Chapter 2

MARIAH’S P.O.V.

I still couldn’t believe I’m tying the knot today with a man I’d no opportunity to court and which I doubt I would ever love.

Preparations for the wedding was going on but I sat down reluctantly on my bed with intentions that I wouldn’t step out of the room, when my bedroom door jerked open.

A lady walked into my bedroom and made a brief introduction of herself “well, I’m miss Ivy your hair stylist and makeup artist.”

“For what particularly?” I asked pretending not to be aware.

“Isn’t today your wedding or aren’t you miss Mariah? If I may ask” She asked looking confused.

I exhaled deeply, stood up from my bed and walk to her and said forging a smile “shall we begin”

I sat down at the dressing table getting my makeup done with lot of thoughts coming into my mind.

Seated on a chair facing the mirror with Miss Ivy applying some cosmetic on my face, my father walked to were I’m sitting and said “what’sup my baby girl!”

Why is he even acting as if I’m getting married to my dream guy? Why is he pretending trying to make people feel that everything’s fine?

Feeling bittered I didn’t respond to him. I deliberately ignored him.

My dad trying to read my mind came close to me, place his arms on my shoulder and whispered into my ear “you better don’t fuck things up, understand?”

“Can you cut this shit off, please?” I pleaded with tears pooling in my eyes again.

“I wish I can,” he answered nodding his head.

With his cold eyes glaring at me he continued “you know what to do”

“I do not wish for this you know,” I said, my voice shaky as I fought to control my tears.

My mind was in disarray. I kept thinking of how my life would be living as a wife to an asshole. Thousands of knot tied themselves up in my stomach as goosebumps gathered in my forehead despite the fact the interior of the room was cold.

He walked closer to the mirror, arranging his tie, he said “cutting these off, is the simplest thing to say, but the most difficult job to carryout. Cassian Gavino is a goddemn beast he wouldn’t give a fuck!”

“Is a beast and you still want me to get married to him?” I asked admist the tears that began streaming down my cheeks.

He scooted down closer to me so he could face me, then he said “have you forgotten that Disney story, Beauty and the Beast?” He paused for a while and continued “it was your favourite cartoon when you were seven” standing uprightly he added “the same way Beauty captured the heart of the Beast, you, capture Cassian’s heart.”

Hurt flashed in my eyes, though I tried to hid it but couldn’t so I spoked up this time standing up from the chair “I can’t, please just try and understand me”.

A sarcastic dry laughter rumbled from his lungs immediately, he turned to miss Ivy and said “please do excuse us for a moment” she walked out of the room then he continued “what did you just said?”

“Dad I-I can’t…” I tried repeating myself when he landed me a slap to my utmost surprised.

Seized with trepidation, I watched him with terrified eyes unbuckled his belt and wrapped the belt around his hand.

Would he beat me up just because I expressed my true feelings?

Thoughts of what he wanted to do shrouded my mind when he pounced on me like a lion. Holding me tightly on my T-shirt, I felt a cold whip on my back.

I quivered and pleaded he stop but he wouldn’t listen. He beat me to a pulp and after he was done he called miss Ivy and instruct her to use make-up to cover up my bruised face. He also asks I claim it was an accident if Cassian should ask.

I cried my eyes out and since I’d no other choice, I succumbed to his wish to marry Cassian since he’d vowed to take my life if I don’t.

Stretching my body while I came out of the bathroom, I took a deep breath of relieve “finally, this shirt’s over!” I signed in a momentary joy. I looked at the wall clock, it was 7:55pm nearly two hours after our wedding after party ended.

I wore my usual white pyjamas and felt happy since Cassian isn’t around. He left the house immediately we came back without telling me were he was going to, it was okey by me anyway since I’d no crush for him ever since I first saw him.

I’d just sat down on the bed with my phone on my hand to return the endless chats that keeps coming in when Cassian came in.

I dropped the phone I was holding on the bed and was filled with fright when I recalled my father saying, Cassian is a ruthless mafia. Removing his wrist Watch from his hand, he speechlessly move into the bathroom and soon I heard splashes of water which I assumed he was bathing.

He came out few minutes interval dressed with a different cloth, different from the one he wore before entering the bathroom.

Seeing my bruised face he asked with his hard voice “what happened to you?”

“I’d an accident” I replied, following my father’s instruction.

“And he didn’t told me about it?” He asked. I kept quiet and watched him left the room without saying sorry as I expected.

“Remember he’s a ruthless mafia” I whispered to myself.

I continued chatting when he came in with two glasses of wine to my weirdest amazement. Sitting on the bed beside me, he gave me a glass of wine and said “cheers!” With a small smirk spread across his lip.

This was what I least expected.

“Why is he tryna be nice?” I wondered inwardly

“Or is he pretended to be nice just to get through my pants?” I asked myself.

Slipping in some wine into my mouth I tried avoiding his gaze but he just wouldn’t stop gazing at me.

“Mm hm…” I cleared my throat trying to start up a conversation when he cuts in, “I think huh, Maxwell Fabian made a great decision”

I got choked at his comments when his phone ringed out aloud “hello, I’ll be there in a minute”he answered and left the room.

I climbed down the bed after a while, walking toward the table to drop the empty glass when Cassian came in almost immediately. He stood at the door and only stared at me while I nervously looked away. After staring at me for a short while, he began unbuckling his cloth.

He walked close to me, using his left hand to hold my waist. He tightened his hold on me making me whimper then, I suddenly felt something warm pressed against my neck.

Holy shit!

It was Cassian’s lip.

Before I knew, his lips was on mine, it happened fast and unexpectedly. Surprised at his sudden move, I didn’t move.

Sucking and stroking my neck with his tongue I let out a low moan which got him more aroused. I tried hard to stifle my moan but his torch had this powerful effect on my body making a ravenous heat spread throughout my whole body. I felt a butterfly havoc in my stomach as I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders.

I needed him to confess his love for him so I asked “hope you’re not gonna break my heart?”

He’s a mafia anyway, they’re never truly love. These I know but I just wanted Cassian to promise me he’s a different person.

“I wouldn’t, my love” he said gently and continued kissing me.

I removed my hands from his shoulders down to his trouser, I unbuckled his belt which he did the same by removing my pyjamas. He yanked it away flinging it without minding where it landed.

His lips left mine and in a split second, he yanked away my sweatpants. Cassian at once grabbed my feet off the ground and dropped me on the bed.

He climbed on top of me and in a split second, he penetrated into me.

After a long while, he pulled out in a flash and we both stared at each other weak and exhausted.

I felt my heavy eyes closed as I slept at ease in Cassian arms.

I woke up the following day and what happened between I and Cassian couldn’t leave my mind. I never expected my wedding night to be that splendid but since it turned out that way, I’d this fear, Cassian might just be pretending. Thinking about it all, Cassian came inside with a trail in his hands, “it’s time for breakfast” he said smiling.

He offered to feed me which I disagreed with, but changed my mind since he insisted.

While I was done eating, Cassian offered to take me on a date and have me pick our honeymoon. Which I accepted.

While we went out on our first date, Cassian was in his best behaviour.

He was quiet and also very nice while he spoke to me.

Everything was going like a perfect marriage not until he started coming home drunk and keeping late nights.

Two weeks after our wedding, he came back home as usual drunked; seeing me on my old nightwear, he slapped me so hard.

Initially, I thought it was because of his drunken state but it wasn’t, he called me a whore and became extremely mean.

“Fucking shit! I can’t believe you’re messing with me right now.” He said with a dark smile playing on his lips.

“What the hell are you even talking about?!” I asked as I quivered in fear, though, still amazed by his sudden change of character.

“Seriously?” He chuckled raising his eyebrows.

While he spoke angrily, I took some steps backward in fright but he moved in haste and tried giving me a blow when I ran out of the room. My heart pounding in fear as a thousand thought ran into my head.

He came downstairs almost immediately with a butcher knife in his hand.

Shit!

Is he gonna kill me just because of a fact that he cannot be able to prove. I wondered, as I run round the sitting room looking for a safe heaven.

He caught up with me finally, kicked me off the ground and raised the knife up to hit me. I closed my eyes tightly trembling, as certainly he would hit me with it. When I heard a sound beside me.

Then boom, I heard sounds of a person dropping beside me to the ground.