Page 21 of The Russian's Forced Bride
The scenery was stunning. It was a vineyard—one of Rafael’s many vineyards—decorated with various breeds and arrangements of flowers along the interlocked floor. Sky lanterns floated above us, casting a warm golden glow over the sky—like something out of a fairytale. I could have enjoyed this wedding if I truly loved the man standing before me, but unfortunately, I despised him.
Aside from Eleanor and Lara, who stood as my maids of honor, the only other people present for me were Jacob, who hadarrived a few minutes earlier, soaked in sweat, and my new half-brother, Brandon, who watched the scene from the sidelines, seated at the farthest end of the yard on one of the many scattered tables.
Alice wasn’t present. Not that I wanted her to be there.
Then there were Matvey, Oskar, and a few other Bratva men, all dressed in black, staring at me like a dove they couldn’t wait to keep locked up forever. Their eyes only regarded me with indifference that made my heart fall to the pit of my stomach.
I was then brought back to reality when the priest asked if I would take Rafael as my lawfully wedded husband, for better and for worse.
I wanted to say no, but I blurted out yes instead, peeking at Rafael through my veil. And after exchanging vows we didn’t mean, the old, fat-bellied priest said the words I had been dreading all evening:
“You may now kiss the bride.”
I was taken back to that cellar. Back to the feeling of Rafael’s tongue shoved deep into my mouth and his body pressed against mine, and my breath hitched in my throat at the thought of it.
I didn’t want to relive that feeling. This man didn’t give two flying fucks about me.
Gosh, I wanted to cry at how pathetic I felt.
Rafael lifted my veil, allowing me to see his eyes clearly. They were steeled, guarded, and full of hatred, and as I glared back into his eyes, I hoped it was able to convey that I felt that same loathing for him.
And then, without warning, he pressed his lips to mine—but this time, he didn’t linger. He pulled away as soon as our lips met, almost as if the thought of kissing me again disgusted him.
Claps erupted in the background, and the voices of people chattering around me started to make my heart beat faster. Myfriends seemed genuinely happy for me, but it felt like my heart was being torn in two.
Each clap made me feel like I was sinking into a void of despair.
I couldn’t run anymore. I couldn’t hide even if I wanted to. I had to go back to being the perfect lady Father had always trained me to be if I was going to survive living with Rafael.
***
The ride home was filled with a deafening silence. The air between Rafael and me, as we sat side by side in his Maybach, was stifling. My body ached, and my mind was overwhelmed by everything that had happened today.
After the wedding, a reception followed, where I was supposed to celebrate with everyone, but I was so tired of it all; time seemed to pass in a blur. One moment, I was being congratulated by my friends, by Jacob, Matvey, and Oskar, and in another moment, I retired to the car, waiting until Rafael was done talking to his little Bratva cult.
I hadn’t even noticed when Jacob slipped away, unnoticed by everyone else. He had been like a spectator at the wedding—just watching—and everyone seemed too busy to notice him.
Once the chauffeur stopped in front of our new house—the Lake Forest house, which I was a bit surprised to learn Rafael had purchased—I stepped out of the car, not bothering to wait for Rafael, as I made my way inside by using my fingerprint on the biometric scanner to open the door.
My belongings had already been taken to the house yesterday, so there was no need to bring my bags along.
I could hear Rafael’s quiet footsteps behind me as I climbed the spiral staircase looking for my things, and I headed for the first room I saw right after walking down the hallway.
The room I stepped into was dimly lit by two table lamps and a spiral-shaped chandelier dangling from the ceiling. The accented walls were decorated with textured vertical designs that gave the room a rather refined look that blended well with the bed, which was upholstered in a dark, plush, velvety fabric.
Roses were scattered around the bed with candles flickering sensually from the lampstands, and I scoffed out loud when I realized that this was the master bedroom.
I felt for the light switch on the wall and turned it on, flooding the room with harsh light instead of the supposed romantic atmosphere the candles and lamps were meant to create. Just then, I spotted my bags right by the walk-in closet at the far end of the room.
I hurried my steps to leave the room before Rafael entered, but I wasn’t quick enough, and the door creaked open, revealing him.
I ignored him and grabbed one of my boxes, rolling it across the room to where he stood, blocking the door’s entrance.
“Where do you think you’re going?” His deep voice resounded in the room.
I fixed my gaze to the ground, avoiding his stare that burned holes through my head.
He wasn’t really expecting us to share a room, right?
