‘’Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to the most awaited section of tonight’s event. You would want to hear this,’’ the auctioneer’s voice echoed through the quiet hall, his eyes sweeping through the dimly lit space. ‘’Up next is the virgin #27, the last item on sale for tonight.’’ He paused, admiring the temporary hold he had on these powerful people that surrounded him, and cleared his throat before continuing, ‘’As we all know, the best is always saved for the last. What makes this one the best, you may be wondering. Now, let's—" ‘’Just get to the point, Reynold, will you?! We've not got all night to waste in this place,’’ he was cut off by the sound of someone yelling from the crowd, making him adjust his posture. "Aye, Aye," he began, "First of all, she fits the pre-ordered description many of you dropped before tonight. What do i mean? She’s a redhead, soft hair you can yank back when you uh…’’ he chuckled, and similar sounds accompanied his from around the hall. ‘’You know wha
Genevieve's face blanched at the words she just heard. She blinked rapidly and convinced herself her brain must be having issues comprehending what the words meant.Then she shut her eyes tightly for the next several seconds waiting, in vain, for the voice of the bald auctioneer to call her ‘bitch’ and command her to open her eyes. That she had been bought and she had to come with him to his office!Why not? This... scene playing before her had to be a dream. There was no other reason someone who was alive and standing beside her one second would end up dead in the very next second. Her doubt, however, wasn’t because this was her first time losing someone in the twinkling of an eye—she had experienced more than a normal human fair share of that, even at her young age—but because this was her first time seeing it happen for the stupidiest reason ever.‘’Open your eyes, Principessa,’’ a cold voice, which she now recognised as that of the handsome man, echoed in her ears. ‘’I’m done. U
Genevieve didn't bother trying to decrypt the two word reply she got. "So you are Adrian Viktor Visconti, and you called me Mrs Visconti. Does that mean I am... your wife?""No, it means that you are now his mom. And you are my wife."Genevieve's heart sank, and a wave of disappointment washed over her from head to toe. Because the reply to her question didn't come from the breathtakingly gorgeous man in front of her, but from behind her. She turned to see who it was.And there, standing just a few metres away from her, was an old man with shrewd eyes and a head of completely gray hair, who, though he looked like he was well on his way to the grave, also bore an uncanny resemblance in physique and facial structure to Adrian Viktor Viskonti.Here, she was standing between her new husband and stepson. Both of them much older than she was."I'm dead," she breathed. Not only was she bought by a terrifying man who came from a formidable family she would find it hard to carry out her plan
☆☆☆Sixteen-year-old Genevieve knelt in the center of a lavish, princess-like room draped in soft pinks and delicate silks, her trembling hands clutching the satin hem of her dress. Tears blurred her vision as she stared at her mother's almost lifeless body sprawled across the polished marble floor, a crimson pool spreading beneath her like a dark, wilting rose.‘’Go, Eve! Your aunt will be waiting for you at the back entrance. Leave now... before it's too late."Genevieve shook her head vehemently. ‘’No, Mum," she refused. "You are hurt. You have been shot. I can't leave you alone here until the doctor arrives.'’‘’No…’’ A splutter of coughs rented the air, followed by the racking sound of Genevieve's sobs, which seemed to be increasing as the seconds passed.‘’Don’t say anything, Mummy. It's only making matters worse…’’The sound of multiple gunshots rented the air, and the words died on Genevieve’s lips. Still numb with shock, she was pushed into the nearest open door, and could o
Genevieve froze, her brows furrowing in displeasure at the blatant disrespect, but when she reminded herself of the unfamiliar territory she was in and how she had no idea how things worked here, she decided to relax and simply follow instructions, even if it came from someone who seemed to hate her for no reason.She rose to her feet and looked at the two doors that were positioned side by side in one part of the room, far from the one that looked like it led out of the room.‘’Which of them is the bath—’’ she started to ask, but was cut off almost immediately. ‘’The one on the right,’’ Penelope stated. She pointed at a pile of clothes on one corner of the queen sized bed and said, ‘’Wear that when you are done in the bathroom. I will be waiting here for you.’’Half an hour later, Genevieve stood in front of the mirror, her head tilted sligtly as she studied herself in the mirror. Pale skin from incessant scrubbing for the past half hour, messy red hair pulled into a ponytail, blue
Few Minutes earlier, Adrian stepped into the dining area, pretending to be oblivious to the furtive glances from the maids and butlers setting the breakfast table, as they scurried away from him. His uninterested gaze made a quick sweep around the area and when he didn’t catch sight of a particular ginger haired troublemaker that he came here for, he turned to the man already seated at the head of the table, eyes glued to a stack of papers. His father. ‘’Where is Annika?’’ ‘’Unusually late to breakfast, as you can see. Good morning to you too by the way.’’ Roberto replied without sparing his son a glance. Ignoring the sarcasm in the older man's words, Adrian turned to one of the maids lingering near the door and instructed, ‘’Get my sister.’’ ‘’Yes—’ the maid had just started replying when two young women sauntered into the room, heading straight for their designated chairs on either sides of Roberto, totally oblivious to Adrian's presence. However, three seconds had bar
‘’From what, Roberto?’’ a voice came from the foot of the stairs, as a noble looking woman stepped into the dining area. Her dark hair and similar colored eyes mirrored Roberto’s own, and anyone who saw both of them together at first sight would be able to tell that these two were siblings. Draped in an expensive silk fabric and adorned with gold jewellery, she waded across the room like the majestic being her physical outlook presented her to be. Easing herself into the chair Annika vacated several seconds earlier, she continued, "Remember the promise you made the day the tradition of eating breakfast together in this family started? This area is supposed to be a free space where there’s no authority or orders.’’Roberto glared at his sister, but the woman seemed completely unfazed as she continued to maintain eye contact with him. ‘’So…’’ she continued, ‘’I don’t want to know what Adrian or anyone on this table did, forget it here and now. At least, until we are done with breakfas
Back To Present...Genevieve stopped dead in her tracks at the heavy anger she sensed in the tone the person who asked the question, even though she was yet to see who owned the feminine voice.She looked down at her body, and back up at the faces of the people in the dining area with her. At least, the faces of those seated at the table right now and were staring back at her. All five pairs of eyes.She recognized Roberto from the previous night, sitting at the head of the table. Her new husband, staring at her like he wasn’t seeing her but someone else.To his left sat an identical looking woman, eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror, and on his right sat a brunette whom Genevieve had an inkling would either be her age or just older by a few years. This one also looked shocked, but there also seemed to be a hint of fear in her emerald eyes.As if he could not bear her ignoring him any longer, Adrian cleared his throat and Genevieve felt her gaze pulled to the other side of t
Silence ensued for the next few seconds, with Genevieve staring at him like he had horns, unable to believe what he just said. Did he... Did Adrian Viktor Visconti just tell her he would take her to anywhere she had wished to go back when she was still 'homeless'?‘’List them,’’ he said, breaking the silence and reminding her he was still staring at her and expecting an answer.‘’Well…’’ she started with the most plausible word but wasn’t able to continue before he stopped her.‘’You know what? Never mind. As we go, you will take me to the routes you used to frequent while you were homeless, and we will take the rest from there.’’Genevieve nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She couldn’t bring herself to dwell on the fact that he assumed she would take him to the routes she used to frequent as a homeless person when she had never been homeless. That was something to deal with later. For now, she would focus on getting to the hospital and finding a way to contact
"Sick?" Adrian echoed, his tone carrying a distinct note of disbelief, almost as if the word was unfamiliar to him.Genevieve wasn’t surprised. From what she had seen, and was still seeing, of him, he looked strong, like someone who had never experienced sickness or weakness. Or maybe he had, once upon a time, but had undergone extreme training to overcome it.Either way, all she knew was that she had to make him believe she was truly sick and needed a doctor. It was the only way she could meet Aunt Anna and inform her about the recent developments; the masquerade ball where she might come face to face with the one behind her family’s massacre, and her international wedding.Today was Tuesday. She knew Aunt Anna usually took some children from the orphanage to visit Maestro Hospital, the largest hospital in their district. The plan was if she could successfully convince Adrian to take her there under the pretense of seeking medical attention, it would be easy to slip away and either s
‘’Just cold.’’Annika closed the distance between them, peering into Genevieve’s eyes like that would help her determine if the latter was sick or not. ‘’Uhm…,’’ she started, ‘’I really don’t think you look well. They said you were in the heavy rain last night. Maybe it’s finally getting to you.’’Genevieve sighed.‘’I’d be the first person to know if I’m feeling sick, Annika. Let’s find the clothes so I can change out of the smelly ones I’m wearing.’’"Oh, that's true," Annika said, stepping back immediately. She reached into her closet and grabbed the first hoodie and sweatpants her hand landed on; coincidentally, both were in pink. Holding them up for Genevieve to see, she asked, "Will this do, or should I find something else?"‘’This is alright,’’ Genevieve took it from her. As an afterthought, she added, ‘’I love pink.’’With the borrowed clothes draping over her shoulders, she headed to her own room, too deep in thought to notice Penelope when they passed by each other in the h
Genevieve glanced around Annika’s room, instantly noting the stark contrast to her own. While hers was a blend of cream and white, this space was awash in shades of pink, with delicate decor and soft aesthetics that gave it the feel of a princess’s chamber.It somehow reminded her of how her own room used to look like back at her parents’ mansion.‘’Big enough?’’The question made her turn to Annika, who was standing by her closet door, a wide smile on her face. She had been invited here to come check out clothes to borrow after their tight embrace earlier that had ended with Annika scrunching her nose and saying, ‘You smell... damp.’Since Aurora was not around and her room was locked, there was no one else she could borrow clothes from except Annika, who didn’t share the same size as her. However, she had no choice but to make do with it.‘’Your room is beautiful. And yes, it's very big,’’ she commented, her words causing a sparkle in Annika’s eyes.‘’Really?’’ the latter gushed in
Roberto’s lips set into a thin line before replying, ‘‘No. What do you want?’’‘‘Nothing much,’’ his son said, ‘‘Except that you forget what happened earlier and never talk to me about how you use my resources just because you can, ever again.’’‘‘That’s not a bad deal,’’ Roberto agreed, ‘‘You should know this though, Son. You will have a weakness one day. In the form of a position, a property, or better still… a woman who will bring you to your knees and undo the damage i did on you. Then you will know just how i feel with you threatening me with mine.’’‘‘Can’t wait,’’ Adrian said, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement. ‘‘I hope it comes sooner so I can quash it in your presence and reiterate the lessons you taught me as a kid.’’‘‘As if,’’ Roberto’s smile came back to his face. ‘‘It will come sooner. Sooner than you expect, I hope. And you will see just how easy it is for such kind of weakness to be quashed.’’Father and son locked eyes, a silent battle of wills reflecte
The men headed down the hallway to the study, with Adrian and Roberto in front while Alajandro trailed after them. No one spoke a word until they got to their destination and closed the door behind themselves.‘‘What was that about in there?’’ Roberto asked as he went to sit on one of the leather couches.‘‘What was what about?’’ Adrian murmured absentmindedly while going to sit on the chair directly opposite his father’s. ‘‘Have any idea, Alejandro?’’‘‘Not at all, Boss,’’ Alejandro replied. He stood behind the chair Adrian was sitting on, his posture imposing and intimidating. If the one they were facing wasn’t of higher rank than they were, he’d probably be pissing in his pants at the intimidating picture the both of them portrayed.‘‘You know what I’m talking about,’’ Roberto stated, his tone laced with displeasure. "And you think I wish to waste my time over it?"Roberto sighed in exasperation. "Saying you don't want to guard my wife to be, and then when she tries to choose ano
Genevieve bit her lower lip harshly at the cruel pep talk she just gave herself, not stopping even after the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. ‘’Eve!’’ Annika’s voice echoed in her ears.She snapped out of her thoughts to see that the girl was now sitting beside her, snapping her fingers in front of her face.‘’Earth to Eve!’’ she exclaimed. '’What were you thinking?’’ ‘’Oh, that was nothing," Genevieve shook her head. "What were you saying?’’‘’I was apologizing, remember? And we moved to Aurora," Spoke with Aurora earlier, and she said she would apologize personally when she comes back home for her break. She won’t be able to come to the wedding.’’ Genevieve forced a smile, ‘’Oh… she doesn't have to. It's just a wedding your father wants to use to pass a message across anyway. It's not like it is my dream wedding or something.’’Annika’s face grew solemn, her eyes flickering with something like shame as she took Genevieve’s hand in hers.‘’I know it’s not. And I also know
Genevieve was jolted out of her thoughts by another pat on the back by Roberto. Why the hell did the man like patting her back so much? She wasn’t able to dwell on the thought much as he rose to his feet and said, ‘’You should go to your room. It was cleaned thoroughly yesterday, and I think you will find everything you need in there. One of the maids will bring breakfast.’’Genevieve nodded but remained seated, not wanting to walk out of the room with everyone’s attention on her. She continued to watch as he turned to Adrian and Alejandro, saying, ‘’Let’s go discuss more in the study. There’s a lot to prepare.’’ It was at that moment that Adrian finally pulled his gaze from her to look at his father, ‘’And a lot to talk about,'’ he added.The three men walked out, leaving the women alone. As soon as the sound of the men's footsteps had completely disappeared, Reyna rose from her seat and walked across the room to Genevieve’s, patting the girl’s back just like her brother had done
‘’As I was saying,’’ Roberto continued, his tone stern as his eyes moved across the faces of everyone in the room. ‘’To show you all how serious I am with my claim, I and Genevieve will be getting a court and church marriage coming Saturday.’’Adrian's jaws ticked.Genevieve, along with the others in the room, snapped their heads in Roberto’s direction, shock written vividly all over their faces.‘’A court and church marriage?’’ Genevieve blurted out, unable to keep the words to herself. Today was a Tuesday, so Saturday was just four days away. It was so soon. And totally unexpected.She had expected so many methods for him to show he had claimed her, but none of them came close to this."Why? How?’’‘’I am catholic,’’ Roberto announced, as if that explained everything. ‘’Don’t be surprised it's so soon. In fact, if not for the meeting with the Capos from the north holding on Thursday, the wedding would be held earlier.’’He looked around the room, taking in each gaping mouth and wide