Chapter Five

Six months ago. 

Nala. 

It was way past midnight, she hadn’t seen her husband in days. The gala was tommorrow and they were hosting some of the most powerful drug lords in the region. So he had to come home at some point. 

Nala looked out from her window over the Hamptons view as the sun set. Tears streaming down her eyes like a downfall. 

She slowly stepped away from the window closing the curtains and lay in her bed in tears. 

She was drifting off to sleep when she heard her, she could recognize that condensensending laugh anywhere. 

Nova?! What was she doing in her house? Wasn't she supposed to be in London? Or was she finally losing it. Halucinating her. 

She heard her again, this time louder. 

Nala quickly got out of bed rushing downstairs without thinking about putting on a robe or something to cover her skimpy night gown. 

Sofia had gifted her the sexy black dress, she had said she should wear it for her husband. Men like that. 

From above the stairs she could see half the living room. But she didn’t see anyone but the giggly sounds were still coming from downstairs. 

Nala walked to the other side of the living room, there was no one. She was about to go back upstairs when the noises got louder and she knew exactly where they were coming from. 

The guest house. 

The door was half open and there was a trail of clothes on the floor. She was about to open the door when she heard his voice. Salvatore. 

"Does she taste as good as I do?" she heard her sister's voice. "Does she fuck you as good as I do baby?" 

Nala couldn’t wait to hear his answer, because in that moment for some reason she knew his answer will hurt her more, and she couldn't take it. 

"What the hell are you doing?" she said holding her mouth as she opened the door further. But to her surprise, they didn't hurry to get up or off each other. Salvatore just looked at her pissed, she had never seen him this angry before, he looked like he could kill her. She swore his eyes were glowing yellow in the dark. 

"Get the fuck out Nala." he yelled and she almost felt the ground shake. 

She quickly ran upstairs without looking back in tears and closed the door, sitting on the floor sobbing uncontrollably. 

He was the one who was cheating on her, why was he mad at her. She hadn’t done anything wrong. 

She cried herself to sleep on the floor and eventually crawled her way to her bed. 

She knew Salvatore didn't really love her, but she had thought it was because he didn't know her yet. It had been over a month since she had moved in here and he had spent only two nights with her. 

It was all making sense now, he never said anything, the few times they had even shared a meal. He would always just stick to pleasantries and when he visited her room, he did what brought him there but both times she woke up to an empty bed. 

He never called her or told her about his whereabouts, the housekeeper who Nala had grown fond of, Jackie. Told her to be patient with him, he was a man of few words. 

She had said he had spent most of his years in London, away from the family. He never really got along with his father. 

Nova also studied in London, maybe they met there and were lovers. But why not marry her? Nova was every woman's nightmare and every man's dream. She was beautiful, Charming, smart and she had the perfect body, long shiny hair and glowing skin. 

So why not just marry her instead of me? Nala wondered as she drifted off to sleep. 

'***

The next morning came quickly, she didn't hear someone enter her room. 

"Good morning beautiful." Nova said walking around, looking around and poking. 

Completely startled, Nala sat up holdinger covers to her waist. 

"What are you doing in my room Nova? What the hell do you want?" Nala fired at her as the events of last night came back to her. 

"Aaaw, look at you little sister, what are you wearing? Were you trying to seduce Salvatore with this thing you are wearing?" Nova said pulling the sheets off Nala in one big pull. "Did you really think he would fall for this?" she laughed sarcastically sitting next to Nala. "Did you think he liked you? That he would fall in love with you and you all will live like one big happy family?" Nova said again sarcastically. "Look at you Nala, no man would ever fall in love with you. Especially not a man like Salvatore, a man that powerful, classy and rich."

"He did marry me, didn't he?" Nal fired back unable to hold back. Her sister might be right about alot of those things, but she was done being looked down upon. 

Nova now started laughing uncontrollably, until tears started falling from her eyes, "Is that so Nala? Then why was he in my bed last night and all the days before that and not in his beloved wife’s bed huh?" 

"Because you are a whore that's why Nova. You can warm his bed all you want but at the end of the day, am his wife and everyone knows that. You were in his bed in the shadows but today in front of all the people that matter, powerful and all, I the ugly, unlovable one will be the one in his arms." Nala fired back standing up and heading to the windows to draw her curtains open. 

She was looking outside when she felt the sharp pain as Nova held her hair pulling her backwards. 

"Look who has some balls, finally."she said hitting her against the wall," Let me just be honest with you since, it seems you are delusional."

Nala sat up touching her head with one hand, her forehead was bleeding. 

"Dad sold you to Salvatore in order to pay off all the debts we owed him. And Salvatore only agreed to it because I refused to marry him and his father forced him to marry you. As soon as you get pregnant and have the baby, you are as good as dead. The only thing Salvatore needs actually we need from you is your womb." Nova said kneeling down besides her, she touched her cheeks gently and took a towel and started cleaning the blood from her forehead, " Don't worry little sister, I will take good care of your baby. I will love it like it's mine." with that Nova got up and exited Nala's room. 

She was still sitted in the same spot Nova left her thirty minutes later when Salvatore walked in. 

"Why aren't you dressed yet? Do you think we have all day? My father will be here soon." Salvatore said irritated. 

"Is it true? Is it true you only agreed to marry me so that I can have your baby and then get rid of me?" Nala asked getting up. 

"Can we talk about that later, get dressed up, the guests are already here most of them."

"Am not going anywhere until you tell me the truth Salvatore, you can tell my sister to accompany you to the gala for all I care. Aren't you lovers anyway? It will be more believable than me." Nala blurted out and headed to the bathroom to clean her forehead cut. 

She didn’t see him follow him, the next thing she knew he was holding her above the ground by the neck choking her. 

" Don't fucking talk to me like am your peer Nala, you hear that? You are my wife and you are going to do exactly what I tell you to do. And right now I want you to get dressed up in that red dress I got for you and go out there and act like the best wife ever who is obsessed silly with her husband. Do you understand?" he said with glowing eyes. 

"Ye.eess." Nala tried to speak, she couldn't breath, she was literally gasping for air. 

He finally put her down and let go of her throat leaving her gasping for air. 

"Am the only person in this world that gives a fuck about you, your own family sold you. So don't for a minute think, I can't snap your neck in a heartbeat, and no one will miss you. Not even me. Now get dressed and be ready in five minutes. I don't like waiting." he said fixing his cufflinks before he walked out slamming the door behind him. 

How did he do that? Or was she hallucinating. Nala could swear his eyes were aqua blue, but sometimes like last night and just now, his eyes were glowing yellow or green. Or maybe a mixture of both. 

She could think about that later but right now she needed to dress up before he got back and killed her for real. She had learnt in the few time she had stayed here, he didn't like being disobeyed and everyone did as told them without questioning them. Maybe it was because he was powerful.

Nala stood in front of the mirror looking at herself, her neck was clearly bruised from the choking earlier and her forehead had a little bump. She needed to hide her bruises with make up. The dress she was supposed to wear needed her to look flawless. 

She quickly did her make up as Jackie had taught her and put on the dress. She paired it up with a pair of gold stilettos and held her hair up in a bun. She added a little red lipstick and she looked at her reflection once again, she looked like someone cut out of a magazine paper. 

She looked beautiful. 

She opened her bedroom door ready to step out and there he was, Salvatore in his black tuxedo looking like the handsome devil. 

"You look exquisite." he said in a whisper taking her hand. "i was afraid you might stand me up." he said cheerfully. 

"You made it clear, I didn't have a choice remember?" Nala said smiling back at him in a fake smile. 

She had no idea how long she could play this game. 

"I have been looking all over for you darling," Nova interrupted them as soon as they stepped out in the foyer taking away hi hand from her arm. "You look as handsome as ever my love." she said giving him a small kiss on his cheek. 

"And so do you." he said smiling back and for the first time since Nala had met Salvatore, she saw his real genuine smile. 

Nova walked away in the arms of Paul, one of Salvatore's bodyguards towards the car waiting. 

"I will see you guys at the party." she said before she walked away swaying her hips around like she owned the place.