ARIANA'S POV:-
I was standing in the mirror, in my wedding dress. I was supposed to be happy. As the love of my life was about to take me into the beautiful relationship of marriage. But I was so scared for some reason. Something in my heart was screaming at me that something was not right. I looked at the clock and realized that it was way past the time when Charlie was supposed to show up for our wedding.
While I was standing in front of the full view mirror, wearing the wedding gown I bought with my own money just a few days ago, thinking I would soon wear it on my special day, I had no idea the man of my dreams was doing what. I looked at my phone and clicked the caller id of my beloved man, waiting for him to pick up.
It was going to be the fiftieth call that I was making at his number. Like a fool, with tears and fear in my eyes, I called him again, hoping he would pick it up and tell me that he got stuck in the traffic, and that he was on his way to take away his bride from the Rossi family. It was something he used to say whenever we talked about our perfect wedding.
My mother entered my bedroom, with tears in her eyes as well. My heart was fearing that very thing why she had been constantly coming to me. “Let's wait for Brax to come back home. He went to check up on Charlie.” Before my mother could have asked me that same question for the tenth time, I gave her an answer that I thought would keep her quiet for a while.
Braxton was an addict. Anyone could make him sign anything while he was not lucid enough. He swore that it was something they did. And that, he would do anything to protect me, to save me. I asked him to go and check up on Charlie. I was afraid that something happened to him. Or there was no way he could have left me like that.
The door of my bedroom opened again and I narrowed my head instantly when Uncle Enzo entered my bedroom. “It's time you have made a decision, Ariana. They will come right on time, unlike your lover.” I gulped hard when I heard him taunting me.
It was like a new face of him and I couldn't bear to see it anymore. I opened my mouth to give him the same answer that I gave my mother. But before my tongue could have moved, Braxton entered the room.
“They are nowhere to be found, Rina. There is a for sale sign on their villa and the corporate knows nothing of what really happened to the whole family, or where they went. As far as I know, they are not in the country.” My heart dropped in the pit of my stomach as I received yet another bad news.
Uncle Enzo's phone started ringing and he had to step out of my bedroom to receive the call. I was busy thinking of the reasons why Charlie was not home or why he must not be answering his phones. I had a million reasons prepared in my mind to give my family and to tell them to wait a little. I was about to open my mouth to start giving them all those excuses when Uncle Enzo came back inside my bedroom and looked straight into my eyes.
“The loan sharks have already left their dane. They will be arriving soon. It's now or never.” Uncle Enzo informed us and walked out of my bedroom. My father and my brother followed him behind. The cowardly bastards. It's their fault that my life had turned upside down.
I couldn't hold back my tears anymore. The more I wanted to stay far away from a relationship that sounded disgusting to me, I was constantly forced toward that relationship by my fate. “You have no other choice but to marry Enzo. But it's not as bad. You can divorce him once this all settles.” My mother whispered in my ear while stroking my vail.
My mother wiped my tears with a tissue. Gulping hard, I nodded my head. My mother pulled me out of the room and took me outside the mansion. The ceremony was held in the same garden where I was dancing with Charlie a day before, on my 18th birthday.
My father walked me down the aisle. Never in my life would I have thought that I would be getting married in such circumstances. I had never imagined being with anyone other than Charlie. We reached Uncle Enzo. Holding my hand, he pulled me up and made me stand in front of him. Even holding his hands made me feel disgusted.
Vows were exchanged between us. I felt no remorse making false vows. I accepted him as my lawfully wedded husband. Then it was his turn. Just before he was about to accept me, he stopped and I ray of hope rose in me, thinking that he was backing away.
“By the way, before I accept you as my wife, let me tell you something. You can never ask for a divorce. Because the divorce between us will make you Braxton's sister again. So throw that option out of your mind and your life. We are together forever. I accept you as my lawfully wedded wife.” My heart sank in the pit of my stomach when I heard Uncle Enzo. I turned to look at my mother as her words faded from my mind and were exchanged with Uncle Enzo's words.
The smirk on his face said the quiet and unspoken words that the others around us were unable to understand. He timed it all so perfectly that I was unable to move. “Now, you may kiss your bride.” My heart almost stopped when I heard the pastor. Before my brain could process, Uncle Enzo grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him. I held my breath as he pecked my lips.
………………
After the ceremony, he brought me back to his mansion. It was bigger than my father's mansion. I was standing in the corner of the room, while he was sitting on a rocking chair on the other corner of the room. His bedroom was the biggest, the master bedroom. He had a glass of scotch in his hands. His eyes were on me, stripping me naked. I was feeling nervous, unaware of what he had in his mind. “Strip!” One word echoed in the room and my heart sank in the pit of my stomach.
Tears started welling up into my eyes. I could barely hold myself on the ground that was shaking beneath me. “Uncle, please! It's wrong!” I whimpered while trembling with fear. The man I used to know as my Uncle, he was no longer that man. Instead, he was a monster who was staring at me as if he was about to eat me alive. Men like him were known to hurt. So I knew I had to be very careful around him.
When he heard me pleading with him, he started laughing at me. I could never have imagined that the same man who never wanted to see tears in my eyes, would be making fun of my tears one day. Then he suddenly went silent and gritted his teeth in anger. “If I come over, it will not be good for you. Strip now or I will rip that fucking dress off of you with my own two hands.” He growled at me angrily and my body shivered in fear. His piercing gaze was back on my face as his voice was constantly echoing in my head.
With trembling hands, I tried to unzip my wedding gown. Tears welled up in my eyes, I could no longer control them. I let my gown fall on the ground. “Your underwear as well!” He growled again at me. Humiliated in front of the man I thought would never hurt me, I had no other options but to obey him. For the mistakes that my father and my brother had made, I was destined to carry the burden for the rest of my life.
“Now, strip my clothes off.” He growled as he stood up from his chair and walked toward me.
“Wh..what?” I stuttered, staring into his eyes that were dark with lust.
“I said, strip me naked as well. Can you not hear me clearly?” He growled at me angrily. He was standing in front of me, towering over me.
I gulped hard as I knew I had no other choice but to obey him if I was willing to live. I started unbuttoning his shirt with trembling hands. I tried to keep my eyes on my hands.
Once his shirt was off, I unbuttoned his pants and slipped it off of him. He took his underwear off himself, I was glad. “Look at my body!” He ordered me, opening his arms. I obeyed him in fear. I looked at his naked body and my cheeks burned. I instantly turned my face away. I didn't want to see anymore than I had seen. Which was actually everything.
“Now grab your fucking stuff and get out of my bedroom. The bedroom on the left is set for you.” He growled at me. With trembling hands, I gathered my gown and was about to run for the door when he yelled at me.
“Don't go out naked, you stupid woman. Here, wear my t-shirt and get lost.” Uncle Enzo growled at me as he threw his t-shirt at me. I quickly slipped into his shirt and ran out of his bedroom.