CHAPTER THREE

"What? What do you mean you're now engaged to Luca Russo?” My best friend Georgina asked over the phone.

It had been six days since the ordeal in form of a hunk of a man barged into my life. Four days since Dad locked me up in my room, thankfully with my phone and TV, although I wasn't in the mood to do anything. I'd just mustered up the courage today to call Georgina and deliver the tragic news.

I nodded even though she couldn't see me. “It's true, Georgie. I'm even surprised the news hasn't flown around. News sure does flies around in this society.”

“Urggh, tell me about it,” she groaned. “Remember when Gianna got pregnant by her bodyguard? No one would stop talking about it for years.”

“I know right?” Gianna was a topic five years ago. Parents warned their daughters not to be like her. She was a prime example of what not to do as an elite, and a ridicule to her family. I felt sorry for her, but it seemed in our world, you could never want who you wanted.

“So, what are you going to do now?” She squealed. “Don't tell me. You plan on eloping with Matt, don't you?” She laughed, earning an eye roll from me.

“Like I could ever. And we both know Matt would never do that. If I did, his family's lives would be at stake. We can't do that to each other.” I heaved a sigh. “Besides, we already agreed to go our separate ways.”

“Doesn't mean it can't still happen,” she argued. I started to berate her when she finally dropped the issue. “Fine! This is reality, and I shouldn't be here wishing it could be like my dreams, but… don't you sometimes wish you were born in a different place? With different beliefs and all? Other girls get to choose who they want while we are offered in a platter of gold to whomever our parents or the society think is better for us.”

“Or as an atonement for whatever mistakes our parents made in the past,” I supplied and she heaved a sigh. “Yeah, that too.”

“Well, I do wish it too, but there's nothing we can do about it,” I confessed. “That's why I've accepted my fate. I am getting married to Luca Russo and there's nothing I can do about it.”

“Well, my thoughts and prayers. You sure as hell are going to need it.”

“Gianna stop swearing,” I chastised, but a laugh bubbled out of my chest. “Girls don't do that.”

“I'm not like you girls. I move in my own direction.”

We both shared a laugh and then talked about other things. I wasn't even married yet, and I already missed Gianna. What more if I finally got to my prison?

A thought came to mind. What if Luca Russo restricted me from a whole lot of things? What if he orchestrated me from the world? Would I be just a sex slave to him? A baby machine? Would he be faithful?

I immediately pushed the last thought from my head. I didn't care if he would be. In fact, if I had a way to make a deal with him to have as many women as he liked without the requirement of warming his bed, I sure would. Although, after our encounter last time, I doubted he was a man who appreciated being told what to do.

I sighed. How did my life get to this? It was easier knowing Santiago was the man I would be married to. At least he didn't have a ruthless reputation. I should have known life would simply not let me catch a break.

With these thoughts in my head, I slowly let sleep engulf me into its warm embrace, and offer me its comfort.

I didn't stir until I felt hands shaking my shoulder and when my eyes fluttered open, I made direct eye contact with Mom's concerned gaze.

“You never take a nap, Ariadne,” she observed. “Are you feeling under the weather?”

I wanted so badly to go off on her. Accuse her and Dad of being terrible parents, but I bit the accusations back and instead mumbled, “it was either sleep or subject myself to an eternity rest.”

She glowered at me, seemingly understanding what I meant. “That's not a good thing to say, Ariadne!”

“Wishful thinking,” I whispered with a shrug. I caught the box she was holding with my eyes and looked up at her. “What's that?” I pointed with my chin at the box.

She raised the box, staring at it like she hadn't known she was holding it. “This? Your future husband Luca Russo’s assistant dropped by this afternoon to give you this. He said he wants you wearing it for the party next week.” She grinned like a Hyena and I wanted to smack that smile off her face.

How was it that she couldn't see what was wrong here? Her daughter being sold off to a man who didn't even value her enough to show up with the ring by himself and put it on her? His assistant? Hell no. I was young, but I wasn't stupid.

I sat up from my bed, grabbing my phone ( I always took it with me everywhere. It was like my other best friend) feeling very defiant. “Well then, I guess you'll have to call his assistant and tell him that I'm not putting this ring on.”

“What?”

I started making my way to the bathroom ignoring her shock. I guess I'd been the obedient child, but did they really think I was stupid to go along with this circus they were slowly turning my life into?

“Ariadne, now is not the time to unleash your stubborn streak,” she reminded me. “Luca Russo is—”

I turned sharply, cutting her off. “A formidable man. Ruthless, murderous. I know that, Mom. And still I choose to not take the ring. What's the worse that can happen? He's going to kill me?” I snorted at that. I wouldn't mind that. At all.

Without waiting for a response, I made my way to the bathroom and locked the door behind me.

Wheew! I guess that wasn't so bad. Maybe it was high time I showed them who I was, that I was a person with feelings too. Maybe then they'd take me seriously.

I sat on the toilet seat, alternating between shooting my friends texts and watching videos on TikTok. I don't know how much time passed, and when I glanced at my phone clock, I winced on how long I'd been here. It was almost thirty minutes until dinner. How had I lost track of time?

Standing, my butt protesting from the position I'd been in for hours, I made my way to the door and unlocked it. With a quick sweep of the half lit room with my eyes, I smiled when I saw the room was empty.

I stepped away from the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I was surprised Dad hadn't barged into my room and yelled at me for my disobedience, but I guess they were shocked that I —

“Going somewhere?”

I yelped in fright at the sound of the voice behind me, spinning on my heels and wielding my phone as a weapon. Pathetic really.

“I've been waiting for you for… almost an hour now, future wive.”

My heart skipped a beat and then beat faster at that reference. Future wive. I recognized that deadly, bored voice before the man came out of the shadows, looking like sin.

And I just knew.

I was fucked.