The dinner was a silent one with everyone focused on their meals.
The temperature of the room was intensely high and there seemed to be an invisible choke hold as everyone, well except the owner of the house and his bodyguard, ate with their breaths held.
Alora was the most affected as her gazed just pinned to her meal but her soul wasn't there, her mind kept galivanting with the thoughts of the entire episode that took place and had been taking place since.
First of all, it was at her Fashion Class premises, although she didn't see him, she knew it was him , then all the way to her blind date spot, he was suddenly her date, as if encountering him there wasn't enough... The man her father wanted her to marry was him, the same guy she gave a wrong testimony for and sent to prison, the same guy who came out and became her silent persecutor, who always appeared in her nightmares and scaring the living and unliving daylight out of her.
Always whispering those heartless words she dropped at the prison to her.
"Criminals never agree"
Now that she thought of it, her mind scaled to what he said at the restaurant.
"We'll see again"
So this was what he meant.
He knew she would be forced to a contract marraige with him.
He knew they were gonna come here.
He knew she would be persuaded and forced to sign the darned paper. He knew everything.
He was one smart orchestrator.. wasn't he.
And her father.. That man.. Does he know what he was doing to her by making her agree to this.
Selling her off to her own death.
With the amount of hate this guy had for her, does he expect her to leave more than a day with him... Huh.. With Davian and still live.
Marrying her was the most legal way to end her.. He was rich and affluent and affluent people always had their ways.. He would easily end her and just like his, her case would be tossed.
Alora suddenly gasped at that realization.
He would kill her..
Her eyes widened.
HE WOULD KILL HERRR..
"Alora" His calm dulcet voice filtered into her ears and she snapped her wide eyes to him, her heart palpitations, loud and extremely fast, she prayed it doesn't burst out of her ribcage.
His eyes were dead and silent and the amount of emotions they lacked only made the term she referred him as more palpable.
A Black Devil..
That was what he was.
His gaze wasn't really focused on her face and she traced his eyes to the direction they were fixed.. It was her fingers.
She gasped again as she watched the red metallic substance slowly crawl into her cutlerries and slide down to her food.
She cut herself.
She was so lost in thought, she hadn't taken a bite and just kept on cutting and recutting the beef in her Beef Stronganof..
And now she hurt herself in the process, her blood kept on pulsing out of her slender index finger in a fast rate but she didn't even move or make an attempt to clean it as it slid into her food more.
Was this how her blood would flow if he drives a knife across her neck.
Davians deadly cold eyes raised to her face to find her lost again. His gaze remained there, no thought in mind.
He knew she was more than uncomfortable and it was so obvious, her dread of him considering how far she sat at the table...
He returned his gaze to her fingers which continued to bleed more and his eyes darkened with a hint of... Satisfaction.
To say the negative effect he had on her was pleasing was an understatement.
He was gonna make her feel more and worse.
She would pay for lying.
She would pay for causing his mums death by lying.
She would pay for every suffering he went through because of her.
"Go up the stairs and wash it off.... Replace her meal" His condescending voice broke the air like heavy hurricane smashing against her ears and that of the maid wish he referred to after, his eyes returning to his meal.
Alora blinked her eyes biting her lower lip taking her hands down.
"Uhhh.. I'm.. I'm fine" Alora cleared her throat.
"Alora... Do as your soon to be husband says" Alora switched her gaze to her father and she blinked again as the average man glared quietly at her.
Alora took her gaze to Davian but he wasn't even staring at her.. He was just eating calmly.
She bowed again and pushed her chair backwards standing up, she headed for the stairs.
Sir Donald dropped his fork immediately taking up the contract.
"She signed it sir.. So would you keep your end of the bargain.?" He asked and Davian gently dropped his own fork as well taking his eyes up to Donald.
___
Alora was flabbergasted as she gazed around the first room she stepped into, the furnishing and the interior decors was splendid.
A plush white bed lay at the center of the room, standing at each side was standing chandeliers emanating purple-white lights.
The ceiling held white lights. The room held a surreal yet comfortable feel.
Alora walked into the bathroom... And it was a house on its own not just some place to wash the skin.
The bathroom width surpassed that of her room.. A direct slap to her face.
The tub at the middle covered half of the bathroom.
Jeezzz..
Alora shook her head.. She shouldn't admire this place... It definitely wasn't a place to be admired because it belonged to her nightmare.
She walked to the platinum white sink and turned on the water faucet placing her hand under.
Warm water poured out of it wetting her palms and washing the blood away...
Her gaze lingered on the metallic red substances mix with water and rush down the drain in hurried slides.
She sighed as she stared at it suddenly feeling weak for no reason.
But a frown made her brows crease, the flesh in between them pulling, her senses heightening as the hair on her neck rose, her hands became shaky in the sink, her heart beat frantically increasing, her breath pausing at her throat and slowly, she moved her gaze upward to the mirror .. To find him.. Right behind her.
Gaze cold, hands swallowed by his pocket and eyes lingering on her face on the mirror, his gaze scorching hot, the flames burning her skin and making heat break.
A roll of sweat slid down her mid back and down the Crack of her ass.
Her palms went to the sink sides to grip before she lost her balance completely.
Dread.
Fear.
The fear which she had haboured for him for years coming to light as she moved closer to the sink piercing her skin there wanting to become one with the washbasin.
Her grip on it tightened and her gaze lingered on him.
He moved closer...
Intentionally.
His action taunting as she moved closer to sink too.
He took another step closer, and closer, and closer till his scent mixed with hers, overshadowing it and slipping into her senses, her butt pressing right against his thigh, his height towering, his green frosty eyes, never drifting.
He took his hands out of his pocket and he stretched them forward placing them on hers that still held firmly onto the sink and a sound escaped her throat.
A gasp was intended but an hiccup pulsated instead.
Embarrassment flushed her, tainting her face red, her heart beat only palpitating even more faster, and louder, the sounds almost bursting through the enclosed walls.
Alora cursed herself for even feeling embarrassed for hicupping.
He took her hands with his and placed them under the still running faucet washing her hands with his.
Alora's breathing was slowly failing, she had been unable to breath properly since he stepped in and now he was washing her hands.
The effect he had on her was toxic... To think she could detect his presence by his aura alone was mahd.
By the time he was done, he turned off the faucet, his aura still calm same as his body as he stood behind her, he didn't move back like she expected as he was done, instead he placed his hands at the side of the sink where hers were once placed.
Her hands currently were hung on the air where he dropped them immediately he was done washing it.
He shifted his gaze to the side of her face but Alora dared not look back, just shake like a leaf as he gazed comfortable at her.
He must be comfortable... Discomfort was eating her up raw.
"You seem so affected by me.. Malenkij Vrunishka.. [Iittle liar] " Davian muttered, his voice calm and composed, his warm minty breath filling her nostrils and circulating her senses and she gulped it before she could stop herself.
Alora couldn't not reply, her voice felt trapped, caged and locked with the key thrown into the forbidden sea.
He moved closer, his body pressing against hers, the contact not so firm but palpable.
"Answer me" His voice went up a little higher that a mutter but not as high as a yell, the sound jolting Alora to a shock.
"Do you dread me that much.. Huh.. Malenkij Vrunishka" He whispered this time breath tickling her ears but not the kind to draw laughs, the kind that sent even more dread to claw at her skin.
Alora shut her eyes, tightening the closed skin, her hands fistujg tightly midair as well.
"I don't"
Those words came out forcefully, the lie so obvious.
A derisive puff of air escaped his nostrils slamming against her neck as he leaned down.
"Liar.... Liars never agree.. Right..? " He said using the exact same phrase she used on him that day and Alora held back her breath tightening her closed eyes even more, her lids began to hurt.
He finally moved back, away from her, heading towards the door.
" You'll find your wedding dress at your house.. Don't play funny... You know you can't win.." His dismissive voice exited along with him and Alora released the breath she was unaware of holding.
She held the sink with her left hand and placed her right hand against her chest like it'll prevent her heart from bursting out with its frantic beats.
His actions, everything he did left her breathless.
Her mind rolled back to what he said and did.
" Don't play funny.. You know you can't win"
She knew he was referring to her trying to escape.
Nah.. That was far from her mind right now.. Although she had considered doing that.. After realizing whom she was marrying.. She discarded the thought like waste.
He washed her hands.
She stretched her hands gazing at them, the bleeding stopped and only gathered at the edge of the cut but didn't drop.
The spooky feel of his skin on hers made turn on the faucet again about to wash her hands inside but a magnetic force prevented her hand from moving any further towards the water.
Her hand and the water felt like a north and north poles.. Never able to collide.
She turned off the faucet immediately. He touched her hands.. It may be a stupid thought to house in her brain but her brain cells accepted the thought..
Jeez what was wrong with her... It was her doom she was thinking about here..
Alora shook her head heading out of the bathroom.
He said her wedding dress was at her house.
Did he know her size.. How come it was at her house when they were supposed to go check it out at a mall.
Alora stepped into the dining to meet her father standing and probably waiting for her.
Davian was leaning on the table perhaps discussing with her father before she arrived.
Her gaze traveled to the tall handsome guy standing behind him and she looked back down to Davian.
His gaze was on her and although his lips wasn't doing it, his expression was smirky.
"I'll see you tomorrow Sir" Sir Donald bowed multiple times but Davian didn't even pass him a stare.
Donald turned to look at Alora all smiles.
"Let's head home daughter" Donald said and Alora gazed at him with a raised brow.
She almost scoffed at the last word.. 'Daughter', she suddenly started becoming a daughter because she agreed to marrying someone against her will to pls him.
Well all these was for herself.. And her fashion business.. To save it.. She can't loose it.
" See you at the altar.. Little Liar" Davian's voice halted her and she turned her gaze to him.
He said the "Little Liar" in English this time and not in Russian, so obvious it was intentional.
She held gazes with his indecipherable one and she finally turned walking away.
*NEXT DAY *
[WEDDING]
Standing at the door leading to the aisle was Alora with her father right beside her, their arms interlinked while she held the large bouquet of rose white flowers ornated with touches of irises looking so beautiful.
She was clad in the voluptuous white diamond crusted strapless wedding gown with the train far back behind and full to its limit.
The gown was so full, it'll require the intervention of five people to gather the gown for her to walk freely and properly. Now she was limited to walking slow and cautiously not to trip over the gown.
Her arms were covered with wedding lacy gloves drawn up to her elbow, her neck adorned with the most expensive diamond necklace in Russia, her feet covered in comfortable Louboutin silver heels.
Her hair was neatly done to fit her dress and the white transparent veil covering her dolled up face allowed for a proper peek of the environment.
This definitely was what she imagined her wedding to be like but definitely not what she needed it to feel like.
The grandeur, the bubbling atmosphere, the many people, her dressed this beautifully, her dad beside her leading her to her husband.
That was what she wanted.. That was what she was getting.
But then, she never imagined to feel so..
Empty.
Lost.
Sold.
Her liberty taken and bought.
Her lifetime would be lived in cagery.
A loveless marriage.
Lived with a man she feared more than the devil.
Because he was the devil.
She never imagine to be imprisoned in this beautiful term called marriage.
She never imagined she would be marrying out of a CONTRACT.
Alora bit her lower lip, the entire people in that arena blurred in her vision, just like she imagined the it to be on her wedding day. The man, the only one in sight
But he was the only one in her sight not out of love.. But the one feeling which made her heart increase its beat.
Fear.
She was made to stand in front of him by her father and she couldn't deny his demigodly features as he stood before her.
His long hair was neatly packed with some falling at each side of his face, he was dressed equally in same diamond white suit looking so smart and handsome in it with his white shoe fitting his leg so perfectly.
A diamond wristwatch was gently knotted around his wrist and she could tell it cost her Dad's fortune from a sight alone.
His gaze was planted on her and that made a gulp slide down her throat.
Thr procession began and everything the Marriage Officiant said never got to Alora's ears as she stared at her soon to be groom through her veil not breaking the eye contact formated.
Anyone staring at them from the crowd would easily be deceived with the thoughts that they were gazing at each other with love.
The families of both attended necessarily, Sir Donald and Emily who had an unexplainable look on her face.
Also Sir Edgar Romanov and Greyson were there as well.
Greyson had a huge unpleasant scowl on his face as he watched the two get joined by their wedding vows.
"Do you Davian Romanov take Miss Alora Cree as your lawfully wedded wife, to love her in sickness and in health till death do you both apart" The Marriage Officiant asked and tension was cast in the air for Alora as she waited for his answer which was taking longer than expected.. His eyes almost plugged a hole in hers at this rate and for the first time she saw the corner of his lips arise in a derisive smirk.
"I do" He answered the two powerful words that sent thunderous claps in the air.
"Do you Miss Alora Cree take Mr Davian Romanov as your lawfully wedded husband , to love him in in poverty and in wealth, in sickness and in health till death do you both apart" The Marriage Officiant asked and Alora parted her lips to let out the words but sound betrayed her.
The words died in her throat and at that crucial moment she realized the risk she was taking by accepting, it was her choice and it wasn't too late, it was her happiness on the line here, she could refuse and end every shifty thing happening.. Her life after depends and relied on just two words she would utter.
Her lip parted lips finally let out a sound that was almost unheard.
"I.."
" I...." Alora drawled and Davian raised a skeptic brow at her.
Sir Donald stood up from the crowd gazing at Alora and Emily held the sides of her chair like she was about standing up.
Sir Edgar frowned slightly and Greyson was suddenly in stressed in the wedding as he gazed at Alora.
Whispers filled the hall as all eyes were on Alora.
"I...."