Chapter 1

He stopped in front of me and took my hand. He kissed it. My soul could feel his lips caressing the back of my hand.

I can't say anything. I just kept staring at him.

“Miss Wills, how are you? Are you ready for tonight?”

When he asked that, I immediately got nervous. It was as if my heart wanted to escape from my chest.

“M-Mister Suarez.” Even mentioning his name was like a curse, and I couldn't do it properly.

“Don't be too nervous, Miss Wills. Tonight will be fun,” he told me.

And then he only let go of my hand after he kissed it again.

He sat down and immediately the two men entered. One was carrying a food tray and the other was carrying two goblets and a bottle of expensive wine.

There is steak on the plate and pasta as well. My steak was well-done and his was medium rare.

“Leave us,” he said to the two men.

When the boys were gone, he looked at me.

“Don't stare at me that way, Miss Wills. I might think that I committed a crime against humanity and against you,” he said after he caught me looking at his masked face.

“I apologize,” I said.

I looked down at his hands that were busy cutting his steak. He cut it gently.

I don't know why there's a tickling sensation running in my spine when he stabs the sliced steak with his fork. I felt like I was the steak he pierced with a fork.

“Would you like me to slice your steak for you, Miss Wills?”

His voice was deep. I don't know why everytime he speaks I feel like I'm receiving death threats.

“I can manage,” I said.

“Surely, you do.”

Our eyes met. He has blue grey eyes and his lashes were long. His thick eyebrows also came out. The tip of his nose was moulded into the half mask on his face.

I looked down at his reddened lips. As if they were always wet.

Overall, even though he is wearing a mask I can say that he is really handsome.

His body was lean and athletic.

My parents told me that he was old. But I feel like I am talking to an a****n man who is the same age as mine.

I am afraid that he will see me studying his face again. So I better move my steak.

I was shaking while cutting the steak. I'm not cold, but I feel like I'm constantly shivering.

The silence was deafening.

“Why are we here?” I asked as I turned my gaze around.

I felt like I was on the set of a thriller film. Even the items inside this room are awesomely freaking me. There are chains hanging on the wall. It's also a sofa with a slightly curved design that I think is difficult to sit on.

He said nothing. Even though I hesitated, I continued to speak.

“Why don't we go out and join the people at the party?”

“Miss Wills, we are here to discuss what we will do tomorrow and not to nail ourselves on the dancefloor.”

“What?!”

“Yes, Miss Wills. We will now talk about our preparations for our wedding which will be held soon.”

My hand tremors got worse.

The wedding hasn't happened yet but I feel like I'm already trapped in a place far from civilization.

“Why did you choose me, Mister Suarez?”

“There is no reason not to choose you, Miss Wills. And why not?”

“You don't know me.”

He stopped eating. “You, Miss Wills. Do you know me?”

It was just a simple question but because of that the knife I was holding completely fell on the table.

“T-That's the biggest problem,” I said.

“It's better that we don't know each other, Miss Wills. It would be an exciting marriage,” he said as if his line had a deep meaning.

Silence reigned between us again. I could barely finish my steak and didn't even touch the pasta.

If earlier I could look him in the eyes, now I can't. It was as if I was stepping on the ground of fire, afraid to step and unable to move.

He took the bottle of wine and I heard the sound of opening it. The cap of the bottle rolled to the floor and I smelled the grape flavor of the wine, but it had a strange boldness.

In a few seconds, he carried the bottle and poured wine to our goblets.

The sound of the pouring wine and its smells dominated inside the room.

In silence, he carried one of the goblets and placed it near my plate.

“One thing it takes to be my wife, Miss Wills. You should love wine more than you love me.”

I am intrigued. Even though I was dazzled by his eyes, I still tried to endure and stare at him.

“Sorry,” I said.

“The goal of my business is to produce the best wine, Miss Wills. I guess your parents never told you about that.”

“I'm sorry,” I said awkwardly.

He was right. My parents never told me about his business and about him. They just sent me here to meet this man who was really intriguing and mysterious.

“I'm not sorry sorry, Miss Wills. Gladly, you are yet to be a wife. If you are already, I will punish you until you beg on your knees,” he said huskily.

His voice slaughtered the little courage I struggled to build inside of me. I can almost lose my balance.

“Mister Suarez, let's go to the party,” I said with a deep fear in my tone.

My mouth suddenly opened when he cupped my trembling hand.

“Calm down, Miss Wills. We won't go to the party either. This is already our party. Just the two of us. We will drink together and dance the rest of the night.” He made me hold the goblet.

His index finger went to my chin and he pushed it up. Our faces were facing each other but my eyes with tears forming on each side kept staring at my hand that was shaking from holding the goblet.

“Cheers for our marriage,” he said.

He bumped our glasses.

Because of the fear that he might hurt me, I raised my hand. When my lips reached the mouth of the goblet, I gently pushed it so that I could drink.

At the same time as the wine flowed down my throat, my tears fell under my mask. Somehow as the wine wetted my throat I felt a little relaxed.

“That's what I like, Miss Wills. You drink too much. Surely we will not have difficulties in our marriage,” he said.

He stood up and came to me.

“May I have this dance?” he asked me with his head down.

I put my hand on his outstretched palm. He stood straight and supported me.

The music suddenly played. It was a romantic classical piece, but for me it was the background music of a horror film.

Dancing with this mysterious man made me feel like I am Psyche. As she was with the man she never saw before, she was loyal and honest to him. Pursuing her love for her unseen husband wasn't easy. But still he managed it.

As for me, I can't even say no to this man. We just met now, but I think he already held tight on my neck.

The sway of our hips on the dance floor became intense. He was a good dancer.

“I wonder how many women you danced with,” I commented.

He drew his lips close to my ears and that made me have chills again.

“It was only your hips I hold like this, your hand I take to be mine, and you I want to dance the rest of my life,” he said.

I just closed my eyes when his lips landed on my neck. He kissed that part of my body. That sensual kiss delivered the message clearly to my brain—I hate to say this but I like that kiss.