera’s head was still turned, eyes on the closed door, and lips slightly apart.

Her shoulder dropped as she slowly turned her head to look at me. Her right hand closed over her left wrist as she shifted on her heel. She looked at me, not more than a second, before staring at the floor like it was now the most interesting thing in the world.

“Mrs Grey.” I tried my best to be polite, but the words came out as mocking instead. My bad. “Do you know who I am?”

Slowly, she shook her head. “I…I don’t.”

“I’m Ares Grey. The guy who helped you at the auction,” I said. I decided not to use the word ‘bought’. “I signed a freaking marriage contract because I wanted to help you. A court marriage contract, for that matter. I’m now tied to you, even if I don’t want that.”

My eyes ran over her and stopped at her left wrist, where her fingers were digging into. “So I think it’s only fair to know more about my wife, isn’t that right?”

She nodded, gulping visibly before looking at me. “I’m…my…uh…”

“I hate stuttering,” I said flatly, cutting her off. “You do not have that disorder. So don’t start now.”

She inhaled deeply. “My name is Hera. I turned eighteen last month. I have two friends…I…that’s all.”

That was very much what I expected. Of course, she doesn’t know the information Adela had gathered for me. If not, she’d have mentioned it. Again, I doubt she’d be here if she knew it anyway.

“Alright, Hera,” I said, getting up from the chair I had been sitting up. I walked to my vanity, and picked up a jewelry box my mother had sent over once she found out I had bought her. I opened the box as I walked to Hera. The precious red gem glinted under the chandelier, causing Hera to squint when I stopped in front of her.

It was a wedding ring. Ruby, to be precise, with multiple tiny diamonds in the band. I paused her right hand, and slipped it on her ring finger. There was also a golden necklace in it, which the box originally belonged to. The necklace was what my mother sent over. The ring, I had gotten it on my way home.

“It’s only befitting for a wife to wear a ring, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I have something similar,” I told her. A tiny smile made its way to her face, lighting it up. I took the necklace, and swept her hair over one shoulder before putting it on. The necklace had two pendants. The first was her name. Hera. And the second was mine. Ares. Both written in italics.

“That’s from my mother,” I told her. Shockingly, my mom already liked her, without even meeting her yet.

“Thank you…Ares,” she said, a wide grin on her face. I stiffened as I really looked into her eyes for the first time today.

“Master.” A look of confusion wiped the grin away from her face. “In private, Hera, you call me master. In public, it’s Ares.”

Her face fell at my instruction, disappointment glittering in her eyes. News flash; I’m not Mr perfect.

“Okay, Master.”

“Good.” I don’t know what compelled me to – maybe it was how flawless her skin looked – but I brushed my thumb on her cheek caressingly. “Go to bed, Kitten.” The nickname slipped out of my mouth before my brain could even register it. “You can wear something from my closet.”

“Alright,” she muttered, walking to my closet. She was almost there when my mouth, once again, moved on its own accord.

“Wait.” She halted, and turned to look at me. I motioned for her to come, which she did. I placed a kiss on her forehead, brushing my hand through her red coils. “Good night.”

I turned around and walked out of the room. As I walked down the stairs, I wondered why both Adela’s report a d Vivian’s file hadn’t mentioned that Hera’s eyes were green. My favorite color.