CHAPTER TWO
Elena didn't sleep.She had cried her eyes out expecting sleep to come after,but no,she was wide awake with her eyes dry as sandpaper…..
She sat on the edge of the bed, still in the wedding dress, still feeling like she was wearing someone else's life.
The room was huge with an extravagant king sized bed,Dark wood, soft lights, clean lines. Nothing personal,no photos,no paintings,no personal touch .No warmth.
It was dark,and cold.
Just like him.
Hours had passed and Aiden wasn't back and she had no idea where he was and when he'd get back.
Not like she cared. She didn't.
She didn't move,and she couldn't cry anymore,shed cried all the tears she had and she was all exhausted and depressed….
What felt like days later the housekeeper appeared. She was professionally polite,and she only said few words to her,like she'd been told not to say much.
She brought food Elena couldn't eat.
And a nightgown Elena didn't want to change into.
It was almost midnight when Aiden finally walked in,looking sharp and emotionless and he didn't look tired. He didn't look at her.
"I assume the bed is comfortable enough," he said without emotion,as he took out his expensive looking cufflinks and tie next.
Elena stood up slowly. "Yes."
He glanced at her, then at the untouched food. "Not hungry?"
She shook her head. "No."
Like he cared.she thought with an internal eyeroll
"Pity. You'll need your strength." Aiden mummured
"For what?"
"To survive this mess."
He walked to the far side of the room, opened the closet, and took out a spare pillow and a blanket. Then he walked past her, toward the long couch by the window.
"I'll be sleeping there," he said.
"I didn't expect you to sleep here at all."She retorted
He looked at her then. Really looked,long and hard. After an almost awkward and too intense look,he said in mocking surprise"You think I'm doing this for you?"
She frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He dropped the blanket on the couch and turned to face her fully. "Let me explain something. This marriage is not real to me. I said 'I do' because pulling out would've cost me a hundred-million-dollar deal and a press scandal that I don't have time for."
"I know."
"You don't know anything," he snapped.
Elena flinched.
"I don't care why your sister ran. I don't care what your mother told you. I don't trust you. I don't want you here. But you're part of this now, so here's how this is going to work."
He took a step closer,making Elena move back unconsciously. They continued that way with Aiden steps closer,while Elena flinched and took steps back until her back was flush against the wall. He was so close and she could get a whiff of his scent. It was all man,a mix of male natural scent,whiskey and an expensive cologne….
She could feel the his breath on her face as he looked down at her,his hand barricaded her
God.
He smells so good and powerful.
She flinched internally at the thought,she shook her head,she didn't care about his scent. Not at all.
Aiden's sharp voice snapped her out of the unwanted thoughts ….
"You'll stay in this apartment. You'll play the role of my wife when needed. You'll smile when there are cameras,and people around. You'll say nothing to anyone about what really happened. No,you will say nothing until you're asked to speak.And when the time comes, we'll divorce quietly, and you'll walk away with whatever deal my lawyers decide."
Elena's voice came out small. "That's it?"
Was that all she was worth? Be a bimbo who speaks only what her husband wants out of her mouth,and later get disposed after she's been exhausted??
"What more did you think you'd get?"
"I didn't ask for anything."she said softly,trying to make him see reasons. To make him see she wasn't after his money.
"Didn't you?" He smiled,but the smile didn't reach his eyes….
She took a step back,but there was no space to back into,she took a bold step forward,her eyes burning. "I didn't choose this." she snapped making Aiden's brow rise.
"But you didn't walk away, either."
"Because my family—"
"Because your family is greedy," he said coldly. "And you're either a fool or a very good actress."
That one hurt.
She was no fool,neither was she an actress.
Maybe a loser,but .....
She turned her face away. "You don't know me."
"No. I don't. And I don't want to."He said calmly without heat,but it still had her blood boiling.
Silence.
He sat down on the couch and leaned back, staring at the ceiling like this whole thing was just another problem to solve.
She watched him for a moment. The perfect suit. The perfect face. And the wall around him, thicker than stone.
He hated her,and she didn't blame him.
But what hurt most was that he didn't even want to understand. He didn't want to see her.
She turned and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.The light was soft,the tiles were warm. But she still felt cold.
She stripped off the dress piece by piece, folding it carefully and placing it on the counter.
Underneath, she was just a girl again.
Just Elena,the nobody.
Not Isabella. Not Mrs. Black. Not anyone important.
She looked in the mirror.
Her makeup was still perfect.
Her face wasn't.
It looked tired. Hollow. And her eyes were slightly swollen.She washed it all off. Every bit of powder, gloss, color. She needed to see her real face again. She needed to see herself again.
The girl who loved books, not business deals.
The girl who worked part-time at a flower shop and dreamed of something simple.
The girl who had been forced to grow up in one terrible day.
She stayed in the bathroom for a long time.
When she came out, the lights were off. Aiden was asleep—or pretending to be.
She walked quietly to the bed and slid under the covers.
She kept her back to him.
She stared out the window, where the city lights blinked like stars.
She was married.
But she felt more alone than ever.
---
The next morning, she woke up before sunrise.
She didn't feel rested,because she had barely slept.
She felt… suspended. Like she was in someone else's life and couldn't find the exit.
She slipped out of bed and changed into the soft clothes left for her. Not her style. Too polished. But at least they were comfortable.
She found the kitchen, which looked more like a showroom than a place people actually used. She spied the coffeemaker,she made coffee.
She needed something that felt normal. And coffee was the beginning of normalcy in her day.
Half an hour later, Aiden walked in,showered,dressed and ready for war, probably.
He paused when he saw her.
"You cook?" he asked.
She shook her head,held up the coffee pot. "Just coffee."
He didn't smile. Of course not.
He poured himself a cup, took a sip, and said nothing.
The silence stretched.
Then he set the mug down and looked at her.
"We have a charity event this Friday. Black tie. You'll come." He said with finality like she had no say in it.
Elena nodded. "Okay."
"You'll get your hair and makeup done. Wear whatever the stylist sends."
"Fine."
"Smile." he said suddenly which caused her eyes to snap up.She looked up at him, surprised.
"You'll need to practice," he said, voice flat."Because fake or not, people are watching."
"Right." she whispered. She had honestly thought there was a change but it was still all business.
"And another thing," he added, stepping closer. "Don't ever try to embarrass me in public. I won't be kind about it."
Elena looked him in the eye. "I don't want to embarrass you. I don't even want to be here."
His jaw tightened. For a second, she thought he might say something cruel again. But he didn't.
He just turned and walked out.
The door clicked shut behind him.
She stood there in silence.
Coffee in hand. Ring on finger. Stuck in a life she never wanted.
But even as the pain settled in her chest, a small voice whispered something dangerous in her mind:
You're here now.
And you're not as weak as he thinks. As everyone thinks.
You're you. Strong and beautiful.