Chapter 2

"Kill him." I ordered without any hint of compassion for Bard; the man who failed to pay his debts. "N-No. N-No please, Zariah. Please don't kill me. I swear I will return your debt." Mr. Bard, the owner of the company who took out a loan from us, begged for his life. "I gave you a month for it. But you didn't repay it." I growled.. Tracing the gun on the side of his face while he was trapped in his own office with the doors locked with my men and he had no place to escape. "Please..." He cried, holding the armrest tightly. "I don't need your please. I need my money, Bard" I said direly, putting the gun in his mouth with an insane smirk. That was what I was after all- Distorted. "You think you get away by breaking my terms?" I asked in a hiss. He tried to say something but the gun gagged him. "I need it." I demanded. "Two days." I said deadpanned before taking out the gun and he ended up falling from his chair, coughing for air. He hastily nodded as I pulled away from him not before kicking him. "Better get it ready in two days if you don't want me to end your breaths." I said coldly. I mentioned one of my men to stay with him as I left with the rest, putting the gun back in my bag, acting as if nothing happened. This was me, Zariah Ezekiel, the successor of one of the most dangerous Mafia pillars- Black Reapers. I took after my family business in Italy, worked as the in-line leader of Black Reapers. 'Until the point where the mutual and biggest enemy of our work- Hyraz entered our lives with the purpose of destroying it.' We were supposed to be allies but he was an asshole who couldn't work quietly. Zariah Ezekiel was the crazy and heartless leader who- like a robot- was restricted to live up to expectations my Father placed upon me. While there was also a girl named Zari. Just 'his' Zari, who was dead inside me, resurrected only when I saw him. Every time my eyes fall on his enticing form, all dominance fades inside me, leaving me as a simple girl who was hopeless for him. ... Just like last night. And that was the part of my life, hidden from everyone- even him. 'Rather, he no longer remembers. But how can I forget our promise? How can I forget 'my' Nathaniel?' I avoided him all this time. If my Father saw me being this pathetic over a guy, he would kill me. "Damn these thoughts..." All this desperation, powerlessness, vulnerability and lack of confidence for him... Nathaniel Alroy. The Plague Doctor of the Underworld. Number one among the top five leaders, the aces; The Vicious Leaders. He was obsessed with his title, Plague Doctor, always wanted to become a doctor. "Where are you going?" A man of mine, Giovanni, asked. "Home. I am having terrible thoughts." I sighed, smoking. "But-" "Not now," After seeing Bard, I went home or else those thoughts would drive me insane. "Oh, Zariah?" Mother said, scrutinizing me, it was odd. "What happened, Mother?" I asked in confusion. "It's your first day of marriage." She said, I gasped, cursing under my breath. I put my hand over my head and sighed deeply. "Shit... I totally forgot about it... He left for some work and Father called so I went to Mr. Bard to recollect the debt." How could I forget I was married to him?! I explained but the moment this thought struck my mind, I shivered. Realizing his words of me being a mindless doll who follows her Father's orders hit me and I did what exactly he said. By one order, I ran there- what could I do? I was made this way. "Um, Do you want to have dinner now that you have come here?" Mother offered, passing me a smile. "No. I am fine." I smiled back, waving my hand to shrug it off. "I'll head back." I sighed, leaving instantly. I drove back home, gritting my teeth, "Fuck! How could I have been so stupid!?" I cursed myself. Each time my thoughts reached the point of what he would say, I got stiff. It was terrifying to think how he could charm me by his nothing and now... I was his wife. 'There is no escaping him anymore,' I reached home in the evening and was thankful he wasn't home yet. My whole being was no longer Zariah Ezekiel the moment I entered home. I was Zariah Alroy and in his presence... Just Zari, his Zari. After a while, he came home. I shuddered with my hands and feet turning icy. With deep exhalation and fidgeting my fingers, I stood up to greet him. "Welcome home." I spoke sweetly, looking at him innocently. He stopped and narrowed his eyes in perplexity, fastening my breaths with his density. "Is there something wrong?" "Nothing." He sighed. Holding his waistcoat on his arm, the first two buttons of his black shirt were opened, eyes lacking emotions as always. He fully turned to me, My heart skipped a beat by his action as I continued to look at him, collecting distress between my burning breaths. He seemed like he wanted to say something but decided not to. Thankfully, he broke his gaze and asked, "Did you have dinner yet?" "No." I replied. "Were you waiting for me?" He asked amusingly, arching a brow, licking my lips, I gave him a slow nod. "Why?" Even last night when I was blushing madly, he was so pleased while I was so abashed when he... took my virginity. "Wasn't it my obligation?" I asked, rubbing my thumbs together in nervousness. "No." He responded coldly, leaving for his- our room. I watched him leave with a heavy heart, curling my lips upwards as that man was unaware of my feelings. 'You would never understand.' I followed him to the room, his broad back gave me a sense of pride to have him beside me. What a privilege. "Shall I serve dinner?" "You don't have to do it." He shrugged, entering the room, opening his bun and letting the long brown hairs from his bun fall on his face, enhancing his features greatly. "You don't want me to?" My voice came out vague, leaning on the doorframe, "Of course, I do." He answered, turning to me. "I want you to do everything for me." He smirked darkly, immobilizing my soul when he emphasized on 'everything' which gave me a terrible omen about what he was planning. "But not here, back at my home in New York. I don't want to stay in Rome anymore." He spoke nonchalantly, turning his head back to the mirror. "Understandable. What can we do here anyways." I mumbled, wrapping my hands around me. We were currently staying in Rome as the wedding took place here but now he would take me back and I was terrified about that time. "Not only that, I am your priority now. You should do what I say," He enunciated seriously which made my heart race. "I see." I hummed, lowering my head. "And yeah, Zari," "Hmm?" "I had some work, I didn't mean to leave you on the first day of our marriage." He mumbled before opening the buttons of his shirt, revealing his toned chest, drying my throat and taking out his casual clothes. "It's... not a kind of marriage." I mumbled, averting my gaze as I could feel my cheek heating up of how possessively he held me. "Then why did you wait for me?" He snickered. I opened my mouth to reply but couldn't. He sighed, "If we want to work it out, better fulfill our obligations. I didn't marry you to throw you in a corner to neglect." "Okay..." Trailing off, my step retreated to leave but he appeared before me, moving his hand across and putting it above me. My breath hitched when his appealing bare chest was before me, testing the heat collecting in my core to find myself entrapped in his proximity. "Nathaniel.." I whispered inaudibly before his predatory eyes. "But nothing in this world can change the fact you are my wife, forget the life you had been living till now and," He chuckled seductively, contemplating my convulsing form thoroughly, knitting my beats to his commands. "You are abided to move in rhythm to my existence," My eyes widened in appall, the intensity of his words constricting my voice was unimaginable. How could he hold this power over me?! "Um, I am waiting for you d-downstairs." Excusing myself hurriedly, I rushed out of the room followed by the sound of his low menacing laugh echoing in my ears, stealing my senses and naming them as his. I closed the door and leaned on the wall, letting out a deep breath to put my abnormal heartbeats at serene. Just how in a few seconds of nothing, I was left shivering, he had this magical effect on me ever since I could remember. I shook my head and went down. Soon, he came as well smirking at my flushed reaction, proud that he managed to capture my soul in his possession with such ease. Without exchanging a glance with him, we sat to have dinner. It was calm and quiet but he decided to break it with his deep, tempting tone. "Zariah." When my name rolled onto his lips, my surroundings didn't exist. "Yes?" "Disregard the reason for our marriage, to help you kill Axel or not. A marriage of convenience or not. I want you to keep it in your mind, you are Zariah Alroy now." He told me dominantly. "I understand but I have some responsibilities as the successor of Black Reaper." I reasoned. Hoping he would understand like he did with Cinzel- Oh she was his sister and he loves her. "But, In my presence. You are Zariah Alroy." He declared, voice authoritative. "And nothing could prioritize me. Understood? Not even your Father. You are not his puppet anymore." He demanded. Sending a glare in my direction to dare me to speak. My heart thumped against my chest and I could give this harbinger of malice a nod. "And.. our contract..?" I asked hesitantly. "What about it?" "How long i-it will last?" I stammered. Tense at the thought of how long it could possibly last. He let out a snicker and smirked, leaning close to me, lifting my chin. "You don't have to worry about it. It will last as long as I want." "Meaning you will leave me after Axel's death?" I asked in a whisper with my quivering lips which he noticed and decided to tease them more. "Depends." His smirk grew wider, shifting his thumb upward to my lips, parting them. My body turned cold when his fingers touched me as if I belonged to him. "You are here and who knows stays forever... unless I set my eyes on someone else." Proficient in smearing my lost whispers under his feet, he clenched my heart in his words. I shivered, cascading my eyes to his hand on my lips. "Am I your slave?" I asked, frowning deeply at him. "You are, to your Father. Why not be mine?" I couldn't believe the person before me was the Nathaniel I grew up with, how he changed was heartbreaking. "I am his daughter. Who am I to you?" I asked, growing desperate. Wanting him to say what he did in our last meeting but to no avail. "Do you think I am a toy of your pleasure?" I asked again in disbelief. He raised a brow at my awry expression for a few seconds before breaking into a husky laugh, replying to my words heartlessly. "Yes."