TROUBLE HAS COME

IVY

I had really seen it all now.

Who knew a man could apologize? Certainly not me.

But what if he didn't truly mean it? What if he just did it for the heck of it? Or as a manipulation tactic?

This was exactly why I needed my grandma. She knew how to read people. She would have been able to tell me if I was overreacting or not.

I was still deep in my thoughts, confused about who the hell this Vladimir guy was, when the door opened.

My thoughts didn't distract my ears this time.

Looking up, I saw an elderly woman coming my way with an endearing smile on her face.

“Hello, our beautiful bride. I am Anna, your personal maid. I am here to bring you to your room.” She stopped right in front of me, and stretched her hand towards me.

Warm smile that showed her dimpled cheeks, and made her brown eyes glow? I loved her already.

“Ivy. I'm Ivy Greene.”

“You are so beautiful,” she cheesed as we shook hands.

“You're beautiful too, Anna.”

Her face flushed, and I was only glad I was able to put a crimson smile on her face.

“Come with me please. I'll show you to your room.”

I followed her, exhausted from this weird day that had become obvious was my reality now.

Through the windows of the lonely hallway we walked through, I saw light claiming the dark.

Dawn was on its way, and I had spent the better part of the night being tied up to a man–forever?

That thought was so scary, I felt goosebumps all over my skin.

Anna eventually stopped in front of a door, opened it, and turned to me. “This is it, Bride.”

My head doubled back. The last time she called me that, I didn't think much of it.

However, now I was curious to see if that name was going to stick.

“Bride?”

I didn't even have the mental strength at the moment to kick against it.

Offering her a smile, I went ahead to walk into the room.

Internally, I was expecting to walk into the room I had initially woken up to.

Much to my surprise, I found myself in a different one. Way bigger than the previous room which was twice my actual room back in grandma's villa.

By no means did I grow up in penury, but this place was proving to be way grander than I expected.

“Wow,” I blurted under my breath as my eyes scanned around.

Queen sized bed fit for a princess, if I do say so myself. A closet I hoped to God wasn't filled with only items for the male gaze, because I simply wouldn't give it a second glance.

“Do you like what you see?” I heard Anna's voice behind me.

I lifted a finger to her, a gesture for her to give me a second, as I walked towards the window.

Peeking through it stole my breath away.

The view was one I didn't expect to find in a strange place like this.

There were mountains, hills with little houses atop, and green forests. There was even a waterfall somewhere in-between.

I could spend my entire day by the window, staring through it.

Now this was an actual highlight.

“I like it,” I whipped my head towards Anna. “The view is spectacular!”

She clapped her hands in excitement. “The boss has such wonderful taste. He picked it out for you. He's so bright, and intelligent, our wonderful boy,” she heaped praise upon praise on his name.

The smile on my face waned. There was nothing wonderful about that arrogant asshole who wouldn't even tell me if I would be seeing my grandma again.

“Oh I'm so sorry,” she suddenly said, causing me to move my gaze towards her.

“Whatever for?” I asked, shaking my head in confusion.

“I went on and on, forgetting you must be exhausted. Please, there is a bathroom if you go through that door. You can freshen up. Would you want to sleep first before breakfast? Is there anything you need?”

She rushed through her words with such haste that when she was done, I, the listener, felt dizzy.

Still, there was purity in her intentions, and that was a stand out.

“You're amazing Anna. And you're right. I should get out of these tight heels, and freshen up. How about you check up on me later, okay?”

She bobbed her head so vigorously, I was surprised it was still plastered to her neck when she stopped.

“I'm so happy you're here now, bride. So happy.”

She walked away, and I finally let out a sigh I had been holding.

“Bride.”

I still wasn't sure I liked it. Before I could further investigate, my curiosity got the better of me, and I turned towards the desk with shelves.

There were miniscule artwork pieces placed on it as a form of decoration.

Its various shelves held books. The first book I picked up gagged me. What did blue eyes know about the dragons of the north?

That's if he picked it right?

I moved from the desk to the dressing table after getting my fill of it, and saw that it was also packed full with products.

“Hmmm, overkill.”

Moving away, I stopped in front of the closet, and then pressed the button to open it.

Like a wing, it spread, opening up.

“Oh–” the word rolled out of my lips, as I was greeted by an extraordinarily huge closet.

My gaze, turning left and right couldn't even see it all.

It would be too overwhelming to go through every item, so I pressed the button that looked like that for sleep wears, and thankfully, I was right.

I grabbed the first comfortable looking nightwear I touched, and quickly shut the doors.

A few minutes later, I was completely naked in the bathroom that was equally as large.

The bathtub gave me the comfort I needed. As I soaked myself, I let my mind run.

In one night, I had gotten married, and almost poisoned to death.

For a supposed beginning, this was true gloom and doom.

And then there was the elephant in the room, pushing to be addressed.

Vladimir Bratva.

My stomach did that thing it had been doing all-night, every time my eyes caught his reflection.

It flipped, and clenched.

I didn't understand why. I didn't want to. I just wanted it to stop.

Thoughts of him made the water feel instantly icy. That was my sign to get out.

Following through, I rinsed off, grabbed a towel, and was out in a heartbeat.

My feet had barely touched the floor of my new room when I got a presence so sickening, I looked up.

“Good, you're finally out. Let's talk,” Natasha Bratva said in an abrasive tone that informed me trouble had come.