3. Mysteriously Married

Damn! My head felt bruised when I opened my eyes due to the glare of the light that broke through the gap in the curtains. My body felt crushed as if it had been run over by a vehicle with tons of weight. Some parts of my body felt sore and painful. What the hell is going on? And the man from last night. Where was he? Was I perhaps already in heaven? Because that thing was out to devour me.

I hurriedly got up and shuffled my way to the large mirror in this room. Still without clothes, of course. I had to confirm what happened. I was still in one piece, except for the claw and bite marks on my neck and wrists.

I couldn't remember exactly what had happened except for a hot night with a handsome man, who then wore a monster costume with a wolf's head or whatever it was called.

Whatever it was was a mistake. I shouldn't have gotten carried away and done all this because this isn't what I came here to do. I'm here to investigate the deaths of my parents that felt so awkward-as well as the events of last night.

"What happened to you, Zane? You look..." Mariana asked, looking at me from head to toe and seemingly noticing the wounds on the side of my neck and some other parts of my body. "Were you attacked by a wild creature? Why are there so many claw marks on your body? And these—these are bite marks, right?"

"Don't ask any more questions, please. I'm very tired and want to sleep for a while. Wake me up when it's evening."

I staggered into the room opposite Mariana's, flopped down on the bed, and recalled the man who had spent the night with me.

That man—why did I feel familiar with him? I felt like I had met or recognized him somewhere. Is it just me, or...?

I then got up and took off the clothes I wore last night. There was a scent of perfume that didn't belong to me. I took a deep breath while trying to remember the smell that seemed quite familiar. Did it belong to that man? What was his name? Julian, if I remember correctly.

Who exactly was that man? Why did he...?

BRAKK!

"Who are you?" I demanded of the men in all black who were rushing in. "Get out of my room, or I'll call security!"

"Zane..." my attention was instantly diverted from the group of men, now focused on the several people holding Mariana and Ray. There were no weapons or anything in their hands, which would suggest a robbery. And surprisingly, one of them looked familiar.

"I'm sorry we have to do this, Miss Carra. Mr. and Mrs. Levion want to advance your wedding day with their son. That's why we came and picked you up."

"Pick up? You call this the way you pick us up? What you did is kidnapping, and I can report you if you don't let us go immediately!" I threatened. However, the man, who seemed to be a confidant of the Levion family, signaled to his men, so two more men approached and, with quick movements, smothered me.

I don't know what they gave me. My whole body slowly weakened, and my consciousness decreased. However, I could still hear their words faintly.

"Don't let her get hurt. The young master won't like seeing his bride-to-be scratched even a little. Let's leave now!"

***

I woke up and circulated my gaze throughout the room where I was. I don't recognize this place. Am I in hell? And my clothes—why am I already wearing a wedding dress? Am I in dreamland?

I tried to get up with difficulty as the dress made it difficult for me to move. I turned the doorknob, but nothing happened. It seems those people locked me inside this room.

BRAK, BRAK, BRAK!

"Hello... is anyone out there? Please let me out!" I shouted, hoping that just one person would open the door and let me out. "Please open the door! I'm thirsty. Please ..."

There was no answer from outside, but before long, there was the sound of keys, and someone came into the room.

"J-Julian? How are you here?" I asked, but the man didn't answer. Where am I? And this man—how could he be here? "Julian, please get me out of here. It looks like they've made a mistake. They came and took me by force and then—"

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The man held up a paper, which I quickly snatched from him—a marriage certificate with my signature. No way! I had only just woken up from a state of either sleep or stupor. I remembered that some guy in a suit had put something into a handkerchief that had knocked me unconscious.

"H-how could it—"

"It doesn't matter how we became husband and wife. What is certain is that you have signed the letter following your father's last request that you marry me."

"You're... the son of the Levion family?" I asked, incredulous. Did that mean I had slept with the man who would eventually become my husband—while we were at The Emirates?

"Have I introduced myself yet?" he asked. "Okay. Let's get acquainted first. My name is Julian Levion. I am the only son of the Levion family and have become your husband, Zanina Carra—by your father's will. So, what else is missing?"

"You've slept with me before."

The man frowned. "Really? Are you hallucinating that you wanna marry me so badly?"

"What?"

"Because, to be honest. I've never slept with anyone other than my lover. Let alone with a prostitute."

"A prostitute? You—" I slapped to teach him a lesson, not accepting his accusation against me. How could he say such a cruel sentence when it was he who had slept with me that night?

However, the man quickly caught my hand and grabbed me, locking it with both arms.

"Don't you ever dare to touch me carelessly, Zanina! Do you hear me!?"

I neither nodded nor shook my head. I had never agreed to this marriage, but the man who had claimed to be my husband was unmistakable. He was the man who slept with me that night.

Was this a conspiracy to get me to agree to marry him? Or was he deliberately not acknowledging the reality of what he had done because this man didn't want his beloved to know what he was like?

The man let go of me roughly and threw me on the bed. He then straightened the clothes that looked a little messy from our struggle.

"I just came to tell you this. So, from now on, don't ever call my name unless I open the door of my own free will," Julian said with a cold and arrogant look. "And one more thing. Don't expect me to touch you. Because you know, this marriage is a compulsion. I think you have the same opinion."

Julian didn't wait for my reply but hurried away and locked the door again as if I were a precious prisoner who couldn't be let loose.

I got up, tried to turn the knob, but to no avail. Julian locked the door and wouldn't let me leave.

I sat on the floor, looking around the room and at myself. The white dress still clung to my body. I don't know how long I'd worn it, but I wasn't happy to be in this sacred dress.

I stared out the window, hoping that someone would come and rescue me, but that was impossible. I was sure I was in a place where no one would recognize me.

Julian, the man I had spent the night with, was the man my father had set me up with. Yet, why didn't he recognize me? Neither did he acknowledge what we went through that night. Were they different men? If so, why did I feel like I knew this man so well even though he was wearing a strange costume that left me confused that night?

I got up, rushing to the large cupboard in this room to find something. Whatever it was, it might be helpful in my current condition.

I took out all the items in the cupboard. I had to find something to communicate with the people out there. In my search, an object caught my eye and made me reach for it.

It was a cell phone, and when I scrolled through, there was only one number on it.

I dialed the number, waiting to see if the voice I heard was my husband Julian's. If it were, I would end the call immediately. However, if it wasn't—.

"Hello, Zanina..."

He greeted me. Did he know me?

"Who are you?" I asked.

"You don't need to know. But listen to me. Don't let anyone find out about this cell phone. You must protect it lest those people find it."

"B-but, who are you? I need to know if I'm talking to a good person or—"

"You'll find out later. Just do as I say. Later, I'll see you."

He ended the call before I could even ask further questions. I was now suffering from a great deal of indecision. My problems were already quite heavy the past few days, plus the call from this mysterious man made me even more confused.

Who exactly was this man? How did he know me?