Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mariana’s POV

The sun was merciless. It pressed against my skin as if the heat itself wanted to remind me of how alone I was. I stood outside the grand hall in Italy, the place where my future had just been sealed without a single person who mattered to me. My fingers tightened around the bouquet I didn’t want to hold.

“Of course,” I murmured under my breath. “Not even my father could bother to show up.”

He had sent representatives, loud, boastful men from our clan who celebrated more than they should. Not out of joy for me, but because it benefited our empire.

Javier’s father didn’t attend either. For a moment, I wondered if that was their first sign of agreement,letting their children marry without supervision.

The doors behind me closed with a dull thud, marking the end of the ceremony and the beginning of a life I didn’t choose. Right on time, a sleek black car pulled up in front of me, its engine humming quietly like a warning.

I drew in a breath, lifted my dress slightly, and stepped forward.

The door opened from inside.

Javier sat there. He didn’t look like a man who had just gotten married. His suit was perfect, his expression unreadable, but there was a sharpness in his eyes that made my chest tighten.

“Welcome,” he said, voice calm. “My bride.”

I didn’t give him a reply.

I simply entered, took the farthest seat from him, and looked out the window. The driver started the car, and Italy began to slip away. The silence inside the vehicle felt heavier than the vows we’d exchanged minutes ago.

Javier didn’t speak further, and I didn’t either. I wasn’t sure if he expected tears, pleading, fear, or gratitude. He got nothing, not even a glance. I hated seeing criminals running freely, and now I had broken military rules by marrying a criminal like Javier.

When we pulled into the Miguel mansion, my breath caught for a moment, not from awe, but from the wave of armed guards rushing forward. They lined up in formation, greeting Javier with respect and curiosity. Their eyes drifted to me, analyzing, measuring.

The mansion itself was beautiful, almost painfully so. Wide marble pillars, golden lights, a garden that looked carved from a painting. But beauty meant nothing when shadows lived inside it.

I stepped out before Javier, lifting my chin higher.

A woman dressed in black hurried toward me. Her steps were quick, her hands extended as if I was fragile porcelain.

“Ma’am, please come with me,” she said gently.

She reached for my arm. I moved away, scanning the place, and glared at her.

“Don’t touch me.”

Her face paled in shock. I suddenly heard a low breath. I knew it was Javier’s amusement. Of course he would enjoy this. My refusal wasn’t rebellion to him; it was entertainment.

The woman bowed slightly and motioned for me to follow. I did, keeping my distance, feeling Javier’s gaze on my back the entire walk inside.

The mansion’s interior was grand, very grand, but every corner felt cold. Every hallway echoed with secrets I didn’t want to know. We walked past armed men, my steps echoing through the stairs as we finally reached the fourth floor. I breathed heavily out of tiredness. The woman stopped before a tall door with a nameplate carved boldly.

Javier Miguel

She reached for the handle, but before she could open it, Javier stepped beside her.

“Not this room,” he said.

The woman blinked. “Sir?”

He didn’t look at her. He looked at me, and I looked away.

“She won’t share a room with me. Take her to the room next door.”

I quickly stared at him, shock silencing me for a moment, and then something inside me simmered,not pain, not humiliation, but anger. He is such an asshole. I’m grateful he has the perfect sense of humor to realize I wouldn’t want to share a room with him either.

He married me, dragged me into his world, and still chose distance.

Fine.

The woman led me toward the next door. I followed, but before entering, I turned fully toward him.

He stood there with the same calm expression, but I could feel the tension, the quiet storm behind his eyes.

“You should know this now,” I said steadily. “I never liked you.”

His jaw tightened.

“I never wanted this marriage. I never wanted your name. I never wanted any of this.”

The woman beside me froze, eyes wide.

“And you might as well learn it early…” I stepped closer, staring straight into his eyes. “I hate you, Javier.”

The hallway fell silent, even the guards at the corner seemed to stop breathing. I dragged my gown, carrying every piece from the ground.

Javier didn’t move, his expression didn’t break, but something shifted in his gaze. He pocketed his hands, smiling at me, and that alone twisted my stomach. He finally moved closer.

“You’re honest tonight,” he said quietly.

“No,” I replied. “Just being tired of you already.”

We held each other’s stare for several seconds, long enough for me to know I hate him.