Chapter 3

BELLA POV

      After the wedding rites were made, we all moved to the reception where everyone came forward to congratulate Alfred and I on our successful wedding.

Alfred's parents came to us and specifically welcomed me into the family of Winston, to my surprise.

I was very tempted to ask them if they knew that I wasn’t willingly getting married to their son and had to do it in order to pay off my father’s debts and save my younger brother from getting killed, but I swallowed the words down.

"You are welcome, my daughter!" His mother had given me a warm hug, and I returned the hug, feeling really awkward at it.

"We are happy to have you join us in our household, feel free to visit us at the Winston White Mansion!" His father energetically told me.

"I will, Mr. Winston!" I flashed him a nervous smile.

The Winston family is incredibly affluent and influential, they have tremendous power under their wind —and just their presence has me weakening in my spot and keeping me on the edge.

"Please, pardon us!" Mr. Winston's grinned, and then, they all turned around and walked away to join the rest of the guests.

"Phew!" I breathed out all the air I had no idea I was storing in my lungs.

"You are doing a good job!" Samantha giggled behind me, startling me as she came to stand before me, with Richard behind her.

"Please, I need a break!" I confessed to them, I knew they were here to taunt me so I averted my gaze to the crowd at the reception.

Some were drinking and eating, dancing and singing along to the electronic music rumbling in the atmosphere. It was quite a moment, but that didn't make me not notice the envious stares from the young ladies in the scenery.

Although I understood that a lot of ladies in the cities are into Alfred. But then, they were quite stupid to want to willingly be in my spot.

Not like I was even shocked, they were literally like Samantha, after all. I’ve caught her eying up Alfred more than twice.

After spending a lot of time with the guests until it was dusk, Alfred reached out and whispered to me that it was time to go home. I became instantly nervous and tense up. I had purposely refused ti think of what was supposed to take place between my husband and I when he’d get to his home tonight, because I wasn’t looking forward to it in any way.

Alfred went off to say goodbye to his parents, and to his best friend whom I learned went by Oscars Olis.

Shortly, his convoys arrived at the reception and Alfred led me towards the car while everyone watched us and some were saying goodbyes, we entered the car and the driver took off.

           *****

     Reaching Alfred's mansion, it was enormously large and ineffable. Words ain't enough to describe the unique designs and structures of the building, I was certain he spent quite a fortune.

"Let's go inside!" Alfred got the door for me before his driver could, he held my hand and helped me to step out of the car.

"T-thank you!" I shutter after he let go of my hand, I hung my head low as I followed him behind while we walk towards the building.

At the entrance, we met the maids who stood in two rows and they bowed immediately on seeing us coming towards them.

"Welcome, Master!"

"Welcome, ma’am!"

Alfred nodded at them as he dominantly marched past them and into the house, I followed him silently, awkwardly waving at the maids and bowing my head at them, feeling really out of place in that moment.

Alfred showed me around the house, telling me the few things I needed to know until we both got to our bedroom.

"Feel free to roam around, I will be right back!" He offhandedly said to me, and this made me wonder how a man could be so indifferent and yet cool at the same time.

Alfred headed towards the door and left the room after closing the door after him, leaving me alone to focus eye up for bed wearily,

It looked bigger than a king-size bed, and very comfy.

A lot was on my mind at the moment, and the more I eyed the bed, the more I got dizzier with worry.

What if Alfred chooses to lay with me tonight?

"No, that can never... I can't let that happen," I quietly tell myself as I moved away from the doorway.

But the imagination refuses to go away, I was getting terrified and I had to avert my eyes from the bed, at the process, I caught sight of a bottle of liquor on the table.

Alcohol always does the trick, everytime.

Although I wasn’t old enough to drink yet, I couldn’t help it. Having a father who was always in a bottle, would leave you with a lot of opportunities to get your hands on alcohol.

I walked towards the bedside table, grunting in irritation as the wedding dress weighed heavily on my body.

Reaching for the drink, I grabbed the bottle of liquor and poured the content into the glass cup on the table. I shouldn't be drinking but I had to do it in order to get my mind off the most obvious thing ever right now.

Consummation..

Sliding down against the wall, I took a long chug of the drink and tipped my head back, feeling the alcohol burn as it slid into my throat. The liquor slouch from my lips down to my neck, staining my wedding dress in the process, but I was beyond caring right now.

I didn't know how long I had been in this position doing nothing but drinking and getting lost in my head, till I heard a crashing noise outside the door of the room which was accompanied by a scream.

"What is going on?" I panicked and sprang to my feet, the bottle of liquor accidentally fell from my slackened grip and crashed on the floor in a thousand pieces.

"Ah!" I screamed frightfully and my fear only grew wider when the bedroom’s door burst open!

Seven men dressed in black filled the room instantly, and I instantly thought of assassins, their faces were masked and they held black guns in their hands, which were all pointed at me.

"If you dare to scream or shoot, I will kill you!" One of the men roared at me, and I flinched terrifyingly.

I was trembling pathetically, my legs turned to jelly and I felt scared to death!

"P-please, please don't kill me!" I begged frantically as two of the men were flickering towards me. I shut my eyes quickly, putting my hands up in the air in surrender as I felt them reaching closer to me.

"Please don't kill me!"

"I'm harmless, please don't touch me!"

"I beg of you!" I cried horrifyingly.  

"Shut up!" The man barked at me, I could sense him standing behind my back and my lips quivers in terror at what they'd do to me.

"Where is your stupid husband, huh?! We are here to kill him, and then to take you with us!" One of the men growled into my ear and it was as if a bucket of cold water was spilled over me when I heard his ferocious utterances.

Abruptly, gunshots were heard and I screamed startlingly as loud noises filled up the entire room, threatening to burst my eardrums.. I hesitantly opened my eyelids and saw my husband and some men trooping violently into the room.

It was a bloodbath war!

I hurried to the large wardrobe and hid behind it as I watched the men shooting at themselves, the floor of the room was now decorated with blood and the dead bodies of the men in black who had broken into the house.

"Ah!" A growl was heard from Alfred, and I gasped sharply, my eyes widened as I saw he was shot in his arm.

"Alfred!" I shockingly shrieked,  I froze on the spot as I watch him stagger a little, while clutching his bleeding arm, just as his men finished off the rest of the bad guys.

I couldn't help but run out of my comfort zone, I got to him and crouched my feet beside the bed.

"You have to hide!" He growled at me.

"It doesn't matter Alfred, you are bleeding!" I said urgently to him, reminding myself that he was shot right now because he had come to save me. Now, the fight has already ended and Alfred’s men are standing around us.

"You need first aid!" I quickly stood to my feet and rushed to the bathroom, I got a bowl and towel and stepped hurriedly out of the bathroom.

I pointedly ignored the dead bodies on the ground, lifting my wedding dress as I headed by towards Alfred who was now seated on the couch here in the bedroom.

"We need to get the bullet out of Boss' arm quickly!" One of the men barked at the others as if it was their fault the boss was shot OR rather he was scared something might happen to Alfred.

"You'll don't have to worry, I will deal with this!" I assured them but I knew they'd doubt it since there was no equipment for it.

To their shock, I pulled out my hairpin and scanned my eyes through it. It was strong enough to pierce into Alfred's arm.

Alfred was silent all through as he watch me struggle with how to pull out the bullet, although he was groaning and grunting quietly through the entire process.

"How were able to do this?" Alfred suddenly asked me after a few minutes of silence, his head gesturing at his arm and I automatically understood what he was referring to.

"Uh... Ever since I was little till now, I have always wanted to be a doctor someday," I replied to his question and I watched his dark eyes flash with amusement.

"Let me have that!" He huskily said to me, and I immediately let off his arm and he took a turn in trying to remove the bullet with my hairpin.

"Here's the first aid box!" One of the men comes into the room and drops the box beside me.

A few moments passed away until Alfred was able to successfully pull out the bullet, and everyone breathed out a sigh of relief.

"You all should leave!" Alfred said in his cold voice, his expression was stern and rough.

"Yes, boss!" The men bowed at him before leaving the room one after the door.

Promptly, I started to stitch up his wounded arm which occurs to be a very deep cut, and after a few minutes of silence...

"...done!" I told him after treating his wound and I tiredly stood to my feet.

Alfred stood likewise and faced me "You look tired, you need to shower and take a rest!"

I gulped, feeling uneasy once again. "Alright!"

He nods once while scanning the entire place. "The maids will come soon to clean this mess up. They’d show you to a bedroom you can sleep in tonight.” He raggedly said to me, and then, he went out of the room.

I deeply sighed as I watch my husband leave the room, leaving me all to myself once again.

It was like all what had happened in this short expanse of time had been nothing but a figment of my imagination – if only the bed bodies on the ground weren’t present right now.

This new turn of event was disturbing and unnerving. I had been troubled about consummation, I hadn’t though Alfred would be freaking attacked by one of his numerous enemies on his wedding night.

Was this was my life was reduced to? Have I automatically inherited all of Alfred’s enemies by getting married to him? Is my life now in some danger which I know nothing about yet?

Thinking about all of these right now was only making me feel dizzier.

I guess this was my new life now.