01||~ Enid.

01||~ Enid.

~~~~

 

“What are you waiting for?" A cold, emotionless voice demands, obviously irritated. I gulp, lifting my eyes to gaze at cold black orbs. 

My husband to be’s lawyer. 

 From now on, my life will never be the same.

If I do this, there is no going back, my life will forever be bound to the man meant to marry my sister. A hand clamps down on my shoulder, making me look at Papa who flashes me a pitiful look.

“You don't have to do this." He whisper's, but I shake my head and offer him a half hearted smile.

“No, Papa, it's my price to pay… I must do this, for you. For Ember.”  My voice comes out shaky. “It's about time I clean up my mess.” a whisper meant to console myself, Then I turned my attention back to the paper, heart heavy as i sign my life away.

Except the name on the paper is not Enid Fabio, but Ember Fabio, my sister's name. 

“It's done." The man who had introduced himself as Stefan takes the certificate, and looks over it, he stands up, and buttons up his suit. “You will move in with Mr Alyovich tonight." He turns to Papa. “I trust she has had her things packed no?"

“Si." His voice comes out cracked, tears water my eyes yet I push them back . I have always been a bad daughter who continuously hurt Papa, and I have never been the elder sister I was meant to be to Ember, maybe this is my chance to make up for my mistakes.

Stefan nods. “This way please." I stand up from the chair, leg shaky, almost stumbling as I make my way to the already open door. I should say goodbye to Papa, I should collapse into his arms and perhaps refuse to accept my fate, it's what anyone would do.

But I am not just anyone.

That man made sure of that, and if my ‘husband’ is anything like that man, then I need to save my strength.

I can hear Papa's soft sniffs as he walks behind me, he probably thinks I am angry, angry for replacing Ember, but it is far from that.

I spot the sleek black car the moment we walk out of the house. Each step towards it feels like a death sentence, but I keep going, without faltering. 

The sky is awfully dark today, the air smells like nothing as usual. It was either roses or nothing, and I made my choice. 

The door slams close the moment I sit in the car, Papa stands on the other side, behind him is the mansion, I run my eyes over the towering building where I had spent the best five years of my life, before I went to Russia, thinking lying to Papa was smart, but I learnt lies don't only hurt you, they ruin you. And that man was my ruination. “Goodbye, Papa." I whisper, gazing into his teary dark eyes through the window.

“I'm sorry mia cara." He mouths, but I pretend I don't see it, nor the obvious tears rolling down his cheek.

I turn my head forward, neither glancing at Papa as the car roars to life, nor as it begins to move. 

Rain pelts down on the car the farther we drive from Bianco fioritura. “How long does it take to get there?" I question Stefan, who had settled himself beside me, gaze fixed on the screen of his laptop as he types away. 

“Two hours. “ Comes his short reply, and silence descends again. 

True to his words, it takes us two hours to arrive. The house is a huge mansion with glass walls, and a large expanse of land. The moment I step out, the thick smell of rose brushes against my nose, making me gag. 

Why are there roses? 

I don't see the garden, but my dullest sense wouldn't miss the one thing it can recognize. 

We make our way through the large porch, my luggage is brought out of the car one after the other. 

Stefan opens the door and heads straight for the spiral staircase, it is almost as if he has been here countless times, he leads me straight to the first room he sees. “This is your room. Mr Alyovich will be arriving tonight, make yourself at home until then." Stefan informs, voice as cold as his eyes.

Alyovich! The familiar name makes me shudder, it can't be him… right?

I have questions, too many questions, like why my supposed husband isn't here today or why he isn't the one who picked me up from my house, but I have learnt that knowing or asking too much can cost you what you can't afford, especially when it involves Mademen.

“If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave." Stefan says, right after my last luggage has been placed in my room. 

I watch him turn and leave, his footsteps echoing in the large and empty house, the moment he disappears from the door, my stomach churns, my feet move and I am in the large bathroom, throwing up.

My throat burns as I wretch what is left of my dinner, after which I sit there, thinking of how everything had changed in a matter of seconds, just last night, I was glad to have reconciled with Papa after two years of being the rebellious daughter and disgracing him, and even happier to be able to attend my little sister's wedding…  who would have thought it would end up being mine Instead?.

I thought Ember was a happy bride getting married to her prince charming like anyone else… I had even been a little jealous that she was living a normal life unlike me… but it was all just a lie.

She was being married off to pay for the debt Papa owes, not to an ordinary man, but to a Mademan, a Mafia don who would have all our heads if he finds out I am a fake. 

Thinking of the stench of roses that wouldn't stop evading my nose, I pick up a face mask and put it on, unwilling to throw up on my empty gut once again.

 The ringing of my phone pulls me out of my reverie, I pick it up to see Avelina’s name flashing on my screen. 

I turn off the phone, unwilling to speak to her, knowing I would break down and tell her the truth if I do. I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling until the rain stops. 

But staying motionless is not something I can do, especially when my life feels like it's fallen off the hinges it was hanging on. I stand up the bed and head downstairs, trying to find a space large enough for dancing.

I could dance on the balcony, but it's too risky. 

Despite how large the house seems to be, there isn't a free space I can dance in, just as I am stumbling about, I  hear strange noises coming from downstairs. It starts with loud footsteps, then glasses breaking, then a groan.

My heart stops, there's someone in one house with me.

it could be my husband or his enemies, neither of which I want to see. 

I make my way to the railing, intending to glance at whoever it is, but I don't see anyone, my brow furrows. “I am sure I heard something." I mumble as I make my way downstairs with the thought of checking the door if it's locked. 

The moment I descend the stairs, I am greeted with the sight of a broken vase and drops of blood on the floor from the door to stair, my feet stops, eyes wide as I cover my masked mouth with my hand, the feeling of dread crawling up my skin erupting goosebumps on them, especially when I feel a cold predatory eyes on my back.

There is indeed someone in here with me.

My breath hitches, Without thinking, I make a run for the door, determined to preserve my life even if it's for a minute or two, from the blood, I deduce that whoever it is is wounded, so it should be harder for him to get to me.

But I thought wrong, because I haven't even gone far before a strong hand grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the wall, right after which a cold hand wraps around my throat, pinning me to the wall. 

My breath is heavy as I struggle to pry the hand away from my throat, harsh breath breathes upon mine. “Who are you?" A voice colder than ice demands, I pause…  dread, disbelief, anxiety, steeling in my spot on hearing the familiar voice.

My gaze lifts slowly to his, and I couldn't be more damned as I stare into familiar grey orbs. Because, standing before me is Adrrik Alyovich, the man I had been running from for the past two years. 

~P-Lia~