Chapter 6 Madam

• The second the sound of his car reached me, my breaths hitched as a distress began to creep under my skin.
• Probably because I wasn’t mentally prepared to be regarded as his bride, to appear before him with a smile and act as if everything was going beautifully.
• And when the fact that my ‘husband’ had arrived sank it, I ended up shivering.
• ‘Should I act like a wife? Would it enrage him to see me as his wife? Does he even want me to do that?’
• And while I was struggling with these questions, I failed to notice the door of our room opened and entered with a transparently displeased expression.
• “Welcome-”
• My heart skipped a beat when he cut me off strictly.
• “What is this, Liliana?”
• “What? Did I do something wrong?” I asked quietly, twirling my fingers around my dress, not meeting his gaze.
• “When I return tired from work, all I see is a wife who didn’t even bother to put on a lipstick at least for me,”
• “I thought you wouldn't prefer it,”
• Sighing, he took a dangerous step and stopped right before me and his tall and muscular form never failed to intimidate me, evoking a tension I had never experienced before.
• “Do you think I have married you for naught? To let you lie in the corner and pretend?”
• Yes… right?
• Without a warning, he held my chin in a warning grip, compelling to link our gazes.
• “I married you for myself, Liliana. I made it clear the moment you entered this household that I want you how ‘I’ desire,”
• Moving his thumb across my lips, I could feel a heat collecting in my body as to me, I found this marriage as a heartbreaking pretense to be what I wasn’t.
• Or else why would he want me?
• But apparently, it meant more than I fathomed.
• Averting my gaze, I whispered, “I.. I thought you were drunk… and didn’t m-mean it..”
• “You wish,”
• Smirking at my innocence, he pulled away slightly.
• Taking off his waistcoat, running his finger through his hair to make them handsomely messy, enhancing his arduous features.
• Forming my lips in a thin line, I asked that one thing which annoyed him the most.
• “Didn’t you love your wife?”
• “Would you stop exasperating me with the same question?” He sighed loudly, glaring at me through the mirror to stop testing him.
• “I-I apologize,”
• Nodding, I didn’t speak further.
• Rather in his presence words vanished from my tongue.
• We were having dinner in silence as I glanced at him from time to time.
• His posture, his appearance, his body, everything about him was admirable and to sit beside unwillingly induces an inferiority complex.
• I had no idea why we got married. He made an offer, and we accepted. And here we were, anything else felt meaningless.
• At least to me.
• ‘What do you intend to do with this marriage? Why pretend when you had zero attachments with your wife?’
• But, my trail of thoughts was left hanging when he spoke up, “Do you not like it?”
• “Huh?” I blinked.
• “You haven’t touched your food. Is it not to your liking? I believe you have seen Winnie, you can tell her if you need anything,”
• “No, no, it’s fine,”
• “Then why are you not eating?”
• I didn’t reply and took a bite of my food.
• Sighing with frustration at my lack of wording, he shook his head and began to eat until his phone rang.
• “Hmm, what, Zach?”
• It was his brother and his tone changed from a dominant one to a rude one like he was being forced to talk to him.
• ‘What was wrong with them?’
• Attempting to not think about him anymore, I tried to focus on my food only, forcing the bite down my throat, praying he wouldn’t notice me.
• But, worsening my dread, he slammed his hand on the table.
• “Who the fuck told you to do that?! What if they get caught-” Get caught?
• Choking on my bite, I lifted my eyes fretfully at the enraged man.
• He paused, stopping his eyes on me for observance.
• I was listening ‘very’ carefully.
• Although I comprehended none of the context yet was intrigued what made him infuriated.
• Narrowing his eyes, he quickly wiped his mouth with the napkin and walked away.
• “That damn Quint will pay-”
• Leaving me all alone at the dinner table to take his wrath out on his brother.
• Shaking my head to not meddle with his ordeals, I continued eating, relaxed when he wasn’t present and went back to the room after dinner.
• “What’s with him?”
• Muttering under my breath, the second my eyes fell on the bed, a heat gathered and curled my insides.
• I was not prepared to share the bed with him, the merest condition of it sounded unsavory to me nor I believed I could.
• ‘What should I do? I don’t want to share the bed.’
• Pacing around, holding my sides, I looked out of the door and when there weren’t any signs of his coming, I decided to lay on the couch.
• Curling like a ball, shutting my eyes to show I was sleeping so he won’t shift me to bed.
• Spending another night on the couch, maintaining my distance from the superior man.
• ‘Just what he does to me? I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t do anything before him. Sometimes he looks like a criminal or a mafia man,’
• Discarding his perceptions which seemed impossible because he was my husband now and one way or another, his thoughts would knock.
• ‘What a drag,’
• Sighing internally, I woke up before him and freshened up already, staying on the couch, waiting for him to wake up.
• The second he yawned, stretching his toned arms, groggily glancing at me, an instant grimace crept on his features, scanning me thoroughly.
• “Still in the same clothes. Why are you not changing, Liliana?”
• Sitting up straight, perturbed to hear any taunts about it, I tugged my hair behind my ear and blurted out hurriedly.
• “It’s- it’s a personal habit but I.. I don’t like wearing other people's clothes, Sir. I am sorry, I just can’t,”
• He asked again, confused, “What?”
• “I don’t feel comfortable-”
• “These are your clothes, woman,”
• “What?”
• “I have ordered them to clear her up, everything is to your perfect size and for you,” He exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose, rising from the bed.
• Surprised, to perceive all those beautiful clothes, shoes and bags I saw weren’t his late wife’s but mine immobilized me.
• Never once I fathomed I could own those costly and meticulous possessions. Tightening my grip on my dress, I asked distressfully.
• “What? How.. do you…”
• Arching an eyebrow handsomely, he let out a melodious, husky chuckle, standing before me with his fingers clasping around my neck.
• “Trust me, even if your faces are the same,”
• Yanking our bodies together, he hovered over me.
• Labeling my beats to his name when his fingers held me as if he owned me while enunciating seductively.
• “She is nowhere your beauty, nowhere this desirable innocence,”
• My breaths tightened around my throat, looking up at his assertive form, unsure what to feel about it.
• Leaning forward, he stopped right at my ears, forming goosebumps all over my skin.
• “And now when I return, I want you dressed up like a doll you are, is that understood, Liliana?”
• “Ye-Yes, Sir,”
• “Good girl,”
• Humming, he didn’t have breakfast again and changed into his charming attire, looking like an evil aristocrat, holding his hand high and was about to leave.
• Mustering my courage, holding my dress, I called him hesitantly, “Umm, listen,”
• “Hmm?”
• I spoke sincerely, “Thank you,”
• “You are the Madam of my mansion, Liliana,”
• Blushing faintly when he pinched my cheeks, I couldn’t help but to force a smile at him when he left for work.
• I stared at him uncertain about what to feel about him or his actions.
• Was it sincere or just an act?
• Even if it was real, why would he do anything for me?