Chapter 4 How ‘I' Want

• Following his orders, we were about to leave for his mansion and fortunately, he didn’t force me to cut my hair or else I would be cursing him.
• I made the mole as he instructed and I went to him, feeling highly timid to be introduced as someone I was not.
• The merest thought of it distressed me. This was not me.
• I was against all this but since when did my choices or words matter?
• My eyes fell on the daunting figure, sipping his coffee once again while working avidly on his laptop.
• “Morning,”
• Mumbling quietly, I sat down as he hummed without looking up from the screen, typing rapidly.
• “Hmm, have breakfast and we will leave. My family will be there to ask about us,”
• “Why?” I asked casually, still not eating a bite of my food when he was present.
• His powerful aura had deprived me of normal functioning too. I couldn’t swallow a bite in his presence because it seemed like he would judge me.
• “We met with an accident when coming back from our villa where she died. I told them we were staying there for the past two months, letting her recover,” He explained nonchalantly, completing his work on the laptop and closing it.
• “So it had been only two months since her death?”
• “Yes,”
• “Aren’t you devastated? It had been only two months and here you are, putting me in her place,”
• “This is none of your business,” He responded rudely.
• Rising from the seat with his hands in his pockets, completing his authoritative composure.
• “You only do as you are told, don’t make it obvious and what you can’t handle, blame it on the accident,”
• “Okay…”
• Forming my lips in a thin line, I kept my eyes lowered as he walked away, permitting me a few moments to return to normal and have breakfast peacefully.
• After breakfast, he called, “Let’s go, Liliana,”
• “Okay, Sir,”
• Nodding, I stood beside him, noticing how tall he was compared to me.
• “Try to use my name before others,”
• “Mhm,”
• I would rather not use his name at all.
• Without talking further, we went to his mansion that was no less than a palace, my jaw dropped at the exquisite place, brighter, prettier than my imaginations.
• He noticed my gaped mouth and closed it by his index finger, “Don’t react this way before others,”
• Embarrassed, I looked down, “Sorry,”
• We stopped at the gigantic and majestic appearance with shining carving that blinded me by the radiance.
• Abashed by the opulence and display of lavishness, I decided to stand behind his shoulder.
• My heart started pumping rapidly as we entered and an elderly woman hugged him, judging from their similar looks, she must be his mother.
• “Oh my God, my dearest! How are you two!? Are you okay?!”
• “We are fine, Mama, don’t worry.”
• Taking her hands and kissing them, a gentle smile adorning his lips that surprisingly suited him well.
• He pulled her into a side hug as she held my hand and kissed my forehead with sorrow creeping on her face.
• “Ah, my lord bless you two,” His father, I guess, came outside too to welcome us
• “Where is Zach?”
• Zach Boris was his younger brother, only a year difference between them; as notorious as his brother. Cold and rude.
• “He is busy with some work,”
• And at his mention, his softness faded and rolled his eyes with a scoff.
• “When is he not? Not that brother and sister-in-law are returning from the accident, at least pay some regards,”
• “Don't say this, you know he loves you a lot,”
• Mrs. Boris tried to make him listen but he waved his hand to shrug this matter off.
• “I know. Let’s go, sweetheart," to his parents, he clarified: "she needs rest,”
• Enunciating, he took my hands and led us inside, my heart skipped a beat when his large hands gripped mine firmly.
• “Learn the way,” He instructed.
• “Okay…”
• Leading up upstairs to a large hallway then with another turn, in the end, there was a large sliding door which led to a room befitting for a king.
• “This is our room,” He said nonchalantly.
• Plopping on the couch to rub his temples with frustration- of what? I didn’t know.
• “Does it not break your heart?”
• “What?”
• “How heartless can you be? Your wife died and you have no sign of pain,” I whispered angrily, hoping to find any sign of anguish but to no avail.
• “I have told you, my matters are not your concern. Stop interfering, dammit,”
• With an infuriated growl, he walked away, leaving me alone in the room that was supposedly ‘ours’, disturbing me by his behavior.
• What was wrong with him?
• “Fine," I huffed to myself. "Run from your problems. How mature.”
• Inspecting the enormous room with opulent furniture, decorations more expensive than I could imagine, everything here was NOT meant for me.
• With my mind constantly wrapping around what must be wrong with him. What purpose did he have for this façade?
• Why?... Just why?
• But I gained no answer and falling on the bed, I remained in the room for the time being, afraid to confront his family.
• A maid knocked before poking her head in, a polite smile on her face.
• “Madam, dinner?”
• I managed a smile in return. “I am not hungry,”
• Staying in the room, I thought about having dinner with him because roaming alone in this place sounds scary. Starving, I waited not so patiently for his return.
• I was on the couch, hugging my knees close to my chest and at midnight he stormed inside the room with a leering gaze and reeking of alcohol.
• “Sir…?”
• Rising immediately, I walked over to him but stopped midway, not liking his state as he took a large step and hovered over me.
• “Oh, you,” He laughed mockingly in my face.
• “Are you... Drunk?” I sputtered.
• He snarled, “So? Is that a fucking problem?”
• “Please sit down,” Using my warmest tone, I helped him sit on the bed, giving him a glass of water while he was unbuttoning his shirt.
• “Fuck..”
• Groaning while covering his face with his hand, his shirt gaped open and suddenly, I couldn’t remember my own name. my whole being went into shock when his abs were visible as he handsomely pushed his hair behind.
• “Here, drink some water, Sir,”
• “Sir?” He paused, giving me a warning stare.
• My heart thumped madly against my ribcage, drying my throat in anticipation of his intentions with a desperate attempt to not stare at his desirable body.
• “Yes, here-”
• “I don’t need it,”
• Slapping the glass away, he hissed, causing it to shatter.
• I jumped, staring at the shattered glass in shock but he proceeded to further surprise me by yanking me onto his lap.
• "Oh–" I squealed, mouth agape, bottom pressed snugly against the heat of his thighs. Sensations I couldn't describe raced down my spine at the feel of hard, hot male.
• “S-Sir, wh-what are you doing?” My voice quivered, heart pounding an unsteady rhythm in my chest.
• He didn't reply, only held on tighter to my waist with a dark smirk that terrified and excited me.
• What was wrong with him? Does he think I'm his late wife?!
• My back remained ramrod straight as tension seeped from my every pore. His hot breath puffed against my cheek and his fingers traced an almost absent pattern on my skin. My skin burned like I'd been standing under the sun for too long.
• “S-Sir?” I tried again with the hope he'd come to his senses before we fell into something deeper and darker.
• “Ah, the exact face but…" He murmured, those devastating eyes of his roaming over every square inch of my face, causing me to squirm under his intense scrutiny.
• Leaning into my neck, he took a long inhale, sending a shiver down to my core.
• “Your scent,”
• His hand slowly slid to my side in order to press me against him.
• “Wh-wha?” My hand abruptly reached up to clutch his shirt for some sort of balance. My knees had long since given up on me, turning to mush at his nearness. I'd never been this close to him, or any man for that matter.
• “Your voice,” His silky murmur was punctuated by him gripping my jaw so forcefully, I whimpered.
• His smirk widened even as I spied an almost hysterical glimmer in his ruthless eyes.
• "Your skin..."
• This time, his fingers dug into my skin and I was helpless to stop the gasp that escaped my lips.
• "Your behavior... You're nothing like her."
• I tried to avert his gaze but he was having none of it. Dimitri's strong fingers nudged at my jaw and once again, I was a captive of his inspection.
• I was completely unprepared for him suddenly rising and throwing me down on the bed like I weigh nothing. I bounced off the soft material with a squeak of surprise that bounced off the walls of the quiet room.
• With a roar, he punched the bedpost and glared down at me.
• “A low, unworthy girl like you can never be my Emerald!”