Chapter One

Emma 

I have always had a quiet life. My parents are good, I have money and comfort, nothing to complain about. 

I love being spoiled and pampered. People around me say that I am beautiful, and this made me believe it. 

I am a calm person, who hardly ever goes through stress. Because it's really not necessary, since I have a princess life. 

I mean... I had a princess life. 

My father is a mobster, and has had a years-long conflict with the Mikhailovich family. 

There were deaths and more deaths of relatives and acquaintances. An endless bloodbath. 

But until one day, it seems that everything stopped. No more shootings, no more blood, no more deaths. 

My father never explained how he made everything stop. But after that my life changed a little. 

I was only 15 and I had to start acting strange. 

No strong make-up, no parties, no fuss and most important, no boyfriend. 

These were the rules imposed on me by my father. 

As a teenager, of course I would disobey. I wanted to go out with my friends and have fun. What was wrong with that? 

That's where I was wrong. Everything bad could come out of this. My best friend died in front of me in the middle of the party, as did the boy who asked me to dance. 

My father finally explained what had happened. 

It was a marriage contract as a seal of peace between the families. I was destined to marry the eldest son of the Mikhailovich family. 

At first I was reluctant, but then I saw that nothing could be done. And if I continued to act in this way, more people would die. 

Now I am a bride and nothing and no one can change this fate. 

"Concentration, Emma" my teacher taps her cane on the table. 

I'm 19 years old and home schooled. This was a decision that came from my fiancé. 

I can't debate with him. I have to do everything he says, or consequences will follow. 

"I'm focused." 

Sometimes it feels like a prison. I feel suffocated, with nowhere to go. 

"Then answer the question I asked." 

"I wasn't paying attention," the woman looks at me angrily and turns her attention back to the board. 

After the class with my teacher, would come the etiquette classes with Madame Benedict. 

I have to be ready to be the perfect wife. This makes me angry, but still, there is nothing I can do. 

Then I would have to take my piano lessons, my dancing lessons, my cooking lessons and my sex lessons. 

Yes, he also wanted me to be ready for our honeymoon 

I don't know him, but I already find him annoying and irritating. He is an arrogant and overbearing man. 

After that, all that was left for me to do was to take a shower. 

"Daughter," I change my route and go back to the living room. 

"Hi Mom." 

"How are you, my love?"

"I'm tired. Because every day I have to do the same things. I live in a dictatorship!"

"Emma!"

Liana Esposito is my mother. She's a woman who's a little hard on me, but at the same time she's kind and loving. 

"That's the truth. I can't do anything I want to do." 

"I'm sorry, dear. But this is your new reality, and you have to accept it." 

"I'm marrying someone I don't even know, Mom. What if he's a bad person?"

At this, Liana turns her face away and doesn't answer me. 

Every time I ask her about my fiancé, she does the same thing. She turns her face away from me. 

"That's what I came to talk about. Your fiancé has already decided on a wedding date."

This made me freeze. I didn't have the slightest notion of this. 

It seems that finally the truth is here. I'm getting married and everything I have is going to end. 

"I thought he would wait a little longer. Tell him I'm not ready. I can't even get all the notes right on the piano yet. I can't get the rice right, I can't..." - she holds my face 

"I'm sorry, dear." 

I throw myself into my mother's arms and hug her. I needed some of this. A hug from my mother. 

"I'm doing this for the good of the family, mom."

"I know that, my love," she pulls away, "I want you to get ready. Because tomorrow is the engagement dinner and Boris will be here."

I feel my whole body goose bumps. Just his name alone already brings a great heavy energy. 

***

I get into the bathtub filled with bath salts. 

I needed that to calm me down a bit. 

Everything is in a rush for the dinner that will take place tomorrow night. My mother is making an effort to make everything perfect. 

I wish all this clowning around would stop. I don't feel like marrying a man who has only done me harm. 

"Daughter?"

"Come in, Mom," the bathroom door opens. 

"What are you still doing up? You need to be perfect for tomorrow, so no dark circles under your eyes."

"I just wanted to take a bath to distract myself a little," Liana sits on the edge of the tub. 

"This will only make you think even more, dear. Finish up and get some sleep," I nod my head in agreement. 

As soon as Liana leaves the room, I take a deep breath. 

I wish I had someone by my side, but apparently I am alone in this. 

I finish my shower in the shower. I wash my entire body to remove the foam that was. 

I wrap a towel around my body. I go in front of the mirror and run my hand over to wipe off any remaining traces of steam. 

I brush my teeth and wash my face. I pass all my sleeping creams. 

I dry my hair and comb it. I tie it up and put on a satin cap. 

I go to my room and put on my pajamas. I drink a glass of water and go to bed to sleep. 

I keep turning from side to side, trying somehow to find sleep. 

But my nervousness is too much. I can't sleep at all. 

"Boris."  I put my fingers over my lips. 

I wonder what he is like. Is he a good person? 

After much reluctance, I finally manage to sleep. 

I wake up in the morning with something that bothers me. I had forgotten to close the curtains. The sun was in my face. 

"Good morning," my mother sits on the end of the bed, "how are you feeling?"

"I'm calmer, Mom." 

" I'm glad you're finally accepting this, my love. You know how important it is for our family to maintain a good relationship with the Mikhailovichs."

I turn my face away and prefer not to say anything more. I hear this all day long, and sometimes it's a little tiresome. 

Now get up, you have to take all your classes."

I spend the rest of the day doing all my classes. 

The day was strange and tiring. When the afternoon came, I stopped my classes. It was time to get ready. 

One of the maids helps me to choose my clothes, after that she prepares my shower. 

I shower slowly, wanting to delay this moment as long as possible. 

I close my eyes and sink into the water of the bathtub. I stay like this for a while, just enjoying this peace. 

I didn't know if I would ever have this again. It would be a different place, with a different person, that I didn't know. 

After the bath, I go to get ready. I put on a white dress. It was delicate and looked very nice on my body. 

I put on some light make-up. Just a little mascara and pink lipstick. 

I spray a little perfume with a sweet smell. It was my favorite. 

"Are you here, Ema?" 

"Luigi" I go to my brother and hug him.

It's been so long since I've seen him. My brother rarely comes home. He and my dad don't get along very well.

"I missed you, little sister." 

"Me too," I pull away from him, "why did you come today?"

"I knew Boris would be here," I open and close my mouth, having nothing to say, "I can't believe our parents are making you do this." 

"It's for the good of our family." 

"Don't pretend you agree. It's not your job, Emma!"

"Please," I put my hand over her mouth, "don't fight our father. I want you to be here today." 

Luigi places his hand on my face and smiles. He strokes my cheek and then pulls away from me.

"You're my little sister, and I just want to protect you," his gaze sweeps over my face, "you look sad. I see it in your eyes." 

"It's nothing!" I smile to reassure him "I'm going to find my fiance and I'm going to get along very well with him."

Luigi goes to the bed and sits down. He picks up one of my teddy bears and looks at it for a while. 

"I haven't heard good things about this Boris. I hear he's not good." 

"People talk a lot sometimes." 

"There are people who speak ill of him, but there is no one who speaks well of him." The man plays dirty, little sister." 

"Luigi..." 

"Be very careful with him. If necessary, he can come to me. I will always do my best to protect him."

Before I can answer, my mom walks into my room. 

"Son", she goes to him and the two embrace, "I missed you so much. Did you forget you have a family?" 

"Of course not, Mom. You know why I never come here." 

"You and your dad need to work things out. But let's save that for later," she turns to me, "why are you dressed like that?" 

"I feel comfortable in these clothes, Mom." 

"Whatever you say." We don't have time to change. Boris is already here" "I feel my body tremble. 

I feel like my nightmare is about to begin.