Chapter 10: JOSHUA

I took her to her house as I said before. Fiona jumped out of the car quickly and ran into her porch. Anger and sadness mixed together inside her. I chased after her and stopped her in front of the door.

“Just take the things you really need. The rest, we will buy you new ones.”

“Get your hands off my arm. You’re gripping it too tightly, and it hurts. Don’t you see how big your hands are compared to my arm. You’re going to crush it.”

I didn’t let go even a bit, instead, I gripped her even tighter.

“Be respectful to your husband and I won’t hurt you.”

“Fuck you. You don’t deserve my respect, you bastard!”

I jerked her arm roughly and her back hit the door hard. I didn’t care if she was in pain. It was punishment for her rudeness and impoliteness.

"I'll be back in an hour. Don't try to escape. My men are watching you."

I let Fiona see some of my men standing across from her house. I made sure she also saw the pistols tucked into their belts.

“They won’t hesitate to shoot you if you try to escape.”

I bent down in front of her face that conveyed thick hatred, and whispered against her lips, “I don’t mind burying another wife today.”

“Bastard!”

She pushed my chest hard and shuffled back until her back hit the door.

I grinned, satisfied that she absorbed my words well. I was sure she wouldn’t dare mess with me again.

“Remember, an hour. You have to be ready with all your stuff when I get back.”

“Get out of here!”

And she slammed the door hard in my face.

I would make sure she got a lesson in manners while she was my wife. My family might be a bit old-fashioned and strict about manners, especially a wife’s manners towards her husband. Even though I only lived with my parents for five years, I saw their relationship was very harmonious. My mother respected my father very much, and I wanted Fiona to do the same for me.

“Watch her. Don’t let her escape.”

I could see her silhouette behind the blue flowered curtains. She was watching me with her hateful gaze. When I looked back at her, she closed the curtains roughly and walked away from the window.

Luckily, she was my wife and not my stepdaughter. I couldn't imagine having a wild and unrully stepdaughter like her. I would probably turn into the most perverted stepfather because I always wanted to kiss her hard every time she used her lips to curse me.

\-00-

She only brought one medium-sized suitcase when I picked her up an hour later. She was still angry and didn’t say a word on the way home. I didn’t mind the silent treatment. It was much better than her using her mouth to curse me.

“Why are we here?”

“This is our house.”

“Isn’t your house in Chicago?”

“It is. But we’ll stay here until I decide to go back to Chicago.”

“This house suits your style.”

She must have noticed the big difference between this house and the beach house on the cliff. There were many armed guards all around the house. Security here was tighter than in the beach house which had no security system at all other than an automatic lock on the main door.

“Leave your suitcases. Someone will take care of it.”

The main door swung open. Sophia and Berta came out to greet us. I pulled Fiona’s wrist closer.

“Welcome home, sir.”

Bertha, the older maid, bowed politely to me, followed by Sophia.

“This is Bertha and Sophia. They are the maids in charge of this house. If you need anything, just tell them.”

Fiona remained silent, her eyes busy watching Bertha and Sophia, who nodded slowly at her.

“So, this is Fiona, my wife. She will be the mistress of the house and manage everything related to this house.”

No protest came out of her lips. I assumed Fiona agreed, and we didn’t need to start any arguments to discuss the household rules.

“Take Fiona’s suitcase to my room. And you come with me to my study.”

For the first time, I felt that this house was a little different. Not because of the furniture layout or the atmosphere, but because of the presence of a new member who would have almost as big a role as me in this house. She would rule this house when I was not home. She would take on most of the responsibilities that I usually shouldered alone. It felt strange because I had so easily given those responsibilities to Fiona. I even opened the door of my house as wide as possible to the strange woman I married just because my impulsive instincts told me to do so.

“Sit down.”

“What are we going to do?”

She was too stubborn to take orders. She stood arrogantly near my desk with her arms folded across her chest.

“I said sit down. We will talk about the things you have wanted to talk about since yesterday.”

“Why do you always use a commanding tone in every word you say?”

“So what do you want, wife?”

“I want you to respect me as your wife. Speak more softly.”

“Only if you promise me you’ll do the same to me.”

She glared at me and plopped her butt down on the chair hard. I wished I could replace the chair with my lap. I wanted to pull her onto my lap, and see what her tiny butt could do to me.

“I want to go back to campus starting tomorrow. There’s a lot of work to do. I need to meet my professor to discuss my paper.”

It didn't take me long to grant her request. I really needed her to keep herself busy on campus, so I could focus on my own affairs. Especially those involving Alana. I had just gotten information that the traitor hiding among us was none other than my cousin. That bastard Brian had leaked to Giovanni, Alana’s brother, that I was in Miami to marry Katherine. Brian was trying to thwart my marriage because he wanted to seize the throne I had occupied for years.

“Okay. You can go back to campus starting tomorrow. But on one condition.”

She snorted. I was sure she would not like the conditions I would put forward to her.

"You will have several guards around you. They will always be around you wherever you go."

“Is that necessary? I’ve never had a bodyguard and I don’t feel comfortable with those big men following me around campus.”

“You’ll either have them guard you or you don’t have to go to campus at all.”

“Fuck, fine.”

“Language.”

“I don’t like all this shit. I want my life back the way it was.”

"There's no turning back, honey. Like it or not, this is your new life."

She slammed her fists on my desk, as if she was going to crush them with her tiny palms.

“Go to your room. I have to work.”

She stormed out of my office, stomping her feet on the floor and slamming the door shut.

My patience was really going to be tested from now on.