Chapter 3 Chapter Three
Later that night the world was quiet. Lydia walked alone down the long corridor. A maid opened the door for her and she walked into the master bedroom.
Immediately Lydia's eyes landed on Arthur Romero who was sitting on a large chair with whiskey in his hand.
Her stomach fell.
The room was nicely set, very big. Large wooden carvings everywhere.
"You will sleep here. I'll be in the other room." Arthur said pointing at the bed.
"You will not be here?" She asked confused.
"Do you want me to be close to you tonight?" His voice like venom.
"No, but why don't you want to?" She asked.
"Because you are not ready, yet." He said, poring himself another drink.
"I do not force what I own." He muttered.
"I am not yours." She spits. Arthur turned to her, darkness in his eyes.
"Aren't you? The moment you stepped into this land, you belonged to me." He said, walking closer to Lydia.
Lydia backed away, feeling the wall.
"It will be better for you to understand this one thing. You are my wife now Lydia, a Romero and you will always be my wife. No one can get close to you. No one can touch you but me." He muttered, stunning her.
"I will never let you touch me." He whispered but Arthur smirked and he moved his hand closer towards her face.
There was some kind of kindness in his eyes. She had never seen this before. Arthur slowly touched her face, both their chest touching. Lydia felt heat radiating between them.
Arthur looked at her lips and back at her eyes. Her breath heavy. She didn't want him to touch her but she didn't want to move. He touched her lips.
"I could have kissed you." He whispered.
"Why didn't you?" She asked. That's when he looked away.
"I don't force what is mine."
"Stop saying that." Arthur immediately pissed off now. His chest pushed her chest tighter to the wall. She felt everything messing with her head.
"It won't take me long to prove you wrong, in every way that I can. But you are free here." He said, backing away from her.
"If you wish, lock your doors. No one will bother you here." He whispered walking away and never looking back.
Lydia though, huffed loudly. Feeling the fire growing inside of her. She sat on her bed looking at the wedding ring. And only knew one thing. That she wasn't ready for this.
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The next morning after wedding was very silent. Slowly Lydia opened her eyes as she was sleeping in the middle of the bed, on her chest, like a star fish.
Immediately Lydia turned the other direction to see she was all alone here. He never came to the room, just like he said. Immediately she sat up, realizing she was still in her wedding dress.
Letting out a heavy breath, she glanced at the balcony, as the beautiful morning light hit her hard.
She was in fact married to the most powerful man in the world. This made her sick. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. She freaked but put on a brave face.
"Come in." She said. Right then an older women walked in. Lydia had met that woman yesterday.
Mrs. Loril brought food. Eggs, ham, milk, water and fruits.
"Good morning, Signora Romero."
"Don't call me that, ever." Lydia muttered, her voice getting sharp. But the Mrs. Loril just smiled.
"Of course, I assumed as his wife you would like to. But I understand." She said and Lydia didn't answer.
"You should eat. You will like it."
"I am fine." Lydia mumbled.
"You are not fine." Mrs. Loril said kindly.
"You are pretending to be fine and it will not be enough to survive." She said, confusing Lydia.
"I am not pretending. I am good."
"I do not want to argue with you, dear. But all I want is for you to remember that you're safe here. It might not look like it. But you are safe here. No one will hurt you." Mrs. Loril said, which almost made her laugh.
"Can you guarantee that?" Lydia whispered. Getting out of the bed, walking to the balcony. Mrs. Loril smiled brightly.
"I have never been more sure. You don't know the whole truth, so it is better to respect and cherish what you have now." Mrs. Loril said and Lydia laughed.
"Respect him?" She muttered.
"But if you want to walk around the house, you can. You are not trapped in this room." She said which confused Lydia.
"Marcus is standing outside. He is here to take care of you, protect you." Mrs. Loril said and left her with the food, alone.
However, Lydia had no intention to eat anything. She wasn't hungry. But immediately she unzipped her wedding dress, rushing into the room, wanting to get out of whatever her surrounding was.
Lydia immediately opened the door and bumped into a very tall man. His back straightened and very stoic.
"Marcus?" She asked and he nodded his head.
"So, you just follow everyone like this? Is this something you do?" She asked but he said nothing and moved away from the door, so that she could walk easily.
Letting out a heavy breath, Lydia walked. Blindly going somewhere. Apparently she was free to do anything.
Marcus though, he waited while she walked far away and then followed Lydia. Giving her privacy.
She was exploring the corridors, not knowing where to go but it was beautiful here. Bright, marble flooring, oil painting. Most of the door here were locked and she was getting very curious, trying to open a few of them.
And then finally she came to a balcony where she could see the garden. All stretched as far as her eyes could see.
"This place is beautiful." She whispered.
"People here live like Kings, but you all are Mafia's." She said and Marcus flickered but he looked away from her.
They walked away from there when suddenly the smell of expresso hit Lydia and the sound of chair and spoons. It was a dining room and there Arthur was, her husband.
Dress in all black. He looked at her. Not a smile, he did not stand just look at her.
"Are you enjoying your house?" He asked with his deep voice.
"I needed permission?" She asked and Arthur gazed behind at Marcus.
"You can go Marcus." He said and Marcus nodded and completely disappeared. And then they were alone. Arthur was eating his food slowly.
"You did not touch your breakfast." He said, when a plate was put right in front of her, the same plate that was in her room.
"You have noticed." She said and he put his fork down, meeting her eyes.
"You should eat." He muttered.
"I would rather die than be alive anywhere with you." She said.
"I have no wish to control you, but you wouldn't even know you had options." He smirked.
"Then what do you want?" She asked and Arthur Romero slowly backed away, almost like a Predator he looked at her.
"I am only making sure you stay alive." He huffed.
"And you are doing a horror job at making me feel safe." She smirked.
"I am not here to make you feel anything Lydia." He said and something cracked inside of her. Immediately she grabbed a crystal glass on the table, gripping it hard
She threw it at him, but missed by a fraction, smashing it on the wall and Arthur didn't flinch.
"Did that make you feel better?"
"I hate you." She said almost immediately.
"You should," He said cleaning his mouth. "Your father made sure of that."
"Don't talk ABOUT HIM." She screamed.
"He sold you to me with full awareness of what that means Lydia. You can scream all you want but that is the truth."
There was suddenly silence between both of them. She was trembling of anger. Wanting to cry but not in front of him.
Slowly Arthur got up from his chair and made his way towards her. Towering over her body. Slowly Arthur moved her hair that was on her chest, behind her shoulder. His hand so cold, but she couldn't look away from him.
Her eyes are red with anger.
"I did not expect you to ever trust me, but I do expect you to follow the rules." He whispered, his hot breath on her. Making her heart beat even faster.
"You mean stay caged?" She questioned him.
Arthur leaned slightly, both their faces closer than ever. She gripped the handle of the chair tight. Arthur then slowly placed his hand on the handles, almost touching her.
"What I mean is, stay alive Lydia. That's what people like us do, servive." He whispered in his low voice. Tension boiling between them and she swolled.
"There is food in front of you. Don't waste it and don't insult food. Eat, starving isn't going to help you fight me. Which you very much enjoy." He said, slowly backing away. But she never looked away from him.
Arthur left her alone, and finally she was breathing again.
"Fuck you." She whispered, immediately grabbing her plate and eating. She really was hungry.
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That night Lydia was standing in her balcony, looking outside of her room. Everything was silent, too silent.
However, suddenly she heard a car... car coming from somewhere. But not from the main entrance. She could see the main entrance from her balcony.
"What?" She muttered and followed the noise, walking into the room, she rushed to the bathroom and from the all window she saw a back garden. No lights, no guards, no Marcus.
And there came a black car, barely visible and a gate closing. The car then vanished into the woods.
"A way out." She muttered and immediately she run into the bedroom and grabbed a jacket. Then she opened the bathroom window she started to climb down while holding a large, old tree, right next to the building.
Once down, Lydia moved like she was a shadows. She ran through the darkness forest, through the roots, branches catching her, and the fire of getting caught. But she ran.
When another car approached and the gates opened. Lydia immediately ran through the gates before it closed. And her coat got caught but she pulled it hard as it tore. But all that didn't matter, she was out of the property and free.
Lydia started to run to her freedom. A big smile on her face because she saw a main road right in front of her. She was almost out of there. But suddenly from right behind her a car swerved, stopping right in front of her, stopping as the tired screeched.
Her heart pounding in her ears.
The door flew open and Arthur walked out. His face filled with madness.
"What the FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" He screamed as she backed away. But Arthur grabbed her arm, hurting her.
"Get away from me." She said but he pulled her furious.
"You could have been shot." He spit.
"I don't CARE." She screams back.
"I cannot live there like your prisoner."
Immediately he grabbed her with all his power, his eyes burning on Lydia.
"Do you think this is all for power? This is about your life." He growled.
"Don't pretend you care about me now." She said. But he grabbed her arm firmly pulling her closer.
"I have my snipers here. You running out here, they could have shot you dead." He said.
"I DON'T CARE. LET ME GO." She screams and Arthur didn't like that answer. Anger boiling in him. There was so much fury, something possessed him.
"You don't get to keep me like a pet. I don't want to live with a monster." She shouted and Arthur grabbed her face tight.
"You are my WIFE." He growled.
"I do not choose this." She said and there was tension in the air. His eyes dropped to her mouth. She was breathing heavy. Immediately Arthur grabbed her and dragged her to the car.
"I don't want to come with you."
He didn't listen to her and threw her into the car with force. Once they reach the mansion, Arthur dragged her into the house and up the stairs. He was fast and she was struggling.
He pulled open the bedroom door and threw her inside, roughly.
"Do you want to die?"
"I want to be free." She screamed at him. While he was pacing around the room, in madness.
"You have no idea what is outside for you. Danger is waiting..."
"I said, I don't care anymore." She said and this surprised him. His face turned to something darker and angry.
"You don't get to stop caring. People who hate me will come after you, willing to kill you." He said the truth. She looked at him, her lips quivering.
Lydia was done.
"I hate this life. I hate you." She spit. And there Arthur lost it. He pulling Lydia closer, wanting to say something but she was in pain, crying and still staring at him.
Arthur pushed her down, she landed on her soft bed, simply crying. Her hair all over the bed and Arthur was standing beside her. His chest going up and down.
That's when the doors open and Aurora Romero walked in and she looked mad.
"There she is, ungrateful child, running like a coward at night. The entire house has been looking for her and she is here, crying. Worthless." Aurora screamed but Lydia didn't say anything, because she didn't have the strength in her.
Her body exhausted.
"You are a disgrace for this family name. You bring shame to the house of Romero. The same house that gave you everything, even your life." Aurora went on. And there walked in Gena. Worried.
"Mother, why are you insulting her?" Gena interrupted.
"That girl is an insult herself. She is throwing things at my grandson. Running like a street dog." Aurora said, walking to Arthur who stepped back into the room.
"You should have let her die out there Arthur. You should have never brought her here.
"Get out." He said, almost immediately. Growling.
"She is not worth the family name."
"I said, LEAVE HER ALONE." He yelled looking right at her. Fire raging in him.
"If I hear anyone come up to her, say anything to her. You will have to face me." He said to his grandmother, shocking her. She was stunned and angry as well.
"Your father would have discipline here, the right way." She said.
"And I am not my father." He let out. barking loud.
"ENOUGH." Gena finally spoke. Her eyes immediately going to Lydia, who was on the bed, trembling. She rushed to her, holding Lydia in her arms.
"Leave us alone." She said to her mother—in-law.
"She is a liability." Aurora Romero huffed and made Gena mad.
"She is a person, and she is tired, scared.
Leave." Gena commanded.
Arthur fisted his hand into a ball. Arthur never looked away from Lydia.
All this time she had been fighting with him but to see her like this. She was shaking, and crying softly. Something shifting inside of him. Arthur felt heavy and immediately he turned and left the room.
In a rush.
Aurora felt as well and these two woman were here all alone.
"I want my Papa here." She cried. "I want him back" She whispered, shaking. While Gena was playing with her hair.
"I know darling, I know." Gena said, as the world around Lydia was completely disappearing. She simply wanted it all to end.
She wanted to be free and back with her family.