Chapter 2

MORETTI MANSION~~ MORNING

Carolina shifted on the large bed she was lying on, her head hurt and her ankle stung as she tried to move. She opened her eyes slowly, only to shut them again as the rays of sunlight flashed across her face.

Sitting up carefully, she finally opened her eyes and looked around the room, her eyes widened and she sat up in an hurry.

"Where am I?" she muttered.

The room was filled with expensive furniture, much like the one in her father's mansion, except this looked even more luxurious.

She tried to stand, but pain shot through her ankle, the door opened and several maids walked in.

"You are awake, ma'am," one of them said and Carolina frowned in confusion.

"They called me ma'am. Wait, am I back home? No, this isn't my house. Then it must be Woo Jin. How did he find me?" She thought as she continued staring around the room.

"Our master asked you to join him for breakfast. We are here to help you prepare," the maid said.

"Your master? Who is your master?" Carolina asked but the maids ignored the question. They helped her to her feet and started leading her toward the bathroom.

"I asked a question!" she half yelled, but none of them answered.

"Let go of me," she snapped as they started pulling off her clothes. "I said let go!"

The maids immediately stopped and she straightened her dress. "Get out I can bathe myself," she said and the women exchanged glances before bowing and leaving.

When they were gone, Carolina let out a sigh of relief and settled into the bathtub. Too many thoughts ran through her mind, but if she wanted answers, she would have to meet their master first.

When she walked out of the bathroom, the maids were waiting for her with dresses and makeup spread across the table.

Without a word, they helped her get dressed. When they were done, Carolina stared at herself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile. She had never looked this beautiful before.

At home, she never allowed the maids near her. She never had the chance to go out dressed like this. She was always locked away in her room.

"Can we go now?" she asked and the maids nodded before leading the way.

But Carolina's mind was still racing. "What if it's Woo Jin? How will I escape again? Should I run now? No... I have to see him first" Different thoughts were running through her mind.

They stopped in front of the dining hall and the doors swung open as she was gestured inside.

She hesitated for a minute before stepping in, the moment she stepped in, the doors shut behind her.

At the far end of the dining hall sat a man. She couldn't see his face clearly, but from his build alone, she knew he wasn't Woo Jin. She decided to take a few hesitant steps closer to see his face clearly but his voice stopped her.

"Sit," he said. His voice was soft, yet cold enough to make her stop.

Carolina slowly sat in the chair nearest to her. It was still too far away to make out his face.

"Who are you?" she asked but he just picked up his cutlery and began to eat.

"I asked you a question," she said again and he raised his head slightly.

"Eat." He repeated.

Carolina couldn't bring herself to touch the food, not when she had been brought here against her will, not when she didn't even know the man sitting across from her.

The man didn't look up again until he was done eating. Then he stood and began walking toward her.

As he stepped closer, Carolina finally saw his face and her heart skipped a beat. He looked familiar.

She searched her memory desperately, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't place him.

"Carolina Dawson," the man said and she swallowed.

"Who are you, and why did you bring me here?" She asked and the man smirked.

"Who am I? I'm this popular and you still don't know me?"He said leaning closer to her.

Carolina stared at him, and suddenly her eyes widened, It was him. The man who had ruined her birthday party two years ago. "Why did he bring me here?"

"Guess you remember now," he said.

"Adrian Moretti," she whispered and he smiled.

Carolina remembered the first and only time she had ever seen him, It was the year she returned from the States. Her father had thrown her a welcome home party and birthday celebration at the same time. Everything had been perfect until Adrian Moretti arrived.

She still remembered the way her father had ordered the guards to drag her upstairs immediately.

The entire house had fallen into chaos, but before she was taken away, she and Adrian had looked directly at each other.

The next morning, she had asked her father who he was and he had only said one thing. He is our enemy. If you ever cross paths with him, run.

Those words still echoed in her mind, Carolina suddenly stood, ready to run.

"Running won't help you," Adrian said calmly. "If you run now, you'll only make things worse." He said and she slowly sat back down.

"Why did you kidnap me?" she asked. "Are you trying to threaten my father with my life? Listen to me, he wouldn't even care if you killed me. I'm useless to him now. He doesn't care about me, so killing me would be a waste." She blabber and Adrian leaned back in his chair watching her.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting married tomorrow?" he asked. "Why were you on the streets?" He asked and Carolina swallowed.

"That's none of your business. Just let me go." She said and Adrian stood.

"Fine. Go. I'll see how long you last before your father finds you." He said and Carolina bit her lip.

He was right, If she left now, she was doomed. Her father would already be looking for her. The wedding hall would be in chaos. Her house would be in chaos.

He would never think to look for her here. Which meant, for now, she was safe.

"What do you want from me?" she asked quietly. "You wouldn't help me out of kindness. You hate my father." She said and Adrian pulled the chair out and sat across from her again.

"Let's get married," he said and Carolina's eyes widened.

"Married?" she repeated. "You and me?" She asked and he nodded.

"Do you think I escaped marrying a maniac just to end up with a kidnapper?" She said.

"I didn't kidnap you," Adrian said. "My men found you on the streets and thought you might be useful to me because of who your father is. Bringing you here wasn't my order." He said but she still didn't believe him.

"You hate my father, but you want to marry me? Only a fool would fall for that."

"I don't think you have another choice," Adrian said calmly. "The moment you leave this place, you'll be dragged back to your father, and after ruining the wedding" He let the sentence hang and Carolina lowered her eyes, he was right and she hate to admit that. Her father would kill her.

"Why do you want to marry me?" she asked. "To get revenge on my father? Even if I hate him, he's still my father. I would never help you." She said and Adrian smirked.

"Aren't you curious about how your mother died?" He said suddenly and Carolina froze.

"My mother?" she whispered. "Why do you care about my mother?"

"What did your father tell you?" Adrian asked. "That she died from an illness?" He said but Carolina didn't answer.

"She did die from an illness," she said after a moment. "It was serious. I wasn't even allowed to see her, don't try to get into my head." She said and Adrian stood up, walking toward the window.

"Your father is the most cunning man I've ever met," he said quietly. "Do you really believe your mother died from an illness? Has it never crossed your mind how a perfectly healthy woman suddenly became sick and died?" He said and Carolina's breathing grew uneven.

He was right, her mother's death had always haunted her. The day before, they had spent the entire afternoon together. Her mother had been healthy, smiling and laughing.

Then suddenly her father had told her she was sick. For weeks, Carolina wasn't allowed to see her, and not long after, she received the heartbroken news, her mother was dead.

"Are you saying my father killed my mother?" Carolina asked, her voice trembling but Adrian didn't answer.

"You decide," he said instead. "I won't force you into this marriage." He said and turned toward her. "Will you marry me or leave?" He asked and Carolina lowered her head.

If she married him, she would be free, free from Woo Jin, free from her father. It was only a marriage in name. There was no harm in that.

"It's fine if you don't want to," Adrian said. "I'll have my guards take you back." He turned to leave when he heard her voice.

"I will!" She said and stood up quickly. "I will marry you." She completed and Adrian turned back to her, he took a few slow steps closer.

"Before anything else," he said, "there are three things you need to remember." He stopped right in front of her.

"First, don't go to the west wing, don't even go near it." He took another step closer.

"Second, don't ask questions you were never meant to ask." Now he was so close that Carolina could barely breathe.

"And lastly..." He leaned down slightly. "Don't fall in love with me." He said and Carolina swallowed hard, the closeness between them was dangerous but she refused to let him see that. Especially after that final warning.

She was certain she would never fall for him. At least that was what she told herself.