6: All is not as it seems

JADE

I did not stop the maids from ushering me out of Luciano's presence. I needed him out of sight to think properly.

To think about my fate tonight. I can not do this with someone I do not love or know. I barely know him. This is not the fifteenth century where girls have no say in their affairs.

This is my life and I will not not let anyone pressure me into having sex with him.

The maids led me to a spacious bed chamber. I stared dewy eyed at the room I was in. Everything from the rug to the bed to the walls were oozing of wealth, bloody wealth.

What do these people do that gives them so much money?

Do they own a tech company? A fashion line? Nope. That is absurd.

But still, it was not impossible.

I sat on the bed as the maids helped me undress from my wedding gown.

"Is this I and Luciano's room?" I was tempted to ask as they took of my earrings.

"No ma'am. This is your private bedchamber. Your bedroom. When you desire peace and away from your husband you can come here. We got enough clothes ready here for you" one of them replied.

I did not even know their names.

"Hmm. What are your names?"

"I am Elizabeth ma" one smiled fondly at me.

"My name is Jane and my other colleague is Catherine" another introduced both herself and her friend who flashed me a smile.

"It is nice meeting you three" I chuckled. I needed to make friends here. Everybody seemed so busy with their own lives.

In an hour, my maids had already helped me in undressing, preparing a nice hot bath, changing my gown and they were currently restyling my hair.

I allowed them spray me sweet smelling perfumes which scented like heaven!

"When you are done tonight ma we will give you a nice warm bath again and a Chinese tea that will help with the uhm...uhhh... discomfort" Elizabeth slowly said the last words.

What discomfort?

"What do you----" I quickly realised what they were pointing at and all the blood got drained from my face.

Did it hurt that much?

The maids looked so embarrassed to even speak further concerning the matter.

Was he very rough?

He does not even seem like the gentle type to me.

No. I have to stop thinking of these mundane thoughts. I am not having sex with that man.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. "Come in" I responded.

A different maid walked in, her head bowing momentarily before speaking. "Dinner is ready ma'am. Master requests your presence" she informed me.

"I do not want to eat. I do not feel hungry" I declined.

"Please signora, for your own sake do not refuse his orders" Catherine advised me with so much concern in her tone.

"Why? Will he kill me? Why is everyone so scared of him?"

I watched my maids pass each other glances, as if they were hiding something from me.

"Why is anyone not speaking? Do you all know something that I do not? Are you all hiding something from me?" I pushed further. My curiosity had been piqued for far too long.

"We are not hiding anything from you signora Greco. We just do not want you to get your husband upset in your first night of marraige" Jane responded.

"I do not want to eat with him. He is my husband so he should understand that I am not hungry. I am quite filled and I just want to be by myself, to process all that happened in the last two weeks of my life" I still maintained my ground.

Of course all I said was a lie. I was fairly famished but I just needed to be by myself for now.

The maid was hesitant and unwilling to leave.

"What are you standing there for? Go tell him I am not hungry and I will eat when I want to eat" I instructed her sharply.

She scurried away.

"Ma'am I do not think he will be happy with you" Elizabeth spoke as she combed my hair down.

"What is the worst he can do because I refused to eat with him?" I shrugged my shoulders.

Silence settled in, each person lost in their thoughts.

Suddenly, the door flew open with Luciano marching inside.

"You all leave. I want to have privacy with my wife" he ordered my maids out sharply, his tone was not livid but it was not a happy one either.

One by one my maids dispersed, locking the door behind them, leaving me alone with Luciano.

He ponderously walked towards me, his steps refined but dangerous until we were in close proximity with each other.

My heart suddenly began palpitating, drumming so loudly in my ears just by staring at his blue hot orbs.

"You refused to come have dinner with me, why?" He simply asked.

"Because I am not hungry. It is that simple to understand" I scoffed back.

"You know", a malicious smirk tugged at his lips, "I did not expect you to be this bold and fierce. I expected you to be submissive to your husband" Luciano completed, pulling my arm in the spur of the moment and hauling me against his chest.

"Let go of me!" I fired back.

"Why should I? Why should I listen to you when you have never listened to me?" He menacingly whispered at the base of my neck sending shivers down my spine.

"This is harassment you know. I can get you arrested for this" I threatened with annoyance playing in my tone.

"I do not care how you see this. You are my wife and I can touch you however I want to touch you, do you get that?" Luciano snaked his other arm around my waist fiercely.

"Stop it! Let go of me this instant!" I was becoming mortified but I could not afford to show it.

"Only if you agree to have dinner with me? Do you agree bella?" He smirked, his hungry hands eagerly playing with the zipper of my night gown.

Fuck. "I accept. I accept please just let go of me and stop doing whatever you are doing" I folded in immediately.

Luciano let go of me, allowing me to heave a deep sigh of relief.

"See you downstairs in a minute. Nothing less and nothing more" he commanded before exiting my room.

What an arrogant and cocky jerk!

Arranging my emotions in place, I wore a fur coat over my sleeveless night gown and ambled down the stairs.

On getting to the dinning area, I was in awe of the banquet that had been arrayed on the dinning table.

I mean I am hungry but I am not this hungry. Wasn't this just a waste of food?

Pulling out a chair, I sat directly opposite Luciano who was taking slow bites out of the chicken stuffed on his fork, as if taking pity on the animal.

The kitchen staffs on standby dished out my own food and I began eating. Dinner went on in silence but I was a bit disappointed.

I actually expected to see more of his family members here and not just I and him flanked by a number of staffs.

"What is wrong?" Luciano asked out of the blue.

"Pardon?"

"I can read you like an open book. Is something bothering you?" He questioned.

I adjusted in my seat before responding, "Nothing much. I just thought I would get to see more of your family members in dinner and not just I and you"

He went silent for a while. Was he not in good terms with them? "You will meet more of my family soon. Do not let that bother you"

I nodded and dinner went on in its usual silence. But the silence was later punctuated by the sonorous sound of the door being pushed open.

Two young men claded in black apparels walked in on us with about five bodyguards behind them.

I stared at them and so did Luciano but his features seemed to harden at their presence. It was like their mere faces got him pissed off and he was trying to control it.

"Luciano Greco" one with unruly coffee brown hair spoke with his arms outstretched, he was the taller one.

"To what do I owe this sudden visit?" Luciano stood up, walking towards the men.

"Aww do not sound like we are strangers brother. We just came here to welcome your new bride into our beautiful home" the one behind replied.

Brother? Why did he now seem disconcerted and pissed by their arrival.

"Thank you Arturo and also you too Raffaele but as you can see we are having dinner so you can come back some other time" Luciano replied.

"Bullshit. Why are you both having dinner all by yourselves when there is an entire feast going on in our place. Our wives would be very happy to meet your wife brother" the one called Raffaele passed Luciano a vicious smile.

"And besides, we also want to get to know your pretty wife better since the wedding happened so fast and none of us were given the liberty of meeting her" Arturo added.

Luciano strode towards his brothers, his eyes glaring at them. He was a little taller than his brothers.

No words emitted from their lips but their fervent gazes upon each other spoke a million secrets.

I watched in horror as Raffaele drew out a gun tucked in his pocket stylishly.

I was about calling out to Luciano but I think he saw the gun his brother tucked out.

"You are not the only one who has a gun in his possession Raffaele" Luciano gravely spoke.

Did he also have a gun? What is going on in this family? The tension in the air was quite alarming.

"And thank you for your offer but we have to refuse it. Maybe some other time" Luciano tactfully declined with a reserved tone that was different from the anger raging in his eyes.

His brothers bowed their heads and left whilst Luciano watched them leave.

First I met a murderous looking uncle and an overly friendly step mother, jealous sister-in-laws, a multitude of armed men patrolling the estate and now hateful brothers.

Truthfully, all is not as it seems in this family.

And I will make sure I find out the skeletons they are all hiding in their cupboards.