A THREAT

My mother’s voice, a chilling echo of impending doom, haunted me throughout the day.  "Marry Alexander, or you're disowned.  Father's decision, final."  A threat?  Or a cold, hard truth?  Mother wasn't one for empty gestures, and the fear clawed at me. Eighteen days until I became Alexander's wife, eighteen days to save Ryan.

Home felt like a refuge, yet the exhaustion was crushing – the weight of work, the weight of this impending marriage. I took a cold shower to try to release some of the stress I felt, then I decided to begin some work on my laptop.

Few hours later, a maid’s voice shattered the peace.  "Ms. Olivia, a lady, awaits you in the living room.”

I walked up to my door, opening it. “What last?”, I inquired.

“I do not know her name, but she did come here yesterday”, the maid said.

Mia, again?  The groan that escaped me was primal.  What did she want this time?

“Did a man come with her?”, I asked.

“No”, the maid replied, shaking her head. “She came alone just like yesterday.”

I rolled my eyes. Alexander was testing my patience. “I'd be down shortly”, I told the maid. She nodded and left.

I deliberately savored my dressing, a small act of rebellion against the relentless pressure.  Downstairs, Mia sat on the sofa, her usual composure strained. When she saw me, she got up from the sofa.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," she greeted.

"Mia, you're older.  Call me Miss Olivia."  My frustration, a simmering volcano, sought an outlet.  And Mia, Alexander's PA, was the unfortunate target.

"I'm sorry. Good afternoon Miss Olivia”, she greeted.

“Where is Alexander?”, I asked, ignoring her greeting. This was not a good afternoon. The thought of getting married to Alexander ruined my day.

“He wants to meet today," Mia said, relaying Alexander's message. 

"What?  Why not come here?”, I asked. It was the proper thing to do as a gentleman. But of course, Alexander refused to be a gentleman.

"He wants you to go to his house”, Mia said calmly, avoiding eye contact with me.

The insult burned.  This wasn't a partnership; it was a power play.  He wouldn't even treat me with basic courtesy. I was going to show him that I was not one to mess with even in his next life.

"Fine," I said, smiling mysteriously. "But breakfast first. Call him and tell him I need the best set of roses delivered to me, and I need him to take care of my breakfast. I'm starving."

"Well, good news," Mia said, and I raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"He already gave me one of his cards to give to you, so you can use it for whatever you need at any time."

I stepped back in surprise. Alexander had already given his card for me to use. That was shocking. I knew he was rich; I just didn't expect him to care about my welfare. I was dumbfounded and said nothing else as we headed to a restaurant to eat. Then, after breakfast, I was taken to Alexander's mansion.

Alexander's mansion was breathtaking, opulent, exactly as expected.  The mansion's imposing grandeur was awe-inspiring, its towering stone walls, soaring ceilings, and lavish decor converging to create an overwhelming sense of majesty and power, as if the very walls whispered: "This is the domain of a man who commands respect, and demands control. A man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants” The mere thought of him wanting me made shivers run through my spine. But the thought was short-lived because I knew he did not want me.

 Mia led me to the living room. “I will inform him that you are here now”, she said, smiling briefly before walking away.

Twenty minutes passed. No Alexander, no Mia. Karma, it seemed, had a wicked sense of humor. I had kept Mia waiting. Maybe, she was returning the attitude. I scrolled through my I*******m for a few minutes, then I heard footsteps. I raised my head and saw him. Descending the grand staircase, his shirt still unbuttoned, he was laughing, his hand resting possessively on the waist of a woman in a scandalously short skirt. The blatant infidelity stung, but it was the casual disregard, the deliberate wait, that truly enraged me.

The unknown woman smiled awkwardly at me like she knew that I was the one that interrupted their session, then she walked away.

"I'm not even mad about you sleeping with someone else," I said, my voice dangerously low, "I'm furious you made me wait."

He chuckled, a dark, unsettling sound.  Mia had told him about my initial resistance to the marriage, and the amusement in his eyes was chilling.

“Good afternoon to you too”, he said instead.

“Why did you keep me waiting?”, I asked, not giving into his dismissiveness.

"I believe I sent Mia to get you hours ago," he countered.”You chose not to come here on time.”

"And you figured that a way to while away time is be with another woman when you were supposed to come pick me up instead of sending your assistant”, I said angrily.

"Doesn't matter”, he said, dismissing my feelings once again. “How was your meal? I noticed that I received a debit. I should give you all the details of the card, so the debits notifications don't disturb me, it'll just be your card linked to my account"  The casual cruelty was breathtaking.

"Why didn't you come to my house?", I asked, still fuming at his dismissal.

"I'm not a gentleman.  And I didn't feel like it”, he replied quietly, but dangerously. I could feel a tingling sensation rush throughout my body, and I had no idea why I felt that way.

"Do you even want to marry me?", I asked. There was no answer right away. The question hung in the air, heavy with desperation.

His answer hit me like a physical blow. "No.  Never did. You're not my type."

"And you're certainly not mine," I retorted, "This marriage is forced. I have a boyfriend. And nothing will change that."

“You mean that doctor”, Alexander said, cooly. 

A flicker of something – amusement?  Intrigue? – crossed his face. "Keep him.  I don't care. All I need is your cooperation, your respect.  You'll be my business partner, working hard, making money. That's what I need from you.”

“How do you know my boyfriend is a doctor?”, I asked, locking my gaze on his.

“That's none of your business”, he replied, looking away from my eyes.

I wanted to push harder, to question him on how he knew Ryan, why he was meddling in my business and why he seemed to be amused by the situation. But I knew it was not going to do me any good. He was good at dismissal, and would probably just dismiss me. So, I gave up.

“Let's make a deal”, I said instead, getting his attention back. His eyes locked back on mine. It felt almost like he wanted to eat me up with his eyes.

“I'm listening”, he said slowly. I noticed that I had not said anything after a few seconds.

I blushed, but managed to maintain eye contact. "I want us to have separate lives, even after marriage. I want to be with my boyfriend; you can be with whoever you want. Then, after a few months, we can get a divorce, saying we cheated on each other. What do you say?"

He walked over to me until I was pressed against the wall, heat flowing through my body. I could feel the uncontrollable wetness that I reserved only for Ryan suddenly pouring out for Alexander. I felt even more embarrassed.

"I can be with whoever I want, huh?" he asked darkly. My throat went dry.