First Night

"Welcome home, Mr. and Miss Saunders, and congratulations for your wedding. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and love." a middle aged woman welcomed them as soon as the door opened.

Anna's mouth dropped open in surprise when she arrived at her new home. She could see a line of maids waiting to receive them. This is completely insane, totally different from what she expected. How wealthy is this man? Because she was unfamiliar with this type of treatment, Anna too bowed back casually, which irked Ibrahim slightly.

"They're maids, and we don't bow to them." Ibrahim spoke haughtily.

Anna scoffed and turned to face the others. So, this is how the wealthy people live? She was impressed even before she stepped into his yard. The yard in front of his house is so large that she could see a flower garden and a gazebo.

“Wow.” She murmured softly when she looked around the house. His house is even larger than a mansion. The sleek and modern interior is extremely appealing. The furniture doesn’t look cheap either. She looked to the left side of the house and noticed a sliding door that leads to the indoor pool and gym area. This is incredible. How could he live alone in this huge house?

Ibrahim is staring at the young woman standing next to him who was so taken with his house. He was not surprised either, as he had to admit that he had worked very hard to renovate his house so that it felt cozy and comfortable. The house is furnished to his tastes even though it is too big for him to live alone.

 “Could you show me my room, please? I'm tired.” Ana enquired. Her voice sounded frail and soft, indicating that all of her energy must be drained off today.

Ibrahim looked at her. "Follow me." He said so, and they both walked to the second floor.

Anna still feels out of place in these new surroundings. She's even worried about getting lost in this massive house because she sees a corridor with several doors. How many rooms does he have here?

Ibrahim came to a halt in front of a door and opened it. He motioned for her to enter. When she entered the room, she looked around this spacious room. This room is even bigger than her living room. It is simple and clean, the king size bed feels like calling her to rest on it. The floor is constructed of wood like material. The wall was painted grey with white ceiling. The furniture appeared to be expensive and in color of black and white. For some reason, she doesn’t like the color inside the room. It's far too cold and gloomy for her.

"The door to your left connects to the closet and dressing room, while the door on the right connects to the home cinema, and the bathroom is just beside the closet." He explained by opening the door to show her the room.

Anna noticed that her luggage had already been placed in the wardrobe's corner. However, she felt somehow lost when she looked at a closet full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and handbags. She is so taken aback that she is at a loss of words. The handbag and shoes are definitely not cheap. All of those came from branded designers. For a brief moment, she believes her life is a complete shamble. She couldn't afford even one of them, but this man could buy the entire store. Does it even make sense?

"I'm not sure what your fashion tastes are, and I'm not the one who put this together. All of these were prepared by my secretary, and based on her knowledge, girls love branded and expensive items. I also requested that she prepare some facial products and toiletries too. If you don't like it, let me know and I'll ask her to change it to your liking." Ibrahim spoke quickly.

Anna chuckled sadly upon looking at the expensive items in front of her. All of these are worth her life, marriage, and happiness. What did he just say now? Girls love branded and expensive goods? If that's the case, why isn't she happy?  

"You don’t need to prepare all of these. This room is way too big for me." Anna tried to sound normal, but her gaze still showed sadness.

Ibrahim shook his head in disbelief. Is this girl even serious? "What do you mean by the room being too big for you? You’re not the only one who is staying here. It’s mine too.”

Anna looked at him, stunned. “What?”

Ibrahim grinned evilly and pressed his finger against her jaw, forcing her to look at him. "We're married, so sleeping in the same room isn't unusual." He tried to sound dangerous, wanting to know if she was sacred or not.

Anna tried her best to push him away from her, as it was making her feel uneasy. She wiggled and freed herself. She locked her gaze on him. "I'd prefer to sleep on the couch than in your bed." She replied confidently and quickly walked away from there. No wonder she also saw men's clothes and shoes here. They are going to share the same room. She was already concerned about living under the same roof with him, and now that they were in the same room, it would be an even more difficult task for her.

Ibrahim let out a small laugh. The more defiant she is, the more appealing she is to him. Most of the girls he knew would be overjoyed if he gave them something expensive, but this girl is an exception. A closet full of expensive items will not suffice to impress her. She also stated that she would rather sleep on the couch. This is insane. Does she have any idea how many girls out there would jump into his bed without even asking? This hilarious girl is getting more appealing for him.

Anna couldn't think straight right now. This guy is driving her crazy, and she's been hiding in the bathroom for who knows how long. She didn't even dare to come out.

How could we possibly sleep in the same bed, you bastard? Anna pondered.

She was moving around inside the bathroom. She was nervously biting her nails, thinking how to get out of this situation. When she ran out of ideas, she took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door.

She couldn't stay hidden in the bathroom for long, so she went to the dressing room. She took a look at the size of the walk-in closet. She grew up in a middle-class family, so her sudden access to luxury amenities felt surreal to her. If Cinderella's life returns to normal when the clock strikes twelve, she wishes she could do the same when the day ends. It is, however, neither a dream nor a fairy tale. It's true. Her relationship with Ibrahim is also real. And she is forced to face this nightmare alone.

Although many scenarios raced through her mind, she couldn't deny that her body was tired, so she slowly exited the dressing room and noticed Ibrahim sleeping soundly on the bed. She smiled and walked over to the couch next to the bed. It won't be as comfortable as the bed, but she won't have to share a bed with this arrogant man.

The morning sunlight began to trickle in through the opening in the curtain. Anna woke up with her eyelids feeling so heavy. When she slowly opened her eyes, she discovered a large, bulky arm wrapped around her waist, protectly. Her eyes widened and quickly regained her senses. She realized she was sharing a bed with Ibrahim, who was still sleeping soundly beside her. Does that mean she is sleeping in Ibrahim's embrace all night? How? She remembered sleeping on the couch the night before, but how did she end up on his bed? She pushed his arm away slowly, as if she didn't want to wake him up. However, it’s only now that she's able to analyze Ibrahim's face clearly. All of the features on his face are made perfectly for him to look attractive. She looked at his bulging muscles as he slept shirtless. Damn it. She doesn’t even dare take a look at his abs.

"How come your brow forms a crease even when you're sleeping?" She mumbled softly and stroked his brow.

Anna became terrified when she noticed Ibrahim begin to move as she caressed her brow. She dashed to the restroom, relieved that she was still dressed. Anna looked at herself in the mirror, she was so nervous. Why would she be nervous? After all, he is her husband. She doesn't want to think too much as she walks to the shower to clean herself. She emerged from the bathroom after finishing dressing up to find Ibrahim awake.

"Why didn’t you wake me up?" He inquired, his eyes still half-open.

Anna bit her lower lips to hide her shyness. "You looked tired, and I told you yesterday that I would sleep on the couch, how do I wake up next to you?" Anna asked angrily.

Ibrahim exhaled forcefully. It's only eight o'clock in the morning, and this girl is getting on his nerves. He got out of bed and walked towards her. "You really don't know how to thank people properly." He sounded annoyed.

Anna continued to bite her lips as she was not used to seeing shirtless men. She tried her best not to look at his body, but rather at his piercing cat-like eyes. “You mean I should thank you for saving my father's business by giving you my body?" she chuckled sadly.

Ibrahim becomes furious now. "You're absolutely ridiculous. You slept on the couch without a blanket. Last night, you were shivering in the cold, and I was just trying to help you. Let me remind you that I am not a gentle soul who will be taken in by your phoney innocence." He said this as he gently stroked her cheek, sending shivers down her spine. His tone and gaze are so predatory that she knows she's in his clutches to get ruined.

"Anna I know how rebellious you are, but don’t think or even try to challenge me, or you'll pay the price." Said Ibrahim and made his way to the bathroom. He’s upset. He did feel pity for her, and he just wanted to help. He wonders why this girl likes to provoke his anger every damn time.

Anna could finally breathe normally once Ibrahim vanished from his eight. She quickly got out of the room. She knew that it was her mistake to accuse him after what he did last night. But still, she couldn’t lose her dignity over that man. She walked out of the room and made her way to the kitchen. She wanted to eat, but she hardly saw anyone. So, she decided to cook for herself. She opened the fridge, and it felt like a heave because it was so full of food, but she didn't dare touch it without his permission. She searched around the cabinets and found some packs of instant noodles.

"I just deal with it." She muttered and took it out.

Anna starts by heating the water and removing the seasoning. She groaned in panic as one of the maids appeared just as she finished pouring all of the seasoning.

“What happened?” She was taken aback by her sudden appearance.

The maid looked so helpless when she realized that she was cooking instant noodles. “Sir, would be upset if he saw you eating instant noodles for breakfast.”

Anna narrowed her eyes in perplexity. "Why? It's fine. If he doesn't like it, I'll pay him."

The maid sighed. "Sir is not a stingy person, and a pack of instant noodles is worth nothing to him. He takes very good care of his health, and he does not like noodles. On top of that, breakfast is already ready in the dining room. Please have the dishes we cooked instead of this instant noodle, or else it will bring trouble to us."

Anna scoffed in disbelief. Really? Is there anyone who doesn't like instant noodles? "I will take care of the mess first." She said so and started to clean the dishes.

The maid quickly stopped her. "No, I will take care of it. Sir would be furious if he saw his wife doing the dishes.”

"I'm sorry for bothering you." Anna apologized and walked to the dining room. She had no idea why the maid seemed so sacred to Ibrahim. Moreover, she always had her head low.

She looked at the dining table and laughed a little. The dining table is so big, and the dishes served are so tempting, but why does she not have the appetite to eat? Why would Ibrahim buy a big dining table if he’s living alone. When she is still busy with her thoughts, Ibrahim has arrived in the dining room and taken a seat in the middle of the rectangle table, which is his usual seat. He is in his business suit and tie. Wait. Yesterday was their wedding, and today he started working. Is this man really human?

“Are you not going to eat? I don't want anyone to think that I starve my wife." He remarked sarcastically.

Anna does not want to argue with him, so she sat down, ignoring his sarcastic remark. The breakfast appeared to be delicious, but it was so bad that she wished for instant noodles. But she ignored her wish and began to eat.

Ibrahim didn’t talk much but focused on his food. "I'm going to my office now, and you don’t need to wait for me. The food inside the fridge is always fresh. You can ask the maids to cook for you if you are hungry." He then searched his wallet for something, took out a credit card, and handed it to her. "It’s for you. You may use it as you like. Shopping, traveling, or whatever it is, it’s up to you as long as it’s not clubbing and gambling. The cars in the garage are also free to use. I think it’s all clear, and I’ll get going now." He explained and stood up before hearing her response.

"Wait!" Anna exclaimed.

He turned around with his usual cold stare. When she approached him, he didn't even bother to change his expression. "What?" he asked, his face expressionless.

She didn't say anything to him, but she did neaten his neckties. "Don't forget to bring your briefcase." She reminded him as he prepared to leave without his briefcase.

He took his briefcase and walked out of the house without saying anything. As she observed his arrogant demeanors, Anna rolled her eyes and groaned in rage. This game is extremely challenging. Now she was wondering what she was going to do in this big house by herself.