My mother gasps. Mrs. Russo clutches her chest and stares at her son in shock. Mr. Russo steps back and glares at him, like, "What the heck are you talking about?"
Alexander finally pushes himself off the wall and steps closer to the center of the room, bringing himself into better light so everyone can see him.
His deep voice echoes around the room. "I have a meeting in New York next week. That should give you two weeks to figure out what it is that you want, how you want it, and where you want it." I can tell he is turning his gaze at me, but I just keep looking at the floor. I refuse to give him any more of myself than I have tonight.
"Unless there is something specific you would desire for the wedding, Isabella. I’m more than positive our mothers can handle this. And get it done with the flair and finesse that a family organization wedding will require. The sooner the better in my opinion.”
The room erupted in too many chaotic voices. An argument about it not giving them enough time. Everyone has an idea for a venue that will do it quickly, or a location where it can be held to house so many people.
I just sat silently staring at the floor. Alexander remains in his spot, both hands in his pockets, staring at me. Waiting for a reaction, waiting for something. But I’m not giving him anything. Once the voices start to die down, our mothers finally come up with a plan. Our fathers finally agreed. Alexander walks a little closer to his father.
“Also, I request that Isabella move into my home in one week's time. She can have this week with her parents to get her wedding arrangements underway and finalized, pack her things, and move in. But I will have her in my home in one week."
He turns away from his father and looks at the room, into each face individually, before he says, "Is that understood?"
No one says anything, not even Sebastian. Throughout this whole thing, he stood silently behind my chair. He hasn’t touched me since dinner and thank God for that, but at this moment I want to latch onto his hand because I feel like I’m falling.
I have to move into his home in a week. I thought I had a couple of months before we had to get married. But in two weeks!
In two weeks, I’m going to lose my freedom. I’m going to have to live in this man’s house every day in one week! See him every morning, every night when he gets home from work. Alone!
In two weeks, I'll be his wife and be forced to show up at all of these parties with him on my arm and be in the public eye. Oh my god, I feel like I’m going to be sick again.
In the silence of the room, Alexander approaches my chair and reaches out his hand, gently lifting my chin. To everyone else in the room, it looks like a gentle caress from a lover. But I know different; Alexander is never gentle, and all too soon I’ll be living in the lion's den.
Keeping my eyes downcast, I refuse to look at him. Despite the fact that I have no say in my life, I will keep whatever little part of myself I have left.
"Is that a problem for you, Isabella? "
I just shake my head. What choice do I really have? We were contracted to marry each other. Alexander leans down as if he’s going to kiss me on the cheek. He puts his lips to my ear and says, "You're mine in two weeks, bunny. No hopping away now or ever."
He gently kisses me on the cheek, but at the same time, he squeezes my jaw a little tighter. He's letting me know he’s won, letting me know he’s in control. I just shake inside as I squeeze my eyes closed harder.
Alexander lets go of my chin and straightens to his full height, putting his hands back into his pockets. He looks at Sebastian over my chair, dead in the eyes, and says, "Checkmate. I own your queen.”
I can feel the animosity rising from him. The back of my chair creaks as Sebastian’s grip tightens. Sebastian‘s tone is just as dark. "She’s not my queen. She’s a human being with feelings and a life. It seems you have forgotten that,brother. Has the quest for the throne hardened you that much?"
“It was never a quest,brother.It’s a birthright, remember that."
With that, he just leaves the room. Alexander just leaves us all sitting there, making plans for a wedding neither one of us wanted in the beginning. Between the two of us, he’s the only one that does.
I’m a toy, a pawn in all their games.
I sat in silence as the rest of the room made plans to set up lunch dates to discuss the upcoming wedding. I don’t really hear any of it. I don’t really care right now. All I know is that I have two weeks. Two weeks of the little freedom I have left will be taken up by dress fittings, tasting cakes, and picking the photographer for pictures of a wedding I never wanted.
Somehow the evening has wound down as our mothers' havemade their plans and we’re heading to the door. We say our goodbyes very politely. Everyone seems happy as if this evening was perfectly planned and went off without a hitch.
As I slide into the car, I’m still silent. I haven’t said a word. My father just looks at me with disdain radiating from him.
As the car pulls away, my father leans closer to me, his voice smouldering with anger.
“For some reason, Mr. Russo stuck up for you. He overlooked your slight tonight. And you’ll be moving into Alexander‘s house in a week. When we get home, you pack your shit and get ready to get the fuck out. I’m done with all your bullshit. I’ll be placing a call to his father tonight after we get home. And I don’t care what you want for your wedding, your mother will pick it out and you’ll be happy with what you get. I’ve spent twenty-three years taking care of you to make sure I get what I want out of this deal. And the faster I can get it signed and sealed, the better.”
The tears burn at the back of my eyes. It’s one thing to think that you’re hated, but it’s another to actually know that they’ve never really loved you all along. Rebekah has a smirk on her face, the same one she wore when she came into my room earlier this evening. My mother is stoic and quiet, not saying anything. I know there’s no love lost there. But of all of them, she looks almost sad. If that’s what sadness looks like on her, I need Anna, someone who actually cares about me right now.
As soon as the car stops, I don’t even wait for the driver to open the door. I burst out and headed straight to the front door, up the stairs directly to my room. I slam the door behind me, and I throw myself on my bed, burying my face in the pillow and cry.
I'm crying because I won't be spending my life with someone like Sebastian. The tears flow harder because now I'm going to have to spend more time guarding myself while living with a stranger, more now than I ever had to with my parents. I'mcrying because I've always imagined that deep down, somehow, they might have loved me.
