Not what I expected

Isabella’s point of view 

I still find it hard to believe that my life had a huge turnaround all of a sudden, I was once single and now I am married. I’m a fucking Mrs!

The silence was the first thing I noticed when I woke up, it was strange that I slept all through the night as it’s an habit for me to lose sleep whenever I find myself in new places.

I didn’t need any reminder that I was in the De’ Luca’s mansion, it has already been stucked to my subconscious mind. For a moment, I lay on my bed enjoying the solitude, my wedding gown was still on the armchair I placed it last night, looking at it made me rethink my life.

A knock on the door got my attention.

“Come in,” I said pulling the sheet closer to my body

Eliz entered quietly, holding a tray filled with toasts, coffee and fruits.

“Good morning, Mistress. I hope you slept well.”

“I did,” I replied, I watched as she set the tray on the table, I wanted to start a conversation with her but I could hardly think of the right words to say.

“The master wants me to make sure you ate breakfast early, he has …. uhm expectations about routine.”

“Oh,” I said, trying to mask my frown.

“He left already?” I asked curiously, Hoping I could wander around the mansion this morning.

“He’s in his study, he begins work at dawn most days.” She replied calmly.

“Has my luggages been brought inside?” I asked, the little of my things Madame Rosita parked are the essential things I can’t do without, my favorite novels, few of my clothes, journals, my secret notepad.

“I will have one of the guards bring it here, but everything you need are in this room, toiletries, underwear, makeup’s, clothes, dresses and shoes are in your actual size, master made sure everything has been provided for you, just in case you haven’t looked around, your closet is to the left side.”

How do I tell her I actually did a little snooping around, but I want my own stuffs not stuffs that were initially gotten for my sister.”

“Thank you, Eliz. I actually need something important from my luggage, hope you don’t mind sending it here right now?”

“Alright mistress, I’ll have one of the guards leave them outside your door.” She replied, and proceeded to step out.

*****

I stepped out of my room gathering the courage to explore the mansion, I looked around taking mental notes of what I saw, one thing I noticed about each doors I came across is that they all had gold labels, except for one, this one had no visible key holes, it had only a heavy brass handle and a faint scuff mark on the floor, I made sure I looked around to confirm I was not being watched before I reached for the handle.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I heard that familiar arrogant voice. I freezed in shock, my mouth gaping as I slowly spun around to face him. I couldn’t decipher the look on his face but I knew I might get scolded, arrg, I wasn’t even in the mood for his arrogance.

He stood at the end of the corridor, dressed in a black shirt and black pants, the sleeves of his shirt was rolled to his elbows and the first three buttons were unbuttoned revealing a great part of his toned chest.

“I was just exploring,” I replied, trying my best to sound casual.

“Exploring?” He asked, his gaze flicking to the door and then back to me.

“That room is off limits.” he added, walking towards me. I fiddled with my hands trying to avoid eye contact.

“Why?” I asked defiantly, he paused as if surprised I actually asked, then he kept walking. He didn’t answer immediately, he just kept walking closer until we were both too close for comfort.

“Because not every door in this house is meant to be opened,” he finally replied, staring deep into my eyes.

“Your response just made me more curious, I….”

“I am sure it does,” he said, cutting me off.

“Curiosity can be very dangerous here,” he began to walk away, “Come, let me show you the rest of the house.”

He led me deeper into the hallway, below the upper floor, then he stopped all of a sudden. “You see this side of the mansion, it is private. No staff is allowed beyond this corridor unless I permit it,”

“Are you even paying attention to me woman?” He gave me a sideways glance, I should have answered him but I was intrigued, I was somehow tempted to ask if I was a participant in a squid game, he was given me crazy ideas, what if I sneak into this so called private room tonight. That thought alone made me giddy.

I heard him mutter a word but I didn’t bother asking him, he started moving and I followed behind, we reached another door which he pushed open, the heavy scent of books filled the air, nothing smells better than books, papers lay neatly arranged on the huge desk in the center of the room, there seems to be ledgers, contracts and a few photographs, a particular one caught my eye, a picture of a young Diego with a woman who looked kind of familiar.

“Who is that?” I asked softly, his expression immediately shifted to something dark.

“No one relevant,” he replied, turning the photo face down. I got the message very clear, it wasn’t something he wants to talk about.

“This is your study?” I asked an obvious question, trying to change the subject, but I got no response.

“Do you always work this much?” I tried again, changing the subject.

“It keeps things in order,” he finally spoke, I wanted him to keep talking, so I knew I just had to keep the conversation going

“Things like what, your life?” I shrugged my shoulders, he turned around to look at me for a long moment.

“My life?”

“is not something that stays in order, that’s the most impossible thing I’ve heard in my life, the moment I came into this world, order has been written off my life.”

For a second, I thought he was going to say more, I waited but his walls were back up and it was difficult to read his expression, he was just neutral, at least he opened up a bit.

“You could have run like your sister, Isabella,”

“I didn’t have a choice,” I whispered, honestly if I did I would have ran like Jessica.

“There’s always a choice.”

I took in a deep breath, “Not for me, would you have helped my father if I ran? Father didn’t tell us the full details of the bargain he had with you, all we knew was that we had debts that could ruin our family,”

“Seems like he has been grooming you for this,” he stepped closer to me, I could feel the air between us go tense.

“You’re not what I expected, Isabella.” He said softly, as if realizing he was letting his walls down again, he quickly straightened up and began to step back.

“Dinner is at seven, Eliz will show you the dining hall. I will send one of the guards to lead you back to your wing,” And with that, he walked away and I watched him go.

With the few moments I’ve spent with Diego De’ Luca, apart from his rudeness, arrogance, power and control, I can faintly see the pain he has been trying to mask, perhaps there is a hidden story behind the pain.