Chapter 4

The sound of the whistle echoed in the room, the sound never fails to invoke strange emotions from within, along with an automatic smile. Oh, this nostalgic sound. The world must have known it as the arrival of the Plague Doctor but he started whistling to tease me and soon it developed into a habit. This sound always pissed me off but now it feels so distant and cold. He was busy with his work, face glued to the screen of his laptop, whistling every time he was lost at work. I pretended to use my phone while sparing glances at him from time to time with a wide smile across my lips, my heart beating fast by being just alone with him in the room. Even though it shouldn't be much of a surprise as we are a couple, I couldn't help but to get lost in it. "Zariah." His voice came, without looking up from his screen. "Y-Yes?" "What are you doing?" He questioned sternly. Tapping his fingers over the keyboard in the silent room, his hardened features stole my ability to speak properly. "Uh.. n-nothing. Why?" I mumbled, looking at him innocently. And by pressing the final enter, he sighed, leaning back, eyes making way to me. "Why are you smiling so much then?" He asked exasperatedly. My brows furrowed in bewilderment, when did he notice my smile? "Nothing." I replied with a confused face. He closed his laptop and stood up dominantly, causing my body to be stiff. My heart skipped a beat as I didn't break our gaze, waiting for him to speak. His stressed look gradually faltered and was replaced by his usual smirk. He sat beside me, putting his hand over my shoulder possessively like always. I didn't know what happened to him but he controlled my movements. He seemingly was enticed by the tendency to keep me close excessively, which elicited distress in me sometimes. Was it real? Or an act of ownership? "What?" I asked innocently. I bit my lips, not removing my eyes from the screen of my phone as he continued to stroke my shoulder tenderly while preying upon me with his exquisite green gaze, moving beside me. "Why are you smiling? You are not doing anything at all." He asked, arching a brow. Now, he was confused. "Just... thinking." I trailed off. "And what are those thoughts?" He smirked with an exhale, resting his back against the bedframe and taking his phone as well. "Nothing, not important." "If they made you smile, they are." I remained motionless, curling my toes and biting my cheeks as I mentally prepared myself for my next words and his wrath. "Um.. Listen..." He hummed, using his phone, engrossed in his world. "It's been a week since our marriage." I began to say anxiously, "Yeah, so?" "When are we leaving for New York?" I asked so I could finish my work here and focus on the real reason why Father sent me here. "What's the rush, doll? Let's stay here for a while. I want to stay now." He chuckled huskily, hunter eyes scrutinizing my form. "Why don't we look around after I am done with work? Let's visit Rome. I want to see the colosseum. I also have some work in Milan." He mumbled, hot breathing hitting my skin to induce uncontrollable tingles. "Milan?" I asked, narrowing my eyes in confusion. "You will know soon." He smirked. "And colosseum? You have already seen-" I tried to tell him timorously but he completed his sentence sweetly in my ears, "With you." Not knowing how to reply, I looked away as he laughed huskily and moved back, indulging in my reactions. "So, tell me why did you ask?" He asked, taking out his phone, going back to his world. "You have started going to work. I... need to go as well." I whispered, fidgeting my fingers around my dress. He stopped, the amusement faded, shifting in my direction while raising an eyebrow. "Why?" He demanded an answer in a cold resonance. "I- I am the successor of Black Reapers." I murmured, shutting my eyes, ready for his mock. He let out a suppressed laugh, belittling the position I was supposed to gain was endless hard work. "I sympathize with them for having you as its successor." He ridiculed me. "I am up to my Father's standards. I have done everything to live up to my name, Please don't call me that." I reasoned hurriedly but in a soft tone. "Don't mock my position-" "Or what?" His grip over me became firm, increasing the pace of my heartbeats. With a shallow breath and a frightened gaze, I spared a glance, staring with a dead serious look. "Why wouldn't I? When you can't have the tongue to ask for the life you want? When you can't save yourself?" He asked with repugnance. "You are the most pathetic person I have ever met honestly," He hissed scornfully, scoffing yet smirking at my vulnerability. "He taught me everything to be what I should be." I said in a croaky voice. Hating how he was not caring about my place, only considering me what he thought. "Be what? A robot? Or a weak girl who is going to subjugate her husband, huh?" He hissed, glaring at me. "What?" I gasped, staring at him with tears brimming in my eyes. "Accept it my sweet Zari~ you are mine now. First you be what your Father wanted and now will be what 'I' want." He declared, lifting my chin and forcing me to look at him. "You live upon orders. That is your life. You can't even breathe on your own, Zari." He whispered seductively. The nickname stiffened my bone, unbearable passion rushing in my veins but his words surely hurt. "And since now you are mine, I won't share my doll with anyone." He continued vehemently. Shivering by the depth of his words which induced an intoxicating poison in my mind, my lips parted to reply but my voice stuck in my throat. "At least let me fulfill my obligations." I said, almost losing the grip on my composure which never occurred before. "Tsk, still the same." He muttered, letting me go and getting up with disappointment "I don't know what that man has done to you to make you like this but keep it in your mind." He trailed off, a sheer resolve glistened in his eyes as he pointed his index finger at me in contempt, "I will mold you the way I want. I will make you..." He leaned down, his finger touching my heart, with his lips so close to mine. I swallowed the lump in my throat, breathing heavily by his sharp gaze which increased my impulses. "My," His Lips brushed against my neck. "Perfect," Stopping at my ear, speaking in a husky whisper. "Doll." And with this he left me alone in the room with an infuriated expression over his bewitching features. I heard the sound of the door being closed. I couldn't let his fire burn my core, my personal emotions would only be a hindrance of my path. I knew it was not in my destiny. To reach the destination which had 'his' name engraved on it. "Like hell I am weak," With a deep breath I stood up, looking at my devoid hands, doing what I should. Maybe I should come out of denial now. This marriage won't work. I lost my Nathaniel in between the cracks, I must focus on my purpose. The next day, we were having breakfast and I enunciated, "I am leaving for the mansion today." "Fine then but keep a few things in your mind." He said. I looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "First, you won't get involved in any trouble. Second, you won't leave the country or the city without my permission. Third, You will come before I do and let me know every time you are leaving, understood?" He asked sternly. 'You cannot control my life.' I wanted to retort, get angry but who was I in his presence? Zari. All I could do was to give him a nod. "Okay." I said, curling my lips in a smile but from inside, I was cursing myself. "Good." He said, returning my smile with his usual smirk, getting up. "Bye, doll." He whispered in my ears. Causing my hairs to stand on edge with goosebumps forming over my skin. Before I could get out from the effect of his voice on my soul, he left for his work and I left for mine. "What should we do with his body?" David, my most trusted man, asked me. Like a bodyguard of movies, strong presence and large in size, with great strength makes it unbelievable that he was in his forties. I lit up my cigarette, humming. "What options do we have?" I asked, letting out a ring of smoke, looking at the body of my victim Trevor. "That asshole was trying to run away..." I said, coming closer and kicking his lifeless body. "Burn it, No body, no bother for police." I ordered coldly. "Roger." He nodded. I moved back, leaning on the tree while watching his body being burned in the forest. How it turned to ashes with no emotions, smoking peacefully as if nothing happened, chilling in my moment. I was indulging my reprieve but stopped immediately when I received a call from Nathaniel. Shit, he resented smoking, he had never smoked and I was a damn addict. I tried but I couldn't stop smoking. I coughed, threw the cigarette away and exhaled a few times, ignoring the weird looks I received from David and others and walked away, picking his call. "Hello?" I answered, tone changing into a soft one. "What took you so long to answer?" He asked authoritatively, demanding an answer. "I was working... Sorry." "Zariah." He called me, my heart skipped a beat, inducing a strange disruption in my soul. "Yes?" My voice was again soft. "Who is your top priority?" He asked seriously. I bit my lips nervously, heart thumping against my chest and I knew he needed the answer pleasing to him so I replied with a shaky breath. "You." "Good girl." I mentally sighed, putting my hand over my racing heart. "Come straight to my office after you are done, we will leave together." He said. "Why?" I instantly regret asking further questions with him. Was I made this way or he made me? "I want to know you, we will go wherever you want." He ordered and cut the call with this. A bright smile came to my lips as I put the phone close to my chest and leaned on the tree, exhaling in relief with a grin creeping upon my face. I blushed, his nothing enticed me, intoxicating my mind in the rapture of being noticed by him alone. That he wanted to know me which no one bothered to do. Quickly shaking my head, I went back and focused on work. After work, I went home, greeted Mother. "Hey sweetie, how are you?" She asked. "I am great. I am here to get ready, then I will leave for his office." I said, pulling away from the hug. "I am glad to see you happy. For the first time in your marriage." She smiled, patting my head. "Thanks..." "Ah yeah, sweetie your Father will come tomorrow with Alessandra, make sure to meet with him before leaving." She reminded me. "Oh, finally she is coming." I smiled, hearing about Alessandra. My right hand, she was my partner, my best friend. The person who knew everything. I missed her so much. "With your Father." She repeated. I nodded, "I know." You are his puppet. His words are echoing in my mind, stirring it drastically. Deluging me in the misery where I question my own self. Drowned in a strange agony I couldn't show because I knew what I was doing, his words are nothing but a false accusation. He knew nothing after all...