CHAPTER 2

The ride back to his home is one of the longest ever. I literally press myself into my seat, trying hard not to feel depressed as I think of how I always thought I would have a magnificent wedding.

Now, I am sitting in my husband's car, drenched in blood in my sister's wedding dress.

This sucks, my whole life sucks.

And the deathly silence in the car isn't helping a bit.

Dermos is seated beside me and pretending that I don't exist, while Carlos drives the car, a Tesla.

The silence gets to me until I can't stand it anymore. My head slowly turns to look at him, my husband.

I see now that he is buried in his phone.

"Are we close?" I can't help but ask. The dress is sticky and itchy, plus the idea of someone's blood drying on me makes me want to puke.

"Soon be there, Mrs Salvatore," Carlos responds while Dermos doesn't even move an inch as if he didn't hear a single word I said.

Instead, he remains deep into what he is typing on his phone, not even sparing me a glance.

I take that as my cue to shut up. Slowly letting my body slide down the seat, I once again turn my head to stare out the window.

The road is empty, devoid of life, just endless green trees. Lord knows where he is taking me to.

Will I ever become who I have always dreamed of being? Will I ever open my boutique? Or is my life as Ariel Hannah Boone over?

I don't get to think too much when the car swerves. The buzzing sound of a giant gate pulling open has me sitting up straight.

"Whoaaa!!" I can't help the gasp that escapes my lips at the sight before me.

It's a freaking mansion. The whole place is like an estate, the building is so big and painted completely cream in colour with some gold streaks attached to it. As we drive in the long concrete aisle filled with guards on both sides, in front, I see a big fountain; it's so large I can't help but gasp.

The whole place is so beautiful, I snap my head to the side only to find a maze made out of beautiful flowers.

I wasn't expecting this at all.

The car comes to a quick halt, and Dermos pushes his door open without even sparing me a glance.

I don't really mind; the less attention he gives me, the better it is for me to pass with my act as Ariella.

"Come on, Mrs Salvatore, I will show you to your room." Carlos' voice draws me out of my thoughts. He's the only one making an effort to be nice.

I nod, quickly rushing out of the car as I march behind him. The door squeaks open, revealing the largest living room I have ever seen.

It looks like a hall, and has different couches placed at strategic places with a wide plasma hung on the wall. A beautiful chandelier hangs from the ceiling.

Everything is painted in cream and gold.

Classy.

Is this my new home or my new hell? I can only wonder.

My lips are parted in amazement as I tug my hair from my face.

Let's do this.

"What the hell?" I can't help the words tumbling out of my lips as the door to my room creaks open.

The room is large, but every single piece of furniture is pink. The bed, drawer, closet, and down to the damn TV.

What the hell? I hate pink, that's Ariella's best color– oh crap.

"You don't like it? Don said it was your favourite color–"

"Of course, I love it. Thank you." I cut him off, swallowing the lump of disgust I feel rising up in my throat.

"Alright, settle in. The Don will be with you soon." He says, a small smile gracing his lips, yet the way his eyes twinkle gives me the creeps.

"Thank you," I repeat, shuffling backward. He nods, then turns, pulling the door open before walking out.

My heart drops as I force back tears from dropping.

Don't cry. This is nothing to cry about. I clench my jaw tight. Just how long can I cope?

"I hate you," I whisper with my eyes closed, pretending Ariella is right here with me.

It is something I heard so many times from her, but I never had the guts to say it back to her face.

Ariella's words from a few years back slam into me, causing my breath to seize. It's not true. "You always take everything from me, but still, you never amount to anything."

My knee buckles as I slump on my bed, not mine. It's hers.

She wasn't right. I never took things from her. My whole life has been hell because my sister hates me, thinking I take what she wants.

This is the only time I accept that because I am married to the man of her dreams.

How will I do this? When she gets back, what will happen? Where did she run to? What if Dermos finds out?

A sharp sting bites into my skin, causing me to realise that I am still in the bloodied dress.

Moving my body on autopilot, I push out of the bed, stalking to the bathroom to bathe and change. My body goes through the motions without my mind.

Once done, and wrapped in a comfy robe. I step out of the bathroom only to meet a figure standing in front of my window.

"Ahh!" A tiny scream tears out of my lips as my body jolts up in surprise.

I didn't hear him come in. Dermos is now dressed in casual joggers and a sweatshirt that still manages to show his ripped arms.

His green eyes look deeper, much darker than I saw earlier, his blonde hair now gelled to the back, giving his face a younger, and much hotter look.

Damn, he is handsome.

"What are you doing here?" I murmur, forcing my eyes not to rake down his body again.

I can't look at my sister's husband.

She will be back soon, and I will leave as if all this never happened. I will go on to achieve my dream, I will open my boutique, and get my master's degree. I will prove her wrong.

Once she is back, I will forget all this ever happened, so that means I can't find him attractive.

"What do you mean? We are married, and this is our first night, so I am here to have sex." He states plainly.

My eyes widen as my arms automatically fly to my mouth, and I stumble backwards, causing my robe to open slightly, showing an eyeful of my boobs.

"Don't look." I cry out, snapping my hand forward to cover my pride.

His lips twitch as a sly smirk covers his lips, "Why shouldn't I? You are my wife, aren't you?" he asks, raising his eyebrows at me. "Are you shy? That is surprising."

Shit! Ariella wouldn't make a big deal out of this. I have to think fast.

My lips move as a fake hard cough splutters out of my lips, my hand slams to my chest as I keep the fake cough coming.

"Honey, please, can we postpone it? I am not feeling quite well, and I wouldn't want to give you the flu." I lie through my teeth, hoping I sound convincing enough.

His eyes squint as he watches me for a while before nodding. He pushes himself off the desk where he had leaned before stalking to the door.

"Well, this is quite odd, Ariella. I expected that you would easily adjust," He says, pushing the door open before leaving.

Shit! How would Ariella have handled this? Perhaps she would have thrown herself at him.

We aren't best of friends, so the only side I know is the bitchy hateful witch side she constantly showed me.

Ping.

My eyes snap to my phone lying on my bed with the screen now on. I move over, grabbing the device to check it.

My whole being freezes at the text displayed on the screen. I stumble backwards, letting the device out of my hand.

It can't be. It has barely been a day.

CHAPTER 3

"Hey imposter, I know who you really are. And soon I will make sure he does too."

Blood drains from my entire body as I re-read the message over and over again.

Who the hell is this? And how did they know about me? Oh my god, what the heck am I going to do? I can't have Dermos find out about this.

No, it must be a prank. Without letting in too much thought, I press the delete button, and the message wipes off.

I press my hand forward, dragging myself off the floor where I stumbled. I quickly change into my nightwear, crawling into the pink, hideous bed to try and get some sleep.

The keyword being try. Sleep refuses to find me as I toss and turn around the sheets that won't stop itching me.

Thoughts fill my head with question upon question. Who sent me that message? Why did they send me such?

It didn't say anything about wanting something in return, so what was the purpose of the message? To scare me?

No, I don't think so.

If they wanted Dermos to know, then they would have just told him straight, so why send me that message?

And so the torture continued till about two am before I was finally able to fall asleep.

~~

The sound of heavy knocking has me jolting up from sleep.

What the heck?

I pry my eyes open before quickly slamming them shut to prevent the assault of the unholy pink covers everywhere.

Why the hell is everything pink? I hate pink. I love dim, dark colours. I am about to grumble when the events of yesterday come crashing down.

Shit!!

I am Ariella.

"Excuse me, Mrs Salvatore, you have to wake up now. Mr Salvatore requests your presence in the dining room for breakfast." Someone calls from outside the door, banging harder.

Damn, what time is it? I reach forward to my bedside table for my phone.

6:50 am

What the heck? Breakfast at this time? Why? Are they chimpanzees or what?

I push my palm over my lips to stifle a yawn when, once again, a hard bang has me jolting.

"I AM COMING!! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? GET AWAY FROM MY DOOR!" I can't help the scream that tumbles out of my lips.

If there is one thing about me, it is that I hate waking up early; my earliest being ten.

After grumbling and cursing Ariella repeatedly for disappearing and putting me through this, I push my feet over the edge of the bed as I stalk out of the room.

The banging lady is still standing beside my door when I get there.

"I am sorry, Mrs Salvatore, but the don isn't patient." She mumbles, picking nervously at her fingernails.

"It's fine, lead the way." I hiss, using the back of my palm to scrub the last sleep off my eyes.

She nods and scurries off, leaving me to trail behind her. I am really too sleep-deprived to even take in the inside of the mansion, so I just trudge along, hoping for a tour later.

"Here, Mrs Salvatore." She stops in front of a huge door after taking me down a hideous number of stairs.

Urgh! I hate mornings.

I huff as I send my arm forward, pushing the door open.

"Wow!" I can't help the small gasps that tumble out of my lips at the sight of the long table with almost twenty chairs in it.

Did this man literally have a whole freaking room for just eating? Huh, mafia men are weird.

My eyes immediately find him at the head of the dining room, those eyes once again piercing my soul like he can see every hidden part of me.

I squirm under his intense gaze, raising my head high as I strut towards him.

Despite the outrageous time, Dermos is dressed in a grey Armani suit. An expensive watch decorating his wrist, my throat runs dry as I run my eyes over his hair part- Damnit, Ariel, no staring at your sister's husband.

I catch myself quickly, shuffling to sit down as a few heads turn to look at me with wide eyes.

Why, though? I am too sleep-deprived to care anyway.

My eyes scan the table filled with different dishes, but what really draws my attention is the peanut butter bagel that is placed directly in front of me as soon as I sit down.

It wouldn't be bad as it's Ariella's favourite, but I am allergic to it.

Shit! I snap my eyes forward, but he is already looking at me.

"Good morning Ariella, how was your night?" He asks, slowly taking a bite from his toast.

"It was very short." I snap, my irritation from being up so early rushing back.

"Oh well. New home, new rules. Breakfast is by seven or no breakfast at all." He states, barely glancing my way as he continues to eat.

Does he even like Ariella? He has barely looked at me or even spoken to me since we got married, except when he came to my–not mine– her room last night.

Wait? Is he pissed about that? Could he-

"Eat, I gather you love peanut butter," he instructs, interrupting my thoughts, still not looking at me.

A lump forms in my throat. Ariella loved peanut butter; there was certainly no way he hadn't seen her eat it once or twice. What would he think when I begin to turn purple in the face after a single bite?

I haven't touched peanut butter since it landed me in the hospital more than a decade ago. I am not about to start now.

I stare down at my plate for too long, only jolted when he clears his throat.

"You're not eating, Ariella." He is frowning slightly.

I bite my lower lip nervously. My hands start to shake slightly. How do I get out of this?

"Uh..."

I have to eat it. He will know I'm not Ariella if I don't.

But I can't. He will also know that I'm not her if I do.

Is this a setup? Did the unknown texter reach out to him also?

"Ariella?"

I snap back to focus. "I would like to have toast too." The words come flying out of my mouth before I can process them.

He raises a questioning eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes." I breathe deeply, calming down my frayed nerves. "I've had enough peanut butter bagels to last a lifetime. I won't be eating another one any time soon."

The word pours out so naturally, leaving me amazed.

He nods. "Very well."

I find it hard to tell, but there appears to be a faint smile on his face. I blink, and it vanishes.

"As you wish," he adds.

"I'm grateful," I mutter. I reach forward for an empty plate.

I look up to see his eyes studying me. I'm gripped with anxiety and feel the need to explain.

"I don't know if I've said this, but I switch to a new favourite thing every now and then." I force myself into a smile, but I'm afraid it comes out as a grimace. "My system no longer agrees with peanut butter bagels."

"I don't care, Ariella. Just eat." His voice is almost cold.

I swallow. Am I doing a bad job? How did Ariella act when they had dinner together?

Oh God.

CHAPTER 4

He sets his fork down before speaking again. "The changes are noted and will be made."

He joins his hands together. "Once we finish breakfast, I would love to introduce you to the two most important people in this house."

Something new to talk about. Finally.

"Okay, that's fine. Do I get to work as a part of the household?" I can't help but broach the subject of not wanting to be a housewife.

He is rich, yes. But I have no interest in whiling away my days here doing nothing. I hate it.

"No, you aren't. As a Donna, it's not allowed for you to work, I do the working-"

"So, what am I going to spend my life doing?" I snap, dropping my cutlery as I feel my appetite take a fast dive to Neverland.

He doesn't say anything at first, just sits there, hands placed on the table as he slowly chews on his food like he moves at his own pace, and every other person should go shit themselves.

It's so annoying.

"Listen, Ariella, we have gone over the rules, but you seem to have forgotten, so I will refresh your memory." He starts, his words calm but deadly, every word piercing through me.

Shit! I am going out of character.

"Rule number one, you are not allowed to question your Don, be it in public or private.

Two, no Donna of mine is allowed to work.

Three, do not speak when not spoken to.

Lastly, all you have to do is look pretty and bear me children when the time comes.

Obey all these rules and have a peaceful life here with me." He speaks, every word like a hot knife to my guts.

I know I should shut up; he is the Don, and he will kill me. Besides, Ariella would never complain, so I should just shut up. But I can't help the burst of words that follows.

"Look here, Dermos, this is not 2014, where women's only use is in the kitchen and to bear kids. If that's what you wanted, you should have just bought a stupid robot. I refuse to follow those ridiculous rules." I huff, placing both my arms under my boobs.

"Okay." He smiles slightly, raising his hand to make a gesture.

Okay? Just okay?

"Is that all?" I can't help but ask. I was expecting a full-blown speech.

"I can't force you to obey, so you are free to do whatever, but every disobedience comes with punishment. Ones I won't fail to deliver," he says, shrugging like he didn't just threaten his wife.

A shudder runs down my spine as I shrink back in my seat.

He didn't shout or get angry; he just calmly threatened me like he was talking about the weather, and that freaked the hell out of me more than anything.

"Carlos." He calls.

"Yes, boss?" Carlos suddenly appears from nowhere.

This guy is creepy.

"Introduce Luciana to her." He instructs, gracefully rising to his feet before strolling out like he didn't just cause chaos in me.

"Come," Carlos calls, and a set of heels starts clicking on the tiles.

They sound uncomfortable and annoying. I mean, raise your damn legs, woman, you don't have to screech your feet like an attention banshee just to be noticed.

A deep sigh escapes my lips as I realise it's going to be harder than I thought to be Ariella.

I raise my eyes to look at her when she finally gets closer, and gosh, she is gorgeous.

Killer shape dressed in a tight red gown that shows every dip and curve, her hair is red compared to my black one, his lips coated in blood-red lipstick, topped with a nose so painted it's surreal.

How is she this gorgeous?

"This is Luciana. The Don's bedmate." Carlos calls out, and my eyes widen as I take her in again.

She is his what?

Why the heck would he introduce her to me? Luciana glares at me in a way that is too familiar, yet I can't place my finger on it.

"You aren't much to look at." She says, venom and disgust visibly dripping down her voice.

I shouldn't feel anything; I don't matter to Dermos, but at the same time, it stings. I don't say anything as I rise to my feet, literally racing to my room.

It was at that moment that it dawned on me that Dermos didn't care about my family and me. This marriage was just a contract to him.

I realise that this is exactly what Ariella would have faced also.

I hid out in my room all day, eating lunch and dinner there. I am swamped in the book I am reading on my phone when my eyes suddenly snap to the left, catching a strange thing.

Red blinking light.

It's small, just behind my curtain; I wouldn't notice it normally, but the whole room is dark, so I can.

What the hell?

My heart thuds as I move closer, snapping the curtains open, and there a small camera lies. Without thinking, I sent my foot at it, causing it to shatter.

Who the hell installed a camera here? I am still racking my brain when a message enters my phone.

I shouldn't have looked at it; my whole brain froze as I turned to stare at the message.

The same unknown number.

"You can smash the camera, but I am still watching, and I know."

Who is this person? Does he or she live here?

This is beginning to freak me out. It is enough confirmation that nothing about this is a prank.

I am still contemplating when the door pries open, a lanky figure graces the entrance.

My heart thuds thinking it's Dermos, but once I switch on the lights, I am met with Carlos's buzz cut and cold gaze.

"What the hell!" A loud scream tears out of my lips. I literally fling my phone as my palms snap to my mouth.

"Shhhh!! Just came to tell you to leave while you still can. Leave before it's too late." He says each word cold like a bucket of ice thrown over me.

In the name of what is going on?

Before I can respond, the door snaps open as an angry voice booms.

"What the hell is going on here?"